Wolverine?! More Like… This Game Looks Pretty Good, Huh?

Game developer Insomniac has released 3 Spider-Man games since 2018, and over the course of that time the series has managed to sell over 50 million units. Honestly, is anyone surprised? With the recently released Spider-Man: Brand New Day making 2 billion dollars in just three weeks at the box office, it’s clear that Spider-Man is as popular as ever, but a popular IP isn’t the only reason for Insomniac’s success. With a recipe that includes masterful gameplay, fantastic storytelling, and memorable characters, Insomniac has made it clear that they’re not interested in serving up something stale to audiences. They’re one of the most talented studios in the history of the industry. But for some reason, at least in certain corners online, their upcoming game Wolverine isn’t being met with that same excitement. Internet pushback is always hard to figure out. Sometimes the internet’s loud criticism proves to be a handful of losers claiming The Odyssey will flop at the box office, and then there are times when the criticism is actually the entire industry and fandom more than happy to kill off a game that’s only crime is being an 8 out of 10. RIP Concord. With that said, Wolverine’s release is only a month away. Are the concerns warranted or just a group of Twitter checkmarks farming engagement? There’s only one way to find out. Let’s dive into everything we know about Insomniac’s Wolverine. 

One concern that I’ve seen consistently is that Wolverine’s combat is guaranteed to be boring. Players joke that they’ll just be jamming on R2 until they’ve turned every enemy into a bloody mush. And while that’s certainly a possibility, it feels like the people voicing these concerns aren’t picking up what Insomniac is putting down. With multiple Techniques, Adaptations, and Rage & Stat Enhancements, it feels like Insomniac recognizes the possible limitations that a man with claws might present and is attempting to give players the options to create a Wolverine that fits closer to their personal play style. Maybe it’ll turn out that these different skill trees won’t amount to much, but to act as if they aren’t there just seems silly. 

And while I know not everyone cares about character customization, one of my favorite aspects of the Insomniac Spider-Man games was the ability to change how my Spider-Man looked. Thankfully, that feature is carrying over into Wolverine. With the game featuring 27 suits to unlock, it feels like by the end of the game everyone is going to be controlling THEIR Wolverine. I’m not even someone that necessarily loves the character, but even I’m excited for the opportunity to become attached to my very own Wolverine. 

Speaking of not caring much for the character, that’s actually the part I’m most interested in. Since the team at Insomniac announced the game, they’ve been raising eyebrows with their explanations of what’s going on in the story. 

This is actually the part I’m most excited to speculate on, but before I do that, let’s run down everything we know about Wolverine’s story. 

Insomniac’s Wolverine takes place in an original X-Men timeline where the X-Men have never existed. Instead, a team called Team X fills the role of mutant protectors from the likes of Bolivar Trask. Team X as we know them consists of Wolverine, Sabretooth, Mystique, and Sunfire. At the start of the game, however, Wolverine has been away from Team X for the past three years but is now being pulled back in as the team’s leader- no, not an alternate timeline version of Charles Xavier, but Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister, has been captured. In this timeline, though, Essex doesn’t look like the goth vampire we all know from the comics and cartoons but rather just a normal man. 

On top of all of this is a Jean Grey unlike any we’ve ever seen. Rather than growing up with the X-Men, Jean has been on her own from an early age, fighting to protect mutants not strong enough to protect themselves. It’s her willingness to fight that attracts the attention of Wolverine. 

With all of this now laid out, let me first say that I love a good alternate universe. Taking characters we know all too well and completely flipping it on its head is great. That said, I would like to voice one big concern. I’m a Cyclops fan. What is this story?! You’re telling me I’m going to be playing a game where Wolverine is not only trying to fall in love with Jean, but his mentor is also Mister Sinister??? Clops’ opp and lady? Really, Wolverine?! With that said, in this alternate timeline, where is Scott Summers? There’s no X-Men, but what about Xavier and Magneto? Do they just not exist at all?

Not Just Any Theory, A GAME THEORY

Well, what if I told you I’ve got an airtight theory that addresses my Scott Summers concerns and explains where Charles and Magneto are? What if I told you that my theory is so perfect, so magical, that you’re going to think that I must have been in the Insomniac writer’s room and heard them come up with it? So what is it? What’s the theory? Well, before we get to that, I want to present one piece of evidence that helps support my personal theory. 

The year is 2018, and Insomniac has just released their launch trailer for Spider-Man. In that trailer, we see Miles Morales, Kingpin, Mr. Negative, The Rhino, Scorpion, Vulture, and Silver Sable. You know what’s never shown or even hinted at? The actual villain of the game, Mr. Octopus himself, Doc Ock. The good doctor isn’t just the main villain who waits to reveal himself in the final act. Doc Ock is a prominent character throughout the entire game and plays a major part in Peter’s life. 

What does an 8-year-old trailer have to do with Wolverine, though? Well, my personal belief is that now that we know Mister Sinister is a part of the game, there must be something else. One final piece of the story that Insomniac is holding close. Could it be as simple as the reveal of a character like Magneto? Sure. But I think Insomniac is one of the best studios in the world, and with that kind of claim comes a level of pressure. And keep in mind, if I’m wrong, I’m still looking forward to whatever is actually going on in the game, but my theory is that everything we’ve seen so far in the marketing for the game has been in Logan’s head. 

I believe that Wolverine is being held in some facility, locked away from the world, and being experimented on by Mister Sinister. As I said, I love a good alternate time-style story, so if I’m wrong, I won’t be upset. That said, there is a unique side activity in the game that I, at first, thought put an end to my theory, but then after giving it some thought, I think it potentially adds to the reveal. Throughout the game, players can discover Nightmare Doors. These doors are meant to help players explore both the lore of this world and discover information about Logan’s forgotten past. So how would something like this connect to my theory? Well, what if in-story completing these Nightmare Doors isn’t just for players to learn about the world, but is also meant for Wolverine to become more connected with this fake world? The more he completes, the more he falls under Sinister’s control. Also, if you think I’ve lost my mind with this, there is a moment in the story trailer for the game where we hear what sounds like Jean calling out to Logan to “remember who you are.” Could this be a climactic moment where Sinister is trying to take over Wolverine’s mind for good? Who knows?

One thing we do know is that Insomniac’s Wolverine comes out on September 15 for the PS5, and if history has told us anything, whether my crackpot theory is right or wrong, we should have another great game on our hands in just a few weeks.