Going in Blind: Wolverine Takes Japan, Japan Hits Back

Japan plays a big role in Marvel’s Wolverine, so Caboose and I are splitting our conversation into two episodes. This week, we’re getting into the first part, and there’s already a lot to talk about. We'll cover some Marvel comics lore around The Hand (which we saw recently in Spider-Man: Brand New Day), and Wolverine’s connection to The Hand.

Now, the combat? Yeah, Japan was kicking my ass a little bit. I’m playing on the hardest difficulty, and there were stretches where my entire strategy felt like “parry, parry, parry, please let me breathe.” But honestly, that pressure is part of what I’m enjoying. When I spoke with the accessibility folks at Insomniac, we talked about how you challenge a character who can heal himself. One answer that stuck with me was to surround him. And, yep, mission accomplished. Trying to figure out who to take down while everyone else wants a piece of you really makes those fights feel like you’re overcoming the odds.

And then there are the visuals. There’s a moment in the rain where I remember just thinking, “Wow, this is so gorgeous.” I was wearing the leather jacket and plaid shirt, and seeing the rain bead on the jacket, along with the puddles around me, really stood out. Caboose noticed the rain on the claws too. Anyone who remembers the “discourse” about Spider-Man and puddles will see that Insomniac was listening and made sure the puddles looked good in this game.

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If you have not played Japan up until where you meet Lady Deathstrike, do not watch this until you’re caught up to that part. We’ll be continuing Japan up until it’s conclusion in the next episode. Hope you enjoy the episode!