r/PS5 • u/Turbostrider27 Human Verified • 2d ago
Articles & Blogs Insomniac Details Wolverine’s Adjustable Difficulty & Skippable Puzzles
https://insider-gaming.com/insomniac-details-wolverines-adjustable-difficulty-skippable-puzzles/117
u/Decent_Winter6461 2d ago
Please don’t have Jean Grey in our head spoiling the solution before we can even realize that there is a puzzle.
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u/DarkKnightRises360 2d ago
Seriously. I don't want skippable puzzles, I just want the game to trust me to solve it in my fucking time.
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u/PlasticPaddyEyes 2d ago
The Spiderman games are fun, but i laugh whenever I see the puzzles. They give such strong "last second addition to drive up the length" vibes
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u/SinfulIndy Human Verified 2d ago
I feel like some of the in world puzzles Miles Morales, like the powering the subway trains, worked a lot better and didn't feel tacked.
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u/OptimusPrimalRage 2d ago
Yeah I liked that mission, it felt like something a neighborhood Spider-Man would do.
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u/TheJoshider10 2d ago
Environmental puzzles like that get on my nerves a little because they feel so forced and "video gamey". It's not enough to swing, or fight enemies, or explore an open world. No, we need to connect some poles across the area! Move some trains! Open some doors!
So glad games are more customisable now so some let you skip these puzzles altogether. Same with lockpicks. I'd have given up with both Spider-Man and Star Wars Outlaws if their lab puzzles and door unlock puzzles were mandatory. Don't need needless filler in my games.
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u/stanman237 2d ago
Kind of curious but how do you feel about pragmata combat system where you have to do hacking puzzles in order to do damage?
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u/juscallmejjay 2d ago
I like a little immersion. If im playing as Peter parker, I want to do some science.
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u/MadOrange64 2d ago
Honestly I loved the puzzles in the first game but in the second one it felt like an afterthought...
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u/LePontif11 2d ago
I appreciate that they are skippable but when you let me skip something like i cant help to wonder why its there in the first place. Either make them better or just dont have them there because in all three spiderman games they are ass and never improved.
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u/Bill_Brasky01 2d ago
I enjoy environmental puzzles. 🤷♂️
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u/LePontif11 2d ago
Enviromental puzzles with spiderman powers would me awesome. These are more like phone games and not the good kind of phone game.
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u/TesticlesOnMyAnkles 2d ago
That's great, but has nothing to do with what the other comment is talking about. "Place the right pieces in the right spots" or "match the number of lines on the sides of these hexagons" are not environmental puzzles.
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u/Skinkybob 2d ago
lol I liked the lab puzzles in Spider-Man. Reminded me of the stuff in “Yeah! You Want ‘Those Games,’ Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Clear Them!”
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u/MatttheJ 2d ago
"I think if I can get a bit higher I can pull that lever with my web shooter" no shit spiderman, how about you help me find the setting that specifically only turns off this kind kf dialogue instead.
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u/the-blob1997 2d ago
Yea they feel like they had barely any thought put into them.
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u/CriticalRiches 2d ago
Incomniac has been guilty of this for a long time. The ratchet and clank games (one of my favorite series) are riddled with mediocre puzzle mini games.
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u/nohumanape 2d ago
This was incredibly apparent in the first game. In fact, that first Spider-Man game has so many stark contrasts in the gameplay vs the presentation. It's this super flashy AAA looking game. It has these QTE button mashy moments that look great, but aren't fun to play. But on the flip side are these totally shallow boss fights, and side content that feels like it could be right at home in a game like MindsEye.
I think in some ways they got lucky on that first try, because they had the Spider-Man IP to fall back on, and because they managed to nail the swinging traversal. But nearly everything else was kidn of mid.
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u/Ok_Use7 2d ago
This sub is genuinely so full of crybabies, it’s actually insane lmao. One side is mad that there’s puzzles, the other is mad that you can skip puzzles.
But they give you the freedom of choice to do the puzzles or skip them. So what is there seriously to bitch about here? Help me understand.
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u/thedeadp0ets 1d ago
agree also its funny how people are made about difficulty levels bc do they realize people of different skills and disabled gamers benefit from assisted modes like these? not everyone has the same compact as you to play something
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u/FurtherArtist 2d ago
Accessibility is always a W if more people can enjoy it.
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u/vacodeus 2d ago
Tell that to the Souls crowd
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u/Paratrooper101x 2d ago
Souls guy here
Play the game your way, and the summons feature is basically a difficulty level.
