Editor’s Note: Sony PlayStation India provided IGN India with a copy of Marvel’s Wolverine for PS5 for this review. Marvel’s Wolverine is now available for pre-order on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
Marvel’s Wolverine tells the story of a tormented, indomitable lone-wolf hero and a mutant struggle—and it succeeds brilliantly on both fronts. While its mechanical depth may not match that of Marvel’s Spider-Man or Ratchet & Clank, its rich cinematic qualities are more than enough to satisfy fans of comics and pop culture. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative and the visceral combat, yet the question remains: was it truly worth spending five years crafting a cinematic adventure game with less mechanical depth than titles from the seventh console generation?
This new Marvel title was developed by Insomniac Games, one of the powerhouse studios within PlayStation Studios. Since the 2018 launch of the landmark open-world hit Spider-Man, Insomniac has been dedicated to building a fresh Marvel universe teeming with iconic heroes and backstories. Wolverine marks a return to the style of seventh-generation console games for the studio, delivering a darker, more linear narrative experience.
Marvel’s Wolverine effectively portrays the oppression faced by mutants.
Set in the same universe as Insomniac’s Spider-Man, Wolverine wastes no time establishing the existence of mutants right from the start. The narrative centers on Wolverine and “Team X,” a task force assembled by Nathaniel Essex—a man sympathetic to the mutant cause. The story opens with a thrilling sequence in which Team X rescues Essex from Dr. Bolivar Trask, subsequently laying the groundwork for how this world treats mutants and where their future lies. Wolverine, Sabretooth, Mystique, Omega Red, and Jean Grey have long existed in