Though it didn’t make the cut for the recent PlayStation Showcase, there’s still a great deal of hype surroundingMarvel’s Wolverine. With Insomniac already having knocked it out of the park twice withSpider-Man, and the sequel looking better by the second, it seems as though it’s the right developer for the job. This is good news, as fans have been desperately wantinga great X-Men game- and more specifically, a great Wolverine game - for ages.
Marvel’s Spider-Manhas already proven that Insomniac knows how important enemy variation is in an open-world action game, and thankfully, there’s no shortage of classic X-Men foes forMarvel’s Wolverineto use as inspiration. But whileMagneto, Sabretooth, Mystique, and Juggernautare all great options for overarching, big villains inMarvel’s Wolverine, when it comes to deciding on the game’s mini-bosses, there’s only one obvious choice.
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Marvel’s Wolverine Should Have Sentinel Mini-Boss Fights
First appearing all the way back in 1965’sThe X-Men#14, Sentinels are one of the most iconic foes not only inX-Men comics, but Marvel in general. Usually depicted as tall, imposing robots with humanoid faces and glowing eyes, the Sentinels are designed for the sole purpose of eradicating Mutants with long-range sensors that can detect a Mutant from miles away. While Sentinels have had many different iterations over the years, they always pose a significant threat to Mutant-kind, and they’d make for the perfect mini-bosses inMarvel’s Wolverine.
Over the last six decades, the X-Men have seen countless different iterations, and with each one, a new version of the Sentinels isn’t too far behind.Marvel’s Wolverinehas the unique opportunity to not only use one version of the Sentinels for its mini-bosses, but pick and choose from almost 60 years' worth of comic book source material for their visual and gameplay designs.
The Sentinels could potentially be some of the most unique enemy types in gaming if Insomniac doubles down on them. At the start ofMarvel’s Wolverine, a rudimentary Sentinel could be used as an entry-level mini-boss, boasting just a simple arsenal of energy weapons, and appearing just taller than Wolverine himself. As the game goes on, and Wolverine becomes more powerful, more advanced Sentinels could come to wipe out the ever-evolving threat. These advanced Sentinels could hold improved weaponry, both melee and ranged, requiring the player to use Wolverine’s abilities more efficiently.
Eventually,Marvel’s Wolverinecould even through gigantic Sentinels at the player, requiring someShadow of the Colossus-like maneuversto defeat. In some continuities, Sentinels are even capable of adapting their abilities when fighting a specific Mutant, sometimes even being able to steal that Mutant’s powers. While this ability has been a little controversial in the past when related to comic books and movies, it would much better fit the medium of video games, and would giveMarvel’s Wolverinea constantly changing threat that requires some real skill to overcome.
Of course, throwing Sentinels at the player throughoutMarvel’s Wolverinewould start to feel a little mindless if it didn’t have some story context surrounding it. These Sentinel mini-bosses could be part of a larger, overarching quest line that eventually sees Wolverine face off againstthe leader of the Sentinel program. There have been plenty of Sentinel leaders over the years, but one of the most iconic is Master Mold, a more advanced Sentinel model that has raised intelligence, mobility, and combat capabilities. Bolivar Trask is usually behind the Sentinel program as well, often using Master Mold as a puppet to carry out his own orders. Both of these villains would be great to see inMarvel’s Wolverine.
Marvel’s Wolverineis currently in development for the PlayStation 5.
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