Aweome Game
We're, of course, supposed to ignore the savage butchering of Wolverine's origin in this game, ironically titled X-Men Origins. The game takes place in the form of two separate, simultaneous campaigns: A mission in Africa and the escape from the Weapon X facility. I have no idea how closely it mirrors the movie's storyline, but one gets the feeling, early on, that Raven Software was looking to make a really good game first and any ties to the movie, while nice, weren't necessities.
Wolverine is another version of the gameplay we've seen in God of War and DMC, which shows just how far gaming has come recently. When GoW hit, it was the first game to really nail the whole platform-action genre in a non-cutesy way perfectly. Even DMC had its faults. But, since GoW, some truly outstanding titles have aped its style. Conan was phenomenal. Afro Samurai is fun, if a little flawed. And Wolverine is a solid entry into this field and another shot across the bow of GoW and DMC to let them know that others know how to work their formulae quite well.
Now, this is not the PG-13 Wolverine. This game is violent. Brutally so. You will be slicing people in half. You will be shoving your claw down their throat and cutting them straight down. This is not a game for kids and it explores what Wolverine, the character, really is --- a rather remorseless killing machine. Not the deepest of character designs, but it works for him. And some of the little things they have in the game are awesome. You can watch Wolverine heal. Let's say you're burned badly. Your skin will be deep red...but, as you watch, you will heal and become normal looking rather quickly.
While cool, this does kind of kill the whole difficulty part of the equation. The game is not terribly difficult. It is not easy to die. The final boss will kill you frequently, but it's the only one in the game that can do so. Gambit is irritating but easy. Ditto the Blob. Deadpool, however, is a bitch and a half and brutally cheap. Also, the levels are REALLY long. A bit too long, actually. I hate the puzzle parts tremendously as they are basically the ultra-cliched block moving puzzles we've seen for years now. The camera is also a fucking headache to end all.
Wolverine is a really enjoyable title to play, but it's not one you'll have difficulty defeating and it's not one you'll replay often. But for a thrill ride, it's a good option.
