Marvel's Wolverine: Standalone Game or Shared Universe? – Why Solo is the ONLY Way

Marvel's Wolverine: Why a shared universe Would Be a HUGE Mistake!

Marvel's Wolverine: A Standalone Game Is the ONLY Way to Go!

Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine is shrouded in mystery. Since its reveal in 2021, details have been scarce, and fans' anticipation has exploded. We have tons of excitement, alongside those gnawing anxieties regarding what the final result might be. And a massive question arises—should this game even exist within some wider shared universe? This article argues: A big, fat NO! Focusing on this character alone, as a singular experience within its own environment and plotline; creating a deeply detailed single-player game should be the main goal for creating this much-anticipated upcoming video game.

Insomniac has set a high bar. They delivered an amazing Spider-Man trilogy and must now handle the challenging task of developing that similarly engaging and thought-provoking Wolverine experience, building an equally satisfying and amazing experience, without sacrificing core elements which made that Spider-Man game so successful. This is even harder considering that the current hype involves the need for an excellent portrayal of this character, specifically because many earlier adaptations and versions simply lacked a core component: deeply emotional and insightful engagement with the storyline presented, showing and building upon its complex character arc, showcasing the necessary depths required to create that sense of profound humanity which was sorely missing in past Wolverine portrayals, a weakness that Insomniac should greatly avoid if they intend to meet fan’s expectations.

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Shared Universes Are OVERDONE!

Comic Iron Man flying in armor (left); MCU Tony Stark holding out a repulser hand cannon (right.) Image

Shared universes in media? We're absolutely saturated. Seriously, folks, these shared universe models often exhaust that same premise: Think DC Universe, Universal's Monsters Universe, Sony's Spider-Man Film Universe, even the mighty MCU is showing signs of fatigue. These models and universes usually have declining success due to the huge inherent risks involved and often overlooked challenges in delivering and maintaining quality content when this method and shared storytelling model is implemented poorly.

These large-scale shared universes all usually lack something fundamental—a singular focus. Spreading that attention thin across so many projects hurts individual storylines, and frequently results in poor writing and shallow plots; even those iconic and famous characters such as Iron Man can show that these concepts when overused lose all creative depth and simply end up rehashing older ideas and characters within their storylines; reducing potential narrative appeal. Too many projects are too spread thin; making the entire concept entirely unengaging to its prior fans, which could easily cause such a franchise to diminish greatly in fan-created discussions, and significantly reduce how these characters engage audiences. This shouldn’t be underestimated!

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Marvel’s Avengers: A Cautionary Tale

A group shot of hundreds of Marvel heroes and villains Image

Crystal Dynamics' Marvel's Avengers is a case study in how NOT to do this! That initial release was troubled and deeply disliked; featuring an abundance of gameplay bugs that marred those initial impressions for audiences; and its repetitious elements created a surprisingly unenjoyable experience. And the devs' ambitious efforts at expansion, adding Kate Bishop, Black Panther, and others –only increased problems; causing players to grow more discontent. A huge failure. A warning to Insomniac.

Marvel's Avengers’s mistake wasn't those constant additions, it's launching a genuinely flawed game! Players hated those fundamental components of the game; the issues with the core gameplay were never sufficiently corrected and it wasn’t necessarily a case of that ongoing difficulty encountered with implementing new changes, there was just something else far more profound which caused fans to hate this; highlighting the issues involving this poorly conceived expansion. This resulted in its significant reduction of player engagement (96% drop in the first two months!), which ultimately sealed this shared universe video game’s downfall completely.

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Insomniac’s Spider-Man Trilogy: A Masterclass in Standalone Storytelling

Marvel's Wolverine PS5 - Title Card Image

Insomniac’s Spider-Man trilogy is polar opposite! It focuses, folks! It is not about constant expansions, those amazing games are excellent single-player experiences, prioritizing Peter and Miles Morales and their personal lives! This personal narrative arc and emotionally engaging characters create this amazingly powerful draw, connecting fans with both Spider-Men’s relatable strengths, weaknesses and ultimately make those personal connections possible which creates some truly satisfying interactions that makes it critically lauded, appreciated and remembered! A singular story that delivers an entirely powerful message that makes many re-play multiple times!

That tightly-focused gameplay and immersive world also added greatly, too. Those moments felt tightly crafted; the overall level design shows great understanding in what made the earlier titles critically praised and enjoyed among gamers; creating a surprisingly satisfying conclusion after its predecessor’s great success.

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Wolverine Deserves the Same Respect: A Focus on His Unique Journey

Wolverine’s popularity isn't accidental: His Weapon X backstory; the profound sadness of his past is deeply relatable to his very nature and provides a key lens into how this incredibly strong and mysterious character operates. This complex emotional landscape should really become the focus when constructing any Wolverine adaptation.

His mutant abilities are cool, and should become more deeply important during game design phases but the character himself matters more. His story shouldn't get lost within those expansions toward an immense, larger shared universe of titles which will invariably dilute this deep emotion and engagement to this intensely profound personal character. A game solely focusing on the character alone must be the intended goal for Insomniac.

Conclusion: A Powerful Single-Player Experience Must Be the Ultimate Goal for Wolverine

Marvel's Wolverine is potentially enormous; capable of greatness, that’s if Insomniac avoid mistakes seen previously. A shared universe adds complexity and more financial investment and other forms of production efforts without adding value. Instead it takes away. It does so by necessarily sacrificing focus— this risks diluting the potential appeal and value that the standalone game can provide. They should focus: the compelling Wolverine story that gamers adore, without other characters cluttering that entire experience.