Sony continues to enhance its unique approach to the Marvel Universe through video games, and it’s hard to argue against their strategy.
The Marvel’s Spider-Man series, developed by the experienced Insomniac Games, has become one of the most acclaimed and best-selling franchises on the PlayStation, standing out among the most successful open-world games of the last ten years.
The latest project is Marvel’s Wolverine, which offers a grittier narrative centered around the Canadian antihero James Logan Howlett.
This title presents a fast-paced action experience that prioritizes linear progression over an open-world format, potentially surprising players with its level of violence, which rivals the bloodiest scenes from Ryan Reynolds’s R-rated Deadpool films.
A fast-moving narrative
Marvel’s Wolverine is set in the same universe as Insomniac’s Spider-Man, yet you won’t encounter any unexpected crossovers — a fitting choice given the distinct narrative being told.
In this story, the familiar X-Men are absent; instead, players follow the irritable mutant with metal claws and regenerative powers as a member of Team X, a small commando unit that includes Mystique, a shapeshifter, and Sabretooth, who is a larger and angrier counterpart to Logan, all under the guidance of Nathaniel Essex, who gives off an unsettlingly sinister aura reminiscent of Professor X.
The young mutant Leech, left, meets Team X’s leader Nathaniel Essex in Marvel’s Wolverine. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Players will face adversaries such as Bolivar Trask, the creator of the mutant-hunting Sentinels, and Lady Deathstrike, who oscillates between being Logan’s love interest and rival while leading the Hand ninja organization.
Shifting away from Spider-Man’s open-world replica of Manhattan, Wolverine guides players along a more straightforward path through diverse settings, including Tokyo and the fictional Southeast Asian nightlife hub of Madripoor.
Longtime X-Men heroes and villains Mystique, Wolverine and Sabretooth begin the story as teammates. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Players can expect to finish the game in approximately 12 to 15 hours, compared to the Spider-Man titles, which can be extended to nearly double that duration. This game plays out more like an action-packed movie or a comic miniseries, with each chapter introducing new locales or villain subplots.
Intensely violent
In contrast to the teen-rated combat of the Spider-Man games, Wolverine fully utilizes his claws, earning a Mature rating and more.
With a few button presses, Logan can dismember, eviscerate, and impale human foes with alarming speed and ferocity, with blood spraying across the environment and his attire.
Combat in Marvel’s Wolverine is fast, brutal and very, very bloody. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The combat mechanics are smooth and largely intuitive, with most attacks assigned to the square and triangle buttons; combining triggers and other buttons unleashes enhanced moves like spinning Logan’s claws like a cyclone or propelling himself like a flying drill.
Maintaining momentum is crucial; continually jumping toward foes and countering incoming strikes will fill a rage meter that amplifies damage and enables critical hits that can take down most minor enemies in a single blow. Slowing your pace will result in losing many of the advantages, complicating your efforts later in the game.
The game isn’t as bloody when Wolverine uses his claws on mutant-hunting Sentinel robots. He does the same thing to squishier human enemies, though. Use your imagination if you really need to. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Between battles, players can enjoy quieter segments such as exploring Team X’s base or interacting with mutants at the Princess bar in Madripoor, but don’t expect intricate multi-layered espionage like in the recent 007 First Light. These moments primarily serve as breaks before diving back into yet another battle.
A story involving Jean Grey
Fans familiar with Wolverine’s backstory in comics and films will recognize his frequent entanglements with fellow X-Men, Cyclops and Jean Grey.
In this narrative, Jean, a powerful telepath and telekinetic, plays a crucial supporting role, while Cyclops is notably absent.
Fellow mutants on the run Jean Grey and Logan a.k.a. Wolverine share a rare quiet moment in the fictional Marvel city of Madripoor. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
This allows for a love story that adds depth to the relationship between Logan and Jean, which gradually becomes a central theme of the game’s plot.
Jean will also join Logan for a significant portion of the latter part of the game, using her powers to create paths or immobilize enemies to assist Logan in combat.
A brief glimpse of Canada
Wolverine is generally considered Canadian, having origins in Alberta and a background involving the secret Weapon X program and interactions with Alpha Flight, Canada’s answer to the Avengers.
While this history isn’t central to the game, players will experience scenes set in the Canadian North, where Team X’s hidden headquarters is located. Players will traverse snowy landscapes, enjoy off-brand Canadian rye whiskey in Logan’s cabin, and first encounter Jean in Vancouver before engaging in a motorcycle chase along the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
Wolverine takes a brief walk through the snow on the way to his log cabin, but it’s not long before the fighting begins again. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Insomniac’s art team meticulously depicted the landscape, including signs in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish language).
However, the action unfolds so rapidly during this segment that players may not notice these details while jumping from truck to truck and throwing enemies to their doom.
The new Marvel’s Wolverine video game features B.C. landmarks and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim, the Squamish Nation’s language, on highway signs. Senior art director Gavin Goulden explains why including the language was important for authentically representing the region.
A story that exceeds the gameplay
Insomniac’s Spider-Man games are noted for their inventive storytelling that creatively reinterprets well-known character origins, and Wolverine follows suit.
(While review guidelines restrict a comprehensive recounting of the plot, it presents some fresh perspectives on Jean’s backstory that may intrigue or frustrate X-Men enthusiasts.)
Getting engrossed in the climactic chapters and narrative build-up is effortless — to the extent that transitioning back to gameplay after cinematic cutscenes can feel more like a duty than an engaging experience.
Some cutscenes have a cinematic style that feels plucked from an action film, and other brief shots take a slow-motion pause to pay homage to certain famous pages or cover art from Marvel’s comic books. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Moreover, certain boss encounters, while visually stunning, do not offer enough mechanical variety compared to regular battles; they simply require more time to defeat.
It’s a testament to Insomniac’s visual and directorial prowess that I found myself reflecting on the actors’ portrayals as much as I do in other narrative-driven games.
Most character designs are influenced by their voice actors’ real-life likenesses. The animations are strikingly realistic — Liam McIntyre’s performance as Wolverine effectively conveys both intense rage and a relatable vulnerability, particularly in interactions with Krizia Bajos’s Jean Grey.
They evoke a slight sense of the uncanny valley, as the rest of the environment appears to be inspired by the more stylized visuals of contemporary comic books.
Logan finds a mask worn by an enemy from The Hand order of ninjas after a particularly bloody battle. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Despite its shorter duration and narrower focus, Insomniac has not diluted the experience for its initial venture into the X-Men universe. In fact, Marvel’s Wolverine may represent the most concentrated essence of the character’s most brutal comic book tales — rich in unfiltered violence while also encapsulating the emotional drama central to many X-Men narratives.
For those with a PlayStation 5 and a tolerance for a more graphic experience, this is one title that should not be overlooked.
Marvel’s Wolverine will be released exclusively for Sony’s PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro on September 15.
Marvel’s Wolverine stars the Canadian(ish) X-Man in an original story by Insomniac Games. (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)