Marvel’s Wolverine has been the subject of intense fan mockery in the days since its release (and even before), largely thanks to the game’s overbearing Scent Trail – dubbed a ‘fart trail’ in some online circles. Developer Insomniac Games has now nerfed the glowing line that often points Logan to his next objective.
Look in most corners of the gaming internet, and you’ll probably find players making fun out of Marvel’s Wolverine for a few different reasons. Chief among them is the game’s tendency to lead players in the right direction a little too hard – the aforementioned scent trail, frequent voice lines, and on-screen markers make sure you never get lost in the world.
But fans have taken issue with the hand-holdy design. Recalling discourse around yellow paint in games like Resident Evil or Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, some players have complained that the overbearing reminders remove any sense of exploration in levels and can sometimes feel condescending.
Insomniac Games has now swooped in with a small patch, seemingly in response to the intense online backlash. “This hotfix adjusts the presentation of the Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators, including reduced opacity to make these visuals less intense,” the studio writes in the game’s latest patch notes.
There may even be an option to turn off both features entirely in an update down the line, according to the developer: “Our team continues to evaluate ways to further improve Senses in the game, including exploring toggleable options for a future update.” No word yet on when or if such an update might come, however.
Elsewhere in the hotfix, Insomniac has squashed a couple “common crashes experienced by a small percentage of players since launch.”
Earlier in the week, Insomniac’s community director James Stevenson said the team has been “cooking hard” in response to player feedback. So expect a few more updates of this ilk.