Insomniac has shown it is more than capable of adapting cherished Marvel IPs into AAA video games, knocking it out of the park with its take onMarvel’sSpider-Man, but the previously announcedMarvel’sWolverinetitle is an entirely different beast. Between the massive tonal shift, range of motion and traversability, and more brutal combat, Insomniac should take a good look at what Respawn just accomplished withStar Wars Jedi: Survivorin terms of world-building and semi-open world level design.
Marvel’s Wolverinewas originally unveiled during a 2021 PlayStation Showcasewith a stylish teaser trailer sans any trace of gameplay or a release date. It has been largely radio silence since then from Insomniac, which has more pressing interests in the forthcoming release ofMarvel’sSpider-Man 2in late 2023. Fans have come to expect a bar-raising level of quality from the studio, withMarvel’sSpider-Man 2’s recent PlayStation Showcase trailer reinforcing its place as one of the holiday season’s most anticipated titles.
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A Full Open World Might Be a Mistake for Wolverine
What information is out there forMarvel’sWolverineexists solely on speculation predicated on the 2021 teaser. Some are saying the logical entry point for Insomniac’s first entry in what might eventually become a series is Logan’s days just before joining the X-Men. The trailer’s dive bar setting supports the theory that the game will take players to a wide array of locals, maybe all over the globe, and that begs the question of what Insomniac’s plan for level design may be. WhileMarvel’sSpider-Man’s open world works phenomenally well with New York City,the story ofMarvel’sWolverinewill likely be less self-contained.
A semi-open worldMarvel’sWolverinewould be the likely design Insomniac will go with, allowing a sense of exploration and side content while directing the flow of the narrative with one-off linear levels.Star Wars Jedi: Survivorrecently did this beautifully with several sprawling planets interspersed with smaller hubs for a refreshing change of pace when the story demanded it. Respawn’s design is not entirely novel, but a good example of how well this type of level design can work.UnlessMarvel’sWolverinesets out to tell a story in a single open world, following in the footsteps and iterating off ofStar Wars Jedi: Survivorcould be the best route.
Insomniac’s Wolverine Story Should Have Varied Backdrops
Wolverineis a force of nature, capable of leaving a ruinous path of carnage in his berserk wake, and the best way to portray that in the gaming medium would be smaller set-piece levels. One downside of larger open worlds is that they can fall into the trap of feeling static.Star Wars Jedi: Survivordid a good job countering that with Koboh and the sense of progress in Ramblers' Reach as the game wore on, but it remains a common critique of open-world design. Smaller, linear levels would allow for more dynamic destruction and alteration of the environment, which would suit a likely scenario of Wolverine rampaging through an enemy compound perfectly.
There may not be a better studio to managethe newWolverinegame than Insomniac, which has already proven itself capable of handling comic book IPs, as well as delivering frantic, showy, and downright fun combat in all of its previous titles. Insomniac even has some experience in games bordering on semi-open world, asRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartwas technically a linear action platformer, but had some wider spaces that imbued a sense of open-world exploration. The pacing, variety, and scale ofStar Wars Jedi: Survivor’s level design would be a great fit forMarvel’sWolverine, though however Insomniac chooses to approach the game, it is a strong bet to be a stellar release.
Marvel’s Wolverineis currently in development for PS5.
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