Marvel's Wolverine update makes scent trails optional

Insomniac Games has released another update for Marvel's Wolverine, giving players something many have been asking for since launch: the option to turn off the game's infamous Scent trails, including those used during story sequences. There's been a great controversy around this feature since the game was released, as many players think that it works directly against the exploration element and consider it too intrusive.

Due to a recent update, the new version 1.002.001 shows Insomniac's efforts to address solve this game issue and others present in its latest PlayStation 5 adventure. The developer has been gradually giving players more control over Logan's enhanced senses following criticism against the visual guidance.

Wolverine's Scent trails can finally be switched off

Scent trails are one of the ways Marvel's Wolverine communicates information to players. Logan's enhanced senses highlight paths, objects and points of interest, effectively leaving a trail that tells players where to go next. While the mechanic fits Wolverine's heightened senses, some players feel that the constant visual guidance makes exploration feel overly directed. This is significantly relevant in an action game with a linear progression even thought it doesn't have any effect on the game's brutal gameplay. The criticism became prominent enough for Insomniac to start modifying the feature shortly after launch.

Thanks to the latest patch, a new Hint toggle allows players to disable story-related Scent trails. The option can be switched on or off using R3, giving players the choice between following Logan's enhanced senses at all times or figuring things out without the aid of the visual assistance. This is particularly significant because earlier changes only addressed some of the game's guidance systems. A previous update allowed players to disable Scent trails associated with collectibles, while audio cues and Nightmare Roots could also be adjusted separately. Story-related trails, however, remained visible. Now, players can essentially shut scent trails down, effectively negating any help towards progression in the game.

In practical terms:

• R3 on: story-related Scent trails appear and guide Wolverine toward relevant objectives.
• R3 off: those story-related Scent trails disappear, allowing players to navigate without the glowing trail.
• It is a toggle: players can turn the guidance back on whenever they want by pressing the Hint button again.
• This is different from the earlier update, which only added controls for Scent trails associated with optional content such as Whisky Bottle collectibles and Nightmare Roots.

According to Insomniac, the changes are based directly on community feedback. However, the new patch isn't exclusively about Scent trails. Update 1.002.001 also addresses several community-reported bugs and crashes, improving to the game's overall stability.

The impact of those changes is quite noticeable, as they lead to an experience that doesn't seem to be taking you by the hand through the game at all times. In any case, it will allow more players to enjoy Marvel's Wolverine to the fullest, which is awesome.

If you haven't joined Wolverine in its latest adventure yet, you can use our comparator to get a Marvel's Wolverine digital key today and jump into the action.