Insomniac may be an apt name for the studio because it is frequently at work on multiple projects. At Sony's PlayStation Showcase in September 2021, gamers were treated to a short but enticing trailer revealing that Wolverine, a game based on the Marvel character, is being developed by Insomniac. The studio has handled a Marvel IP before with Spider-Man, and the results were impressive. Gamers got to web-swing through the streets of New York in a game that is technically impressive while remaining faithful to the source material. Naturally, expectations are high with Wolverine, and gamers are eager to see how Insomniac will handle their next Marvel IP.
Wolverine presents some unique challenges for Insomniac, however. Most notably, the eponymous protagonist wields sharp blades from his knuckles, and they serve as his primary weapon. For Wolverine, combat is a more close and personal affair, and things can get quite gory pretty quickly. Violence is going to be unavoidable, and Insomniac will have to decide how to grapple with its depiction.
Wolverine's Weapons
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In Marvel comic books, James Howlett, better known as Wolverine, appears as one of the members of the X-Men. Like all the other X-Men, Wolverine is born with natural special abilities that make him hated by society. Wolverine's abilities include superhuman strength and healing powers that also slow his aging. As his name might suggest, he also shares some qualities with wolverines, including animal senses and tracking abilities, as well as large claws. Fortunately, Wolverine's claws are retractable, allowing him to only pull them out when it is time for action.
Wolverine is typically depicted as a brooding antihero that is short on words and prefers his own company. His martial arts skills are expansive, and he has learned to use his claws with deadly precision. Should some unfortunate soul offend him, he can fly into a berserker rage that makes a gory mess of anything near him. When Wolverine deals with his enemies, it is an up-close and personal affair, and things will get bloody.
Wolverine May Be Brutal and Bloody
Not much is known about Wolverine at this point, and that is to be expected. Insomniac will likely release Spider-Man 2 first before Wolverine sees the light of day. However, Brian Horton, Insomniac's creative director, has stated on Twitter that Wolverine will be a full-sized game with a "mature tone." The "mature tone" comment suggests that the game will be geared towards older audiences, widening what kind of content can be depicted. Horton's comment may be a hint that Wolverine is going to be a gory experience.
With Wolverine scheduled to release on the PS5, seeing enemies disemboweled with 4K visual clarity could be nauseatingly graphic. However, Insomniac will also have to decide how it frames the violence. The studio could allow players to revel in the violence, rewarding players for being as bloody as possible. While it may be a crude form of entertainment, there is certainly some fun to be had in shredding a bunch of nameless grunts.
Insomniac could also take a different approach, and make players feel the weight of every murder. In The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog demonstrated how this is possible by giving names to enemies and illustrating that they have backstories. This approach would be more in line with Wolverine's core character. Though he is capable of gratuitous violence, he is not someone who enjoys killing, and he does have a code of morality he abides by. It is this conflict between his values and his capacity for destruction that partially fuels his more mercurial elements.
Wolverine is an interesting choice for Insomniac, as Wolverine's gruff personality contrasts sharply with Spider-Man's sarcastic and witty nature. Wolverine's method of taking down foes is a little more cutting-edge than most, and Insomniac will have to decide whether it makes violence a thing of play or a heavy burden.
Wolverine is currently in development.