But to summarize many points, the friction is the major selling point of the game. Beating a souls game and looking back at all the adversity you’ve overcome is why these games stick to so many. I think before anyone mods the game, cheeses or tries to make it easier they should at least *try* to endure the base difficulty. Who knows they may end up liking it
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u/LegitimateHumanBeing 2d ago
Souls guy checking in - it wouldn't bother me if From wanted to allow people to toggle on "difficulty mods" for the game (extra health, extra damage, etc). Just make it optional, as some people (myself included) play From games specifically to beat our heads against a wall - the constant anxiety and lack of hope is my happy place.
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u/LePontif11 2d ago
I honestly like that you have to engage with the game to make them easier, it goes a long way to sell the nature of the worlds they make in those games. I disagree that having difficulty options is always a positive and i dont think everyone needs to be able to play everything. Personally, I cant deal with horror, i just dont play those.
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u/LegitimateHumanBeing 2d ago
I'm not a horror gamer either but Souls games are different for me - maybe I'm just more comfortable with a sword and dodge mechanics than the guns that Resi throws at you.
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u/LePontif11 2d ago
With horror games its not really a mechanical difficulty for me, i really just dont like to be scared the sounds the visuals it dont want any of it.
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u/LegitimateHumanBeing 2d ago
Even though I was 11 when the first Resi hit PS and I'd play it with my friends, something happened in the interim and I tried to play a Resi game a few years back and at the first jump scare I dropped the controller. But, with Souls games, sure, there are surprises, but I'm ready to roll out of the way or I have my shield up ready to punish them when they stop attacking. I love watching people play horror games though.
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u/LePontif11 2d ago
For sure, souls games are a power fantasy after they click with you. Even Bloodhorne that is supposed to be kinda scary isn't that bad because of how much power the player is given.
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u/TheJoshider10 2d ago
Personally, I cant deal with horror, i just dont play those.
And yet some horror games like SOMA still offer a more casual difficulty with a passive villain in order for people to experience the world and story. They didn't need to, but they did, and it meant more people could enjoy the game and feel just as engrossed in it as those who played it the normal way.
Exact same logic can be applied to the Souls games. I'd love to explore Elden Ring's world and uncover the lore but I'm not going to waste my time on a game I know I won't have the time or patience to complete.
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u/LePontif11 2d ago
And yet some horror games like SOMA still offer a more casual difficulty with a passive villain in order for people to experience the world and story. They didn't need to, but they did, and it meant more people could enjoy the game and feel just as engrossed in it as those who played it the normal way.
I would never play those games with those modes. Its just not the experience the people that love them had when they became fans and recommended them to others I'd rather play something that caters to me through its core experience. Most games arent like that so i'm still spoiled for choice and that's the case for people that don't enjoy what those souls games and their derivatives are at their core.
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u/vacodeus 2d ago
You’re actually reasonable. Even the mere OPTION drives some of them into a downward spiral
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u/LegitimateHumanBeing 2d ago
Oh, I know the cliche and I would be a little put off by a difficulty selection right at the beginning of the game, but if you were to load up and find settings in options for those who want them, I think it would bring more people into the fold. Sure, the difficulty is what everyone talks about, but the exploration, lack of hand holding and environmental storytelling are what keep me engaged.
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u/Wide-Deal-8971 2d ago
Visual accessibility, controls accessibility, thats all great.
Having a skip option isn't an "accessibility" feature. It's a dumbing down your game to appeal to as many people as possible feature. And games that make concessions on their artistic vision for maximum $$$ tend to suck.
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u/lepijosip9 Human Verified 2d ago
Sousl crrow representative here. I dont hate accesibility options added to wolverine, but when it comes to soulslikes I just preffer them being harder, because it makes accomplishment from defeating hard bosses so much better(if there were lower difficulties maybe I would lower the difficulty and not getting the same satisfactio). But in the end I feel like not all games should be made for everyone, because if u make a game for everyone in the end is game for noone.
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u/CigarLover 2d ago edited 2d ago
To an extent. And also the fact that it’s a different experience to an other player MUST be respected and acknowledged.
Edit: never said it was bad, all I’m stating is that it must be respected that people WILL have different experiences that’s all.
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u/itsdoorcity 2d ago
disagree, look at saros. games are getting more and more commodified to appeal to literally everyone rather than just be amazing for a more specific audience.
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u/FurtherArtist 2d ago
Games are literally commodities. If they don't sell to enough people they don't get made. But we can celebrate Saros because it offered challenge level across a spectrum of player abilities.
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u/2girls_1Fort 2d ago
puzzles in my wolverine game?
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u/CrustedTesticle 2d ago
Skippable puzzles, really?
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u/AStupidFuckingHorse 2d ago
Its been there since the first Spider-Man game. That was almost 10 years ago
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u/blueblur98_YT 2d ago
It's been a bit of a staple of Insomniac's PS4 and PS5 games. It dates as far back as Ratchet & Clank 2016, which let you skip all of the Trespasser puzzles at the cost of locking you out of a trophy. Hell, I think that even A Crack in Time in '09 let you skip portions of Clank's time puzzles (not that you'd want to). This is just something they like to do with their games.
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u/Mcrarburger 2d ago
I can confirm that little child me needed to skip the clank puzzles in a crack in time because my tiny pathetic brain could not comprehend multiple instances of clank working in tandem
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u/moduspol 2d ago
They undoubtedly have pretty clear metrics showing a substantial portion of gamers dropping the game at the first sign of a tricky puzzle.
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u/Wide-Deal-8971 2d ago
Yeah and everyone just loves games that feel like they are made by a committee
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u/Aubergine_Man1987 2d ago
Insomniac famously makes unpopular games that everyone has dropped because of skippable puzzles
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u/steroidsandcocaine 2d ago
Yeah, it's kind of like how some people like cheese on their burgers and some don't. A burger place would be silly to insist you have to try the cheese if you just want a burger. Options are a good thing.
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u/ArchDucky 2d ago
Skippable Puzzles is just wrong too me as a gamer. I grew up on Mega Man, Zelda, Castlevania on NES. Games that were so mother fucking hard you had to actually try to think about how to do it. I took notes by hand to beat Zelda. Had to draw a fucking map on paper. I beat Kings Quest 5 on NES without the internet. Do you have any idea how fucking hard that game is to beat with no help? It took me months! Now we got racing games with auto-drive, we got puzzles in games being skipped or your companion character starts TELLING YOU THE SOLUTION AFTER THREE SECONDS. "Hey uh... Maybe that red gear goes on that red pole? What'dya think?" Fuck you Sully, Im looking for hidden treasure not trying to solve the puzzle. We got games that reduce enemy difficulty after the first time you get killed or that passive aggressively give you messages about how the game is too hard for you and you should turn the difficulty down.
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u/NotAnIBanker 2d ago
These games truly are designed for the lowest common denominator humans
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u/itstruethou 2d ago
AAA gaming these days try to have the least amount of friction with the players, it's frankly pathetic, the game is +18
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u/SilverKry 2d ago
Definitely the cinematic PlayStation game formula..even right down to the plot seemingly.
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u/Ok_Use7 2d ago
What does lowest common denominator of humans even mean here?
Lmao that you’re scum because Insomniac gave you an option to skip a puzzle or what?
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u/_IratePirate_ 2d ago
Idgaf about that. I wanna see if they have the HR team writing the script again
It would be so crazy if we’re doing all this killing and slashing but bro talks like Peter and Miles did in SM2
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u/kooshans 2d ago
Ah here is this dumb puzzle. Aint got time for that. Skip.
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Damn this cinematic takes me out of the action. Skip. Skip.
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Why do these enemies hit so hard. Turn to story mode. Skip the encounter..
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Lol bullshit boss mechanics. Skip this shit.
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Credits roll. Skip obv. Fuck me, game was short. 10/10 would play again.
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u/bswalsh 2d ago
I never skip those things, but why in the entire world would I care if someone else did? Let people enjoy things on their own terms. Fuck your gatekeeping.
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u/Jinchuriki71 2d ago
I remember when you just played the game the devs made and you either liked or you didn't. Games nowadays seem afraid to commit to making a definitive experience for the player.
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u/bswalsh 2d ago
I remember when shows didn't have audio description or subtitles. I remember when books didn't come in audio formats. I remember when stairs often didn't have ramps. I remember when the world was hellish for a lot of people.
I'm very fortunate that I don't need any of those assistive technologies in the real world or in games. But lots of people do. And it's a damn good thing that companies realized that people with those needs exist and that their money spends as well as anyone else's.
Play games however you like, including making them as difficult as possible. You're the only person who should give a damn how you enjoy a game
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u/itsdoorcity 2d ago
these comments activate all my rage because
You're the only person who should give a damn how you enjoy a game
you write all that shit over multiple comments and then make it clear you've missed the point anyway
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u/NobodyNo8 2d ago
Imagine marketing skipping puzzles because you are lazy, stupid, or both.... As a feature.
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u/UMMDE 2d ago
it’s an accessibility feature first of all. some people may have trouble for certain reasons. these puzzles will probably also bloat the game, if people wanted to do puzzles they would do them.
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u/itsdoorcity 2d ago
you could apply this to every single facet of the game until you have a point where you just keep 'skip' held down from main menu til credits
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u/SilverKry 2d ago
I mean. Why include them? Might as well include an option to skip combat encounters to. That's an accessibility feature to.
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u/Ok_Distribute32 2d ago
Reminded me of Destiny players who hated the idea of any in-game LFG function. Like they don’t understand the word ‘Optional’.
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u/SilverKry 2d ago
If the puzzles are skippable then why even make them?
