Wolverine - The Game That Thinks You're Stupid

Storyline (as described)

• The game is set in Insomniac’s alternate Marvel universe where the familiar X-Men largely don’t exist (including Charles Xavier and most well-known mutants).
• Instead of classic Xavier-led teams, the story centers on an Essex-created mutant strike force (“X-Team”) led by Nathaniel Essex / Mr. Sinister.
• Wolverine (Logan) and Jean become the story’s emotional core, framed around recurring reunions and tragedies that culminate in Wolverine’s memory being erased again at the end.

Key character focus shifts and omissions

• Many iconic mutants are absent, replaced by more obscure or less compelling roles in this version.
• Sabretooth is included but portrayed differently—more as a “brotherly/companion” figure than a purely horrifying archenemy—leading the narrator to feel his character vibe was stripped away.
• The Morlocks appear early but are treated as narratively insignificant/unmemorable by midgame, with emotional beats that don’t meaningfully change anyone afterward.

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Gameplay highlights (what the reviewer talks about)

Combat (core systems and complaints)

Wolverine doesn’t feel uniquely “Wolverine-like”

• Combat fails to feel meaningfully different from Spider-Man:
  • Wolverine’s kit is repeatedly described as sword-fighting + “can’t die” logic + AoE button mashing, without meaningful evolution.

Power mechanics don’t translate into good game design

• Healing factor is inconsistent:
  • strong in cutscenes,
  • limited in gameplay, leading to moments where Wolverine can still die “from a gunshot.”
• Super senses are mentioned, but not shown as adding distinct, interesting gameplay depth.

Combat loop stays largely the same

• Basic attacks rely heavily on a small set of button combos (square/triangle interactions, plus kicking).
• Many “upgrade” or “recovery” abilities are described as functionally overlapping AoE damage moves.
• A specific counter/dodge-attack unlock can accidentally lock Wolverine into an animation, making dodging/parrying harder—especially at higher difficulty and in crowds.

Late-game lightning powers add monotony

• Upgrades involving AoE lightning damage and even laser beams are criticized for:
  • reducing immersion,
  • increasing monotony due to a heavy reliance on recurring ranged attacks.

Difficulty and combat pacing

• The highest difficulty is described as more fun than “normal,” but bosses become extremely grindy:
  • bosses are described as weak in behavior/entertainment,
  • yet take hundreds of hits to reach phases (high health + fast kills).
• Rage mode is called the best feature:
  • if the player avoids damage, a rage bar fills and Wolverine becomes drastically stronger against regular enemies.
  • the mode can be extended by continued performance,
  • but the narrator only triggers it sometimes, keeping it feeling special.

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Level design and navigation

Guided scent trails feel insulting and redundant

• The game uses “stinky trail” / guided scent trails (yellow/blue directional markings) to prevent getting lost.
• The reviewer finds them:
  • insulting (implying players are dumb),
  • redundant (few meaningful alternative routes),
  • and ultimately a sign the level layouts are confusing even with the guides.

Soft gating through collectibles

• The reviewer complains about soft gating moments:
  • progression doesn’t unlock until lore/notes are collected (sometimes via tiny indicators).
  • examples include rooms where doors/computers don’t advance until a collectible note is found.

Inconsistent jumping/climbing breaks exploration

• Jumping/climbing logic is described as inconsistent:
  • some surfaces are climbable and others aren’t without clear rules.
• Exploration can trap players in frustrating situations, like:
  • missing the only correct jump point,
  • then being unable to return.

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Mission structure and “walking/talking” segments

• The reviewer criticizes segments where you walk around listening to dialogue and are repeatedly prompted to read notes.
  • “I’m Wolverine” frustration—feels like pacing is taken away from gameplay.
• They argue the game includes too much scripted waiting, including Quick Time Events / timed interactive sequences that:
  • often don’t punish failure meaningfully,
  • and feel more like attempts to make the player “feel cool” than add real interactivity.
• Overall structural complaint:
  • combat-heavy gameplay dominates,
  • while non-combat content (exploration/story beats) feels padded and slow.

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Strategies and key tips mentioned (implicit/explicit)

• Use available AoE/cooldown interrupts early and often to control elite enemies (described as chaining interruptions to “freeze in fear”).
• On higher difficulty, rage mode is treated as the main “reward” for staying flawless:
  • try to avoid hits long enough to trigger it.
• For navigation confusion:
  • watch for small indicators that mark routes/collectibles needed to unlock progress (the reviewer implies this is unnecessarily obscure).
• When unlocking certain dodge/counter moves:
  • avoid triggering the locked animation accidentally, since it reduces defensive options during hectic fights.

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Sources / gamers mentioned (at the end)

• Insomniac (developer)
• PlayStation 5 (PS5) (platform)
• Elon Ring (referenced; they meant Elden Ring)
• Elden Ring
• Dark Souls
• Baldur’s Gate 3 / Belatro (auto-caption error; “Bellatro” mentioned)
• God of War
• The Last of Us
• Batman: Arkham series
• Devil May Cry
• Spider-Man / Spider-Man 1
• Mario (referenced via “AAA Mario video” joke)
• Kaizenat (criticized/referenced from a viral clip)
• Kai Cenat (not directly corrected, but implied)
• Kayat (another variant of the same viral-clip person)
• Patches / chat viewers (“someone in the chat,” multiple times)