Warning: This story contains bloody video game images that some readers may find disturbing.
Developer Insomniac Games found massive success with Marvel’s Spider-Man, as well as its Miles Morales spin-off and direct sequel. Now, the PlayStation studio has taken another stab at another Marvel hero, the angry and animalistic Wolverine.
Insomniac Games attempts to inject Marvel’s Wolverine with what made its web-slinging previous adventures so resonant with audiences, namely its powerful storytelling, to resounding results. While the combat initially starts off one-dimensional, it eventually opens up with more options and sinks its claws into you.
Team X vs X-Men
Credit: Marvel / Insomniac Games
Marvel’s Wolverine follows the titular character’s journey with Team X as they fight for a better future where mutants can live without being feared or discriminated against. What the story and setup do well is feel familiar yet distinct from other Wolverine-related media.
Team X consists of some lesser-known characters, such as Wolverine’s mentor figure, Nathaniel Essex (Mister Sinister), and the brilliant scientist Walter Langkowski (Sasquatch). They feel like stand-ins for Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Hank McCoy (Beast), who are often used for those equivalent roles. This approach to cast selection for Team X gives Marvel’s Wolverine its own unique sense of identity since audiences have become so accustomed to seeing X-Men.
Of course, there are also recognizable names, including Jean Grey, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Bolivar Trask. They’re more or less similar to their comic book counterparts, which helps fans, whether hardcore or casual, get acquainted with them more easily. My main exposure to Marvel is through the MCU. Even though I don’t read comics at all, I knew enough about Marvel lore and its characters to stay absorbed with Insomniac’s world here.
Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang
The story in Marvel’s Wolverine is rather poignant as well. It deals with heavy themes such as genocide, betrayal, and trauma, which are the ingredients of any competent X-Men story. Each of our heroes has their own personal demons to deal with, and the story allows us to authentically and emotionally connect with their inner turmoil.
It’s all couched in a cinematic globetrotting journey. Unlike Spider-Man and New York, Wolverine isn’t tied down to any specific city. As a result, Team X’s expedition takes them to places like Canada, Japan, and the fictional Southeast Asian country Madripoor. The art design and environments shine, delivering a fresh change of scenery every few hours.
‘Wolverine’ lets you go feral
Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang
The combat in Marvel’s Wolverine is straightforward and fast-paced. It’s heavily melee-focused with Wolverine gauging his claws into every orifice of his enemies. When I say it’s bloody, it’s bloody. The amount of red liquid that comes spewing out and the flying dismembered limbs really gives the moment-to-moment gameplay a real visceral and satisfying feeling.
You’ll often be fighting multiple enemies at once, balancing between parrying and unleashing relentless assaults on them. You have to rein in your own bloodthirstiness and know when to momentarily take a breather to fend off an incoming attack from the side. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get overwhelmed when you’re surrounded. This prevents you from endlessly spamming attacks.
Wolverine also has a Rage meter that builds up by playing aggressively. Starting at Rage Tier 2, he can come back from death once by depleting the remaining meter. And at Rage Tier 3, Wolverine’s attacks deal significantly more damage. The combat might come off as button-mashy, but the Rage meter provides structure, flow, and a goal to aim for when trying to clear a room full of enemies.
Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang
At first, the combat feels a bit too simplistic and repetitive. But that’s alleviated by the excellent progression systems. As Wolverine levels up, he can learn a variety of skills such as counters, jump attacks, and tackles. Furthermore, the collectibles scattered throughout the stages are vital. Material Chests let you unlock more suits from Wolverine’s extensive media history, which in turn increases his maximum HP. Finding Whisky Bottles and completing timed trials in Nightmare Doors expand his Adaptations, which grant him passive abilities, like automatic health regeneration at a certain threshold or extending the timing window of parries. So even though Marvel’s Wolverine isn’t an open-world game like Marvel’s Spider-Man, it’s always worth exploring every nook and cranny on each stage.
However, the biggest oversight is the poorly implemented stealth mechanics. Like many other action-adventure games, Wolverine can sneak around in grass and if he gets close enough, kill them in one strike without alerting nearby enemies. Unfortunately, his range is very limited, and the targeting feels off. Larger stages leave more wiggle room for him to pounce around, but in smaller arenas, it’s just a nonstarter. It feels like many of the stages just aren’t built adequately for stealth. It’s really only helpful for picking off a few enemies before you inevitably get spotted. At the start of every encounter, you might as well just jump in guns blazing…or claws out.
Again, again, again!
Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang
After completing the story, the game allows you to replay levels to pick up any collectibles you may have missed the first time around. Additionally, New Game Plus increases Wolverine’s level cap to make him stronger and unlocks new Adaptations. While a linear action-adventure game like Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t have as much replayability as an open-world game would, there’s enough warranted here for repeated playthroughs, especially on higher difficulties.
As with many other PlayStation first-party games, Marvel’s Wolverine boasts a large suite of accessibility options. These include motion sensitivity sliders, colorblind options, and audio cues. Also, if the gore proves too much, you can toggle the dismemberment and blood off in the gameplay settings. They’re boons for all sorts of players, even if you don’t have any disabilities. For example, the High Contrast Background setting makes your surroundings grey while keeping interactable objects bright. This makes it easier to hunt down collectibles.
My final verdict: I didn’t want to put this game down, and it’s a bloody good time.