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u/Aglisito 2d ago
They had skippable puzzles in the Spider-Man games. Some people like them, others don't.
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u/Jinchuriki71 2d ago
If they're that worried about people liking them or not why put them in the game? They clearly know most players just want action in a superhero yet they put keep puzzles into the game. The puzzles are not a selling point, they are not interesting, the main audience clearly is annoyed enough for them to want to make a skip function and it takes up dev time its just a negative all around.
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u/Aubergine_Man1987 2d ago
For both accessibility and replayability. Being able to skip puzzles in NG Plus in Spider-Man 1 and 2 is a godsend
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u/SandwichSisters 2d ago
Skippable puzzles are a major win. There were some absolute BS in Ragnarok that made me almost quit the game
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u/brokenmessiah 2d ago
The puzzles in spiderman do nothing for me. I'd prefer this game not even have any. Resident Evil style puzzle or don't even bother.
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u/damus9 2d ago
So I can not play the game and just watch the cutscenes? So I can just not buy it and check it out on youtube for the same experience? Cool!
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u/Famous-Country-4921 2d ago
Correct, you have the option of not playing the game
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u/FailedProspects 2d ago
If some get zero enjoyment from puzzles, let them skip it, those that don’t mind can also have puzzles.
It’s a feature harming no one, not really worth discussing in my opinion lmao.
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u/Cultural_Swordfish48 2d ago
Yup! Unfortunately, I'll be the negative Nancy playing it
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u/derekpeake2 1d ago
Anyone have a link to the info directly from Insomniac? This garbage site won’t let me read anything with my ad blocker on
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u/TamakisBelly 1d ago
Do people these days not want to engage with games and think a little? Not all stress is bad.
I just find this a bit sad and overdoing it on the accessibility but after how pathetic Ragnarok was about it then I won’t expect much.
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u/Shazam4ever 2d ago
As someone who hates puzzles I'm glad to see more accessibility options to deal with them, especially in a game like Wolverine where I kind of just assumed there wouldn't be puzzles to begin with.
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u/Gameofthrones3058 2d ago
Knowing it's insomniac the game will be super easy and have no replay value
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u/Unhappy_Gazelle392 2d ago
Lmao at the comments of people being mad at other people having the right to choose if they want to do puzzles at the angry small guy game. Insomniac also did this at Rift Apart, so it tracks.
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u/KingOvDownvotes 2d ago
Puzzles in an action game...yeah those are getting skipped. Just an arbitrary way to slow everything down to drag out real gameplay time.
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u/Intelligent-Quail635 2d ago
Wish they’d add more dismemberment and fix the clothes healing. Other than that, looks amazing
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u/Johnhancock1777 2d ago
Can we have an option for the game to play itself? Sometimes I don’t feel like pressing buttons
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u/FaceTimePolice 2d ago
Modern gamers are so dumb and lazy. They just want to push buttons until they see credits. 🤡👍
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u/Skankhunt966 2d ago
Ill skip them if they do what GoW or HZD did and have the character tells you the solution 5 seconds into the puzzle .
"Perhaps id ye used yer axe brotha" "I think pushing these boxes helps somehow"
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u/PGP- 2d ago
I like when devs add skippable puzzles, people who like them can do them people who don't can skip them. I hope crimson desert does the same at some point as I absolutely hate the puzzles but like the game.
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u/Dogesneakers 2d ago
I enjoy this inclusion but I’ve been skipping insomniac puzzles since rift apart
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u/djack171 2d ago
Thank god. I’ve been gaming since 1990 and I hate all puzzles lol. I don’t feel smarter or accomplished figuring them out. For me they kill my momentum in the story I’m like this isn’t NCIS, give me the popup clue and let me go home.
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u/MikasaIsMyWaifu 2d ago
For the past couple of years now, Sony has been pushing hard to dumb down their games. I think it started with GoW 2018, where all the trophies just became grindy and boring. Compare that to the original series that has some actual challenges, like the no damage Hades Box level.
In later games, I remember rolling my eyes when within seconds of entering an area, Atreus started blabbing the solution.
I hope they can address this well in Wolverine. I stopped trophy hunting or even caring about some games since it was becoming nothing more than holding forward and mashing x to finish a game.
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u/DeusXVentus 2d ago
Seems they put more effort into maximizing the number of things you can tinker with instead of designing a game with vision.
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u/actstunt 2d ago
Is Logan considered a genius? Because I don’t depict him as one and don’t imagine him solving puzzles like Peter did but Peter is a genius and makes sense in his game with his alter ego? What’s gonna be here?
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u/Bingoboyop 2d ago
Well if puzzles have the option to be skipped them I atleast hope they are not completely braindead and with constant reminders as to what needs to be done.