'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' video game preview

(Credit: Activision)

Seeing how badass Hugh Jackman is as Wolverine in the “X-Men” movies might make you wish you were Wolverine.

Well, you can’t be. I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is.

But you can at least pretend with the “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” game, a third-person actioneer being released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PC, PSP and DS on May 1, the same day the movie it’s based on hits theaters.

We spoke to Raven Software’s Dan Vondrak, the project lead on the game, to find out everything you need to know before trying out this superhero simulator.

How does the game’s storyline relate to the movie’s plot?
Wolverine has always had a mysterious past, and this story explains how he became the Wolverine we know today. If you’ve seen the “X-Men” movies you know Colonel Stryker and Wolverine have a past that was never explained, but it’s all laid out in our story. The movie story and game story are very closely linked, but we also made sure to include some storylines from the comics into the game.

Did getting locked into a movie’s story effect the game?
We actually started our game before it was a movie game, and our plan was tell a great origin story with Wolverine. We’re huge fans of Wolverine, and wanted to do something people have never seen before with the character. Once we got involved with the movie, and saw the early scripts, it was easy to integrate our storylines.

In the movie, we see Wolverine before he got his extreme adamantium make-over. Will the game also include that era?
Absolutely. A large part of the extra story we tell in the game involves flashbacks to the time when Wolverine just had his bone claws. We used “Lost,” the TV show, as a template—flashing back to tell a little more of the background story—and each time it flashes back it relates to what’s happening in the present day story.

Hugh Jackman has been very involved in the production of the movie. Has he been equally hands-on about the game?
There wasn’t a ton of hands on time with the game from Hugh. He did the body scans and the voice over. What really kicked ass was when we visited the set out in Australia. When we were out there, he just kept saying how important this movie was too him, how he wanted it to be all about Wolverine and be true to the character.

Is it harder to make a video game character look like a real person when that person is officially recognized by the United Nations as the most handsome man in the world?
Ha. Believe it or not, it does put extra pressure on us. But Hugh was great to work with. We got a full body and head scan from him, so the model in game is incredibly accurate, especially the face.

Given his love of musical theater, did you ever consider adding a “Karaoke Revolution”-style singing minigame to the mix?
No joke: We did consider having him sing something for us to play during the credits. But the voice over sessions were so incredibly packed that there wasn’t any time. Though we did get a few fun outtakes.

Wolverine can obviously hit people with his claws, but what other kinds of attacks will he have in the game?
Wolverine’s move set is huge: claw attacks, grab attacks, air attacks and all sorts of context-sensitive moves depending on the enemies’ position and state. You can also do environmental kills, using such objects as forklifts, tree branches, etc. And then there’s “lunge,” which is easily the coolest move in the game. With lunge, Wolverine can pounce on enemies from 20, 30, 40 feet away.

He’s also got his “Feral Sense.” What is that exactly and how does it work?
It highlights enemies, areas, and objects the player can interact with, and even shows weak spots on some enemies. It can also help nudge players in the right direction if they’re unsure of where to go next.

What other third-person action games do you think “Wolverine” is comparable to?
We’re huge action game fans on the “Wolverine” team, so there were plenty of influences: “God of War,” “Devil May Cry,” “Ninja Gaiden,” even games like “Call of Duty 4” and “BioShock.” Our game is all about visceral, brutal combat with epic action moments, and showing off that badass attitude Wolverine is known for. The combat is so deep and smooth that it’s easy for people to pickup and perform a ton of cool moves, but it’s also deep enough to put together long chains of moves.