Summary
Announced alongsideMarvel’s Spider-Man 2back in September 2021, fans have still only seen one official glimpse ofMarvel’s Wolverine.However, fans have now seen much more from the game, long before it was ever intended to be seen by the public. Right at the end of last year,Insomniac Games suffered a major hackwhich resulted in a plethora of leaks hitting the internet, many of which detailed Insomniac’s future Marvel plans, includingSpider-Mansequels, spinoffs, DLC, and of course, some majorMarvel’s Wolverinedetails.
Whole story summaries, potential Marvel cameos, and even videos showcasing early-build footage ofMarvel’s Wolverinewere all made public online, and while many fans tried to stay away from the leaks in an attempt to support Insomniac, it was virtually impossible to avoid them all. ButMarvel’s Wolverinehadn’t released its gameplay to the public for a reason, and there’s still plenty of time for Insomniac to create the game it wants to make. That game could potentially borrow one ofThe Witcher 3’s most underrated mechanics.
The Witcher’s Sense Mechanic Would Fit Marvel’s Wolverine Perfectly
How The Witcher 3’s Sense Mechanic Works
Introduced in the series' third installment, Witcher Senses allows the player to tap into Geralt’s mutated instincts, letting them track monsters and animals throughout an environment.The Witcher 3makes frequent use of this Sense mechanic, with it coming into play in just about every main monster hunt in the game. An average hunt will see the player useGeralt’s Witcher Sensesto locate a piece of evidence in the environment and determine a scent trail from it, using that trail to locate the monster. Geralt’s Witcher Senses can also be used to immediately locate footprints, bodies, and other points of interest in the immediate area.
How Marvel’s Wolverine Could Use Its Own Version of The Witcher’s Sense Mechanic
WhileWolverine’s abilitieshave seen a few different alterations over the years, the character’s heightened senses have always remained a staple power, appearing across practically every comic, TV show, movie, and video game in which Wolverine appears. Since it’s such a prominent ability for the character, it only makes sense for it to play a major role inMarvel’s Wolverine, and Insomniac has the perfect blueprint to work from.
The Witcher 3’s Witcher Senses should form the groundwork for Wolverine’s own heightened senses inInsomniac’s upcoming game. InMarvel’s Wolverine, some missions should require the player to hunt down, beginning with a sequence that utilizes the hero’s senses.Marvel’s Wolverineshould allow players to survey the environment, locating key pieces of evidence strewn across the area and discerning a trail based on that, much like Geralt’s monster hunts inThe Witcher 3. However,The Witcher 3’s Senses should only act as a foundation forWolverine.
ThoughThe Witcher 3’s Sensesare suitably faithful to the source material and were solid mechanics for 2015, they feel a tad sluggish all these years later. Many sequences that require their use drag the game’s pacing down significantly while players slowly walk around an environment and awkwardly interact with everything that glows red. InMarvel’s Wolverine, Insomniac needs to find a way to make this heightened sense mechanic feel more satisfying and worthwhile. One good way to do this might involve adding more player freedom to the mechanic, perhaps getting the player to draw their own conclusions and surmise their own path forward based on the evidence they discover.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
WHERE TO PLAY
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRETrained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLDBuilt for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
