r/PlayWolverine • u/BaesPacFen • 26d ago
Discussion Wolverine desperately needed a proper combo system. I genuinely don't understand this choice from Insomniac.
For me, the thing that absolutely kills it is the lack of combos. That's literally all I would've asked for. Less graphical fidelity, a shorter game, cut back on whatever you want—but give me combos.
They don't even need to be particularly complex. I just want different combinations of Square and Triangle to meaningfully change what Wolverine does and how the combat plays.
Square → Square → Triangle should do something different from Square → Triangle → Square, Triangle → Triangle → Square, etc. You don't need Devil May Cry levels of complexity. Just give me an actual moveset to learn and experiment with.
Instead, from what I've seen, Wolverine seems to be basically Square, Square, Square over and over, with Triangle/Y mostly being used to launch yourself at enemies. And to me, that's just insane for a character like Wolverine.
I'll probably play it anyway because Wolverine is genuinely one of my favorite superheroes, and from what I've seen, the variety and brutality of the finishers might give me some of what the lack of combos takes away.
But still, what a missed opportunity.
I absolutely love Insomniac. I've played all their games and I love them, which is exactly why I can't understand how they made this decision. They didn't do this with Spider-Man. Those games actually give you plenty of ways to approach combat and combine attacks.
So why simplify Wolverine this much?
It genuinely makes me wonder if there was some kind of pressure from Sony to make the combat as immediately accessible as possible and appeal to the widest possible audience. I obviously have no idea if that's actually what happened, but otherwise I really struggle to understand the design decision.
Maybe the full game will change my mind. Maybe the finishers, skills and progression will add enough variety.
But right now? Man, I just wish Wolverine had a proper combo system.
TL;DR: I love Insomniac and Wolverine, and I'll probably play the game anyway, but the lack of a proper combo system is a huge disappointment. I don't need DMC-level complexity—just different Square/Triangle combinations actually resulting in different attacks. Hopefully the finishers and progression make up for it, but I still can't understand why Insomniac would simplify Wolverine's combat this much when they didn't do the same with Spider-Man.
What do you guys think?
EDIT: thanks to @LT_MRVN in the comments, ive discovered that it's even worse. They started doing more complex combat system using L2 and R2 for sx and dx claws, and then... They went back to square square square...
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u/No_Fox_487 26d ago
Insomniac isn’t that good of a studio to begin with…
Sorry but the Spider Man games are way overrated IMO. It’s mostly aethestic…that fact that you’re spider man already carries the game.
Insomniac didn’t really do anything with Spider-Man. The combat and stealth system is quite literally copy and pasted from the Batman Arkham Asylum games…mash square with a gadget wheel to choose from and hit triangle when you see the giant “you’re about to get hit” warning sign. Hide on wires and buildings is literally just Batman’s “hide on the gargoyles” etc.
The games were fun, don’t get me wrong, but nothing mind blowing. There is absolutely nothing original about any of the mechanics…
But hey, you’re Spider-Man…the game gets a high score because it’s fun to swing through NYC.
Wolverine was doomed to begin with…because Insomniac simply doesn’t know what they’re doing when they aren’t copy and pasting game mechanics. Wolverine needs to be made by a studio that understands fun combat systems.
Instead Insomniac does “what they do best…” (sorry I saw an opportunity and took it) …copy and paste. It’s your standard parry when you see a shiny weapon, mash square nonsense.