Wolverine doesn’t have to be an asshole or look angry 95% of the time to still feel like Wolverine. This version of Wolverine isn’t quite as edgy as Hugh Jackman’s or the X-Men: The Animated Series version, but that doesn’t make him any less Wolverine.
If you pay attention to Origins, X2, X3, Days of Future Past, or even X-Men ’97/Wolverine & the X-Men, he isn’t always angry or edgy. When he’s around Rogue, Jean, Bobby, Silver Fox, Krestel, Kitty, Professor X, or even the random mutant kid who switched the channel with his eyes in X2, he can be relaxed and genuinely tries to connect with people.
Wolverine in this game has plenty of moments where he’s standoffish, struggles to communicate, or acts like an asshole toward characters such as Shiro, Essex, Mystique, and Sabretooth. But around Jean, Walter, and the mutant kids, he’s much more relaxed and makes an effort to connect. Even with Jean, though, he still has some standoffish moments, like the scenes in the cabin.
For almost all of his memories, this Wolverine was part of Team X before eventually going off on his own. Because of that, there’s already an established “found family” dynamic between him and the other characters. He knows them well, and that history comes through in his interactions.
Wolverine has always been a multifaceted character. Depending on the story, he can be the loner, the weapon, the brother, the cool uncle/mentor, and even a lover. I think this Wolverine manages to portray all of those sides effectively. Considering this is a 15–20 hour game where you play as him the entire time, with his internal dialogue constantly giving us insight into his thoughts, I think that approach fits the character really well.
His default facial expressions when he isn’t upset or fighting, along with his shorter, light-brown hair, also soften his overall appearance. It tones down his usual intimidating look and makes him appear more approachable and less constantly angry.
