The PS5 Wolverine game teasers from Insomniac Games have been released, and the gaming community’s reactions are really feeling the electricity. Not only the tweet with Logan riding a motorcycle and text saying “Logan’s got somewhere to be” made players very excited, doubtful, and puzzled all at once, who are so eager to have this game.
What can we say about the new Wolverine game? The no less than phenomenal Spider-Man PS4 and its sequel studio raised the expectations of the character and its portrayal. The teaser, although it was very short, showed a savage, determined, and dark Wolverine in a thunderstorm setting, and indeed, the players have started to reveal a little bit of the game. The atmosphere is gloomy, very solemn, which is in stark contrast with the gooey, swinging spider adventures, and possibly it is the main reason for people’s curiosity.
The online reaction is a very mixed bag of absolute hype and also very serious concerns. Some players are really over the top excited. Like for example, the member anirudh, who could not believe the visuals, wrote: “dammnn looks marvelous.” The very next person, Luna, she got carried away and said: “im definitely buying day 1,” which implies that preorders will be gone immediately. The gamers are so keen and user Karthí summed it up perfectly: “Logan’s ready, controller’s charged, wallet’s crying.” Uh-huh, we all feel that.
But the thing is that it is not all bright and shiny with adamantium claws. A controversy has come up and debates have started, where one of the major issues that have been raised is the supposed partnership with the consulting firm Sweet Baby Inc. User bradstev41370 among others voiced the opinion with a strong statement that, “Sweet baby Inc involved, will wait for reviews and a play through. Not buying it if any woke crap is pushed through in this game.” This was echoed by users like John Stone, who posed the question, “So what exactly was sweet babies input on this game is wolverine going to be gay.” Moreover, the discourse got a bit intense with user Arslan H Malik arguing that games by Sweet Baby Inc are either “disappointment or bland.” That has divided the community, with some gamers already doubtful of the game before they have seen any real gameplay.
In their previous endeavors, the developers are already in a corner. User MonkeyQuestGames was very assertive when he asked, “Insomniac, do you think the story is better than Spiderman ps4? Cause the story in that game was AMAZING.” That’s a super tough standard, and gamers will certainly put this new game to the test against the company’s history of almost perfect superhero storytelling. And on top of that, the classic console war banter has come back with user MrVagueness poking fun: “Can’t wait to play this on my next Xbox.” Right, buddy, right.
There are, however, some very comical replies. User GerGonGaming was the one to point out the major issue, asking, “Why is he butt naked? 😭” while another user, Rodent, suggested, “So, we are getting a motorcycle game.” And Jesse Armstrong made a hilarious association, tweeting, “Days Wolverine Gone, is that you?!?” mixing post-apocalyptic and the mutant hero’s vibe.
Savvy and chaotic comments are intertwined with some practical requests. Global demand and players’ wish to be part of the action are well demonstrated by the passionate appeals for Turkish language support for the game from users Hasan Efe and Burak.
The teaser has for the most part been praised regarding the visuals, but it has not received unanimous approval. User IsItImportant? expressed some negative opinions, “first of all — bad shading, second — bad dirt effects like splashings.” Thus, even graphics have to go through the grueling scrutiny of the internet. On the other hand, user Husaryius is wishing this game to “finally be the first to show the power of the PS5 and PS5 Pro,” thereby putting very high technical expectations on its shoulders.
That’s a whole lot to take in. On the one hand, we have the gamers who are all in and thus ready to face whatever world Insomniac is going to create. The developer has built up a lot of goodwill with their Spider-Man games, and many are trusting them to do it again. The chance to tell a brutal, emotional, and profound Wolverine story is already there, and the teaser’s mood indicates that they are going to go for a mature and raw approach.
The Sweet Baby Inc controversy, however, has been a shadow to some players, who have developed a “wait and see” attitude. The case has shown how easily the gaming community can be swayed—or not—by the forces behind the scenes. The game is going to have to be released on PlayStation as well.
