Multiple Locations Fix Spider-Man's Repetition Issue

We knew barely anything about Marvel’s Wolverine save for the fact that it is a follow-up to Insomniac Games’ near-perfect Marvel’s Spider-Man series. Each game in that series served as an exemplary demonstration of perfecting the feel of being a superhero while also accurately and confidently adapting some of the greatest narratives in comic book history. They all set the bar rather high, something that many believed Wolverine’s short, stocky frame may have a little difficulty overcoming.

Well, that was until the brand-new Marvel’s Wolverine trailer dropped and gave us a rather staggering amount of insight into the game’s gory gameplay and narrative. We saw Logan tearing through enemies, the gallons of blood and guts we’ll be wading through, and a few familiar faces we’ll have to deal with along the way. Most importantly, the trailer revealed one key gameplay feature that not only proves Marvel’s Wolverine will be an exceptional game, but also potentially better than Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Marvel’s Wolverine’s Multiple Locations Fixes Spider-Man’s New York

It Removes The Sense Of Repetition

According to both the Marvel’s Wolverine gameplay we’ve seen and the official PlayStation blog post detailing some additional features, Marvel’s Wolverine will be a globe-trotting adventure. We’ve already seen Logan leaping and bounding across rooftops in Madripoor, racing across the harsh snowy landscapes of the Canadian wilderness, and tearing enemies to shreds in the neon-soaked streets of Tokyo. The blog post implies there may be other locations we see too, but frankly, three is more than enough.

That’s because those coming off the back of Marvel’s Spider-Man will be all too accustomed to traversing the same, admittedly beautiful, location across three separate games. As much as Miles Morales blanketed New York in a coat of silky smooth snow, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 added a whole new district, the city that never sleeps also never really changes and got a little stale by the end of it.

Marvel’s Wolverine’s bold choice to be set across numerous distinct locations removes that feeling of repetition that Marvel’s Spider-Man fans have had to deal with for years. That’s a good thing too, as not only is Logan more well-traveled than Spider-Man, but his lack of traversal abilities means that exploration will happen on a much smaller scale. However, this could prove to be a point of contention for some, as Marvel’s Wolverine is unlikely to be as open as the Spider-Man games were.

Marvel Wolverine May Not Be As Open As Spider-Man

It Will Likely Feature Smaller Open Areas

Wolverine running along rooftops in Marvel's Wolverine. — Wolverine running along rooftops in Marvel’s Wolverine.

While we’ve not seen any uncut gameplay of Logan trapesing across Tokyo, Madripoor, or the Canadian wilderness, there’s a very good chance that each of these locations is significantly smaller in scale than New York. They will likely serve as detailed yet small open areas for Logan to pick up missions, beat up bad guys, and meet iconic X-Men characters in shady bars. From the gameplay we’ve seen, it feels like Madripoor and Tokyo are likely to be similar sizes to Kamarucho from the earlier Yakuza games.

The sections in Canada are also likely to be quite linear, perhaps taking place at an earlier stage in Logan’s life before he’s forced to venture out to Tokyo and Madripoor. Of course, this is all speculation, but aside from running and using his claws to traverse buildings, Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine appears to be significantly slower than Peter Parker. Insomniac will have to factor that in by reducing the sandbox to avoid exploration feeling sluggish.

Personally, several smaller open areas make more sense for a Wolverine game, especially as it both greatly decreases the risk of repetition, increases variety – which, in turn, sets a positive precedent for potential sequels – and better represents Logan from the comics. Ultimately, regardless of how big these spaces end up being, Marvel’s Wolverine’s more global adventure will afford it a much-needed advantage over Marvel’s Spider-Man, helping both differentiate it and give Logan the leg-up he needs to overcome the high bar it set.