NPC companions have become a trend in big-budget games such asThe Last of Us,God of War, andHorizon Forbidden West. NPCs hanging out alongside the player is a boon for storytelling since it means that the protagonist is always accompanied by someone who they can share banter with. Otherwise, games likeMarvel’s Spider-ManorGotham Knightsdemonstrate how a lack of NPCs often results in the protagonist needing to talk with other characters through a radio, phone, or other disassociated means. Now,Marvel’s Wolverinecould potentially have the same issue.
Marvel’s Wolverineonly has a single cinematic teaser to its name, and in it there is a tonal ambience of the mutant having to deal with a bunch of hooligans in a bar. This gives no indication of whatMarvel’s Wolverine’s narrative will entail, but it does suggest that he could be alone the entire game. If so, Insomniac will need to hook Wolverine up with a comms device so he can talk to other characters. But if he is actually accompanied by NPCs likeKratos and Atreus inGod of War Ragnarok, that could makeMarvel’s Wolverinestand apart greatly from theMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man Has So Far Told a Disjointed Spider-Man Story
Marvel’s Spider-Manmainly stuck to a singular protagonist with Peter Parker whilegiving Mary Jane Watson and Miles Morales their own playable roles. Then,Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moralescentered exclusively on its titular character.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2finally features both Spider-Men together, and therefore it will hopefully feel less disconnected with both Peter and Miles’ narratives intertwining this time. There is still no confirmation on whetherMarvel’s Spider-Man 2will have co-op gameplay, but it is assumed that the game will be single-player still with scripted missions that have fans playing as each character.
This would sort of disrupt the open-world feel of theMarvel’s Spider-Mangames before it, but this ishow Insomniac’sRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartjuggled its own playable protagonists. It is possible that Peter could be an NPC companion to Miles while Miles is playable, and vice versa, butMarvel’s Wolverinecould take advantage of NPC companions that may not also be fully playable themselves.
Marvel’s Wolverine Can Have NPCs Like in God of War Ragnarok
God of Warhad Atreus as Kratos’ near-constant companion, andGod of War Ragnarokelaborated upon that feature massively with a handful of other NPCsto accompany the player. Atreus was finally playable as his own character, but NPC companions themselves are all given their own special moves and are integral to gameplay in a lot of ways, such as firing Atreus or Freya’s arrows when solving puzzles.
BecauseMarvel’s Wolverine’s eponymous protagonist is relatively simple in terms of his gameplay, it would be remarkable to have NPCs with him that can accomplish much more in combat or exploration. If Wolverine is accompanied by Shadowcat, for example, he could have her walk him through walls or floors; if Wolverine is accompanied by Angel, he could have him fly with him to another area.
Wolverine would be great to see alongside X-23, even though they would be nearly identical in their abilities. There are a ton of options that Insomniac could consider for NPC companions of Wolverine’s from the X-Men or the overarching Marvel universe, and what they could afford in gameplay and storytelling would be exceptional. Otherwise,Wolverine could be a solitary character inMarvel’s Wolverine, but only time will tell which route Insomniac will take him.
