Video games should emulate the development model of The Blood Of Dawnwalker rather than the high-budget approach of Marvel's Wolverine, according to a reader feature published by GameCentral. The article, written by reader Magma, argues that the $40 million production cost of Dawnwalker — developed in just three years — demonstrates that lower budgets can yield superior storytelling and character depth when compared to the estimated $300 million spent on Wolverine.
Budget Disparity and Development Time
The reader points out that The Blood Of Dawnwalker was made for half the budget of The Witcher 3, which cost $80 million over a decade ago. In contrast, Marvel's Wolverine is estimated to have cost around $300 million, based on the budget of Spider-Man 2. Despite the vast difference in spending, the reader contends that Dawnwalker offers a more engaging plot and better-drawn characters than Wolverine, which they describe as shallow and repetitive.
Criticism of Wolverine's Presentation
The reader criticizes Wolverine's graphics, noting that character faces appear 'weird,' with Jean Grey looking like she could be anywhere from 20 to 40 years old, and Wolverine's face having a 'perpetually dopey look.' They also mention that previews of the game appeared 'on the rails,' and that Sony's recent announcement about disc-less consoles has fueled negative sentiment toward the game, though the reader acknowledges they have not played it.
Industry Lessons from Successful Titles
The article highlights recent successes like Dawnwalker, Star Wars Zero Company, and Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, which offer more than simple button-mashing mechanics. The reader argues that the industry has ignored the success of Elden Ring, which is challenging, hard to get into, and has a complex story, yet still sells well. They question why publishers like Sony continue to copy trends like live-service games, which often fail, instead of supporting innovative concepts.
The reader concludes that giving Wolverine more complex combat and a better story would not have been difficult, but it would have been unexpected, which is not what publishers like Sony typically want. The feature ends by inviting readers to submit their own 500-to-600-word reader features to GameCentral.
