A look back at Wolverine's 3rd person action game history
Its a real mixed bag bub
Marvel's Wolverine is on the horizon and it is expected by many to be the definitive Wolverine game, and with Insomniac Games at the helm and the footage we have seen so far, it should be. It did raise the question in my mind "How are Wolverine's other 3rd person action games?", so i found the 3 major games where you play as him in that style and I have sunk a good bit of time into all of them over the past week. The 3 games were such a wide spectrum of quality and it was also such a unique time capsule of the 2000s tie in games and what was popular at each point in time as they spanned across the decade. So im going to dive right into some of the video game past of Wolverine starting with.....
X2: Wolverine's Revenge
X2: Wolverine's Revenge is an action beat 'em up video game based on the Marvel Comics character Wolverine, a member of the mutant team X-Men. The action is played from a third-person perspective as players fight a number of armored soldiers, mutant creatures, and archenemies such as Sabretooth, Magneto, Wendigo, Lady Deathstrike, and Juggernaut. While Professor X is able to assist Wolverine with powers of telepathy, the surly comic book hero must ultimately carry out his adventure alone. To that end, players must tap into Wolverine's unique talents to overcome all manner of obstacles. Wolverine will be able to hunt and track his prey using his heightened sense of smell and ability to detect body heat. As Wolverine makes his way through the military compounds, he will need to avoid defense systems and guards, and find ways into locked rooms to discover the information he needs to survive.
Going into X2, I had a vague idea of what this game was, I played a ton of the GameBoy Advance version of this game when I was younger and i had seen the movie a ton. However this game is in no way related to the movie it is named after, instead it borrows heavily from the comic books with the design of the characters and the story. The game plays about how you would expect in some ways, but is also so inspired by Metal Gear Solid stealth gameplay that it really feels unique from the other 2 Wolverine games i played. You play as Logan and its the typical hack and slash style, but you can retract the claws and setup enemies around you to do a "Strike" which is a stylish takedown that really feels like a moment you saw in a comic book panel come to life. You can also use Wolverine's heightened senses to see enemy routes, mines, lasers, and how takedowns will happen. Stealth is very encouraged in this game because the more stealth takedowns you do, the more Strikes you unlock the ability to do. Then of course you have the Rage ability that is must have in a Wolverine game, the screen gets red, you can hear Logan's heavy breathing, and you move and kill faster. There is a solid group of bosses in the game including Sabertooth, Magneto, Juggernaut, and Lady Deathstrike. It also has a surprising amount of extra suits for the game, including the god awful Fox movie costumes and fantastic comic suits. It is an incredibly challenging game, yet I found this one so unique among the group of games i played and this is the only one i really felt getting called back to over and over again.
X-Men: The Official Game
X-Men: The Official Game (also known as X3: The Official Game) is Activision's tie-in video game to the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand. The game covers the events of the films X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand, specifically following the characters of Wolverine, Iceman, and Nightcrawler. It also bridges the gap between the two films, explaining why Nightcrawler is not present for The Last Stand and also introduces new foes to the X-Men film canon, such as HYDRA, who FOX didn't own the film rights. The game was released on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, developed by Z-Axis; Nintendo GameCube, ported by Hypnos; Microsoft Windows, ported by Beenox; Game Boy Advance, developed by WayForward Technologies; and Nintendo DS, developed by Amaze Entertainment.
X-Men the official was released alongside the 2006 movie X-Men: The Last Stand. It bridges the gap between X2 and the third movie and the PS2 version i played you have 3 characters you play as: Wolverine, Iceman, and Nightcrawler. We are mainly here for Wolvy, but i had to play as the others to get to his levels, that being said.... Iceman can kick rocks for real. Now this is one of the tie-in games that you think of when you hear that term. It is uninspired, lacking any joy, and just a soulless experience all around. Wolverine is extremely unfun to play as and it is so boring to walk around and casually swing his claws with nothing really unique until you reach his Rage mode that takes an incredibly long time to reach. Plus he has that ugly Fox movie suit on and I never found a different one to wear, so i just didn't even want to look at my screen during his gameplay. Nightcrawler, who isn't in the movie, had the only levels and movement that i enjoyed in this game that felt like a chore to play.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Uncaged Edition)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition is a third-person action game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Released in 2009 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC, this version offers a more intense and graphic experience compared to its counterparts on other platforms. The Uncaged Edition features mature-rated content, including explicit violence and gore, showcasing Wolverine's feral combat style. Players can perform brutal attacks, such as dismembering enemies and utilizing environmental hazards for combat advantages. The game also highlights Wolverine's regenerative abilities, with real-time visual damage and healing effects. Drawing inspiration from titles like God of War and Devil May Cry, the gameplay emphasizes combo-based melee combat, platforming, and quick-time events. Players can upgrade abilities and unlock new moves by earning experience points through defeating enemies and discovering collectibles. The narrative expands upon the film's storyline, incorporating additional characters and scenarios from the X-Men universe. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine
Just 3 short years later would bring one of the most dreadful movies in the Fox X-Men universe and some of the greatest gameplay in a superhero game. Arriving the same year as Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum, Raven Software's X-Men Origins: Wolverine made us truly feel the power and rage that Logan feels. The Uncaged version brought so much gore and blood that had been missing from Wolverine's movies and video games. With a variety of suits, a healing factor that you could see visually on Logan, an addicting Lunge that really made you feel like Hugh Jackman in the movies, and so so so much dismemberment of enemies. No other game makes you feel like you are the beloved X-Man. The game sadly does still adapt the movie its based on (with some weird time jumps in the story) and that story is just unbearably bad. The love for the character is so clearly here, but having to be beholden to the movie its named after, The story really drags it down. It is the ultimate game where i say skip the cutscenes and be here for the gameplay. 2009 was a turning point for licensed superhero games and i think a lot of that credit goes to Arkham, as it should, but this game deserves to be in the conversation for kicking off a step up in quality and care that these characters deserve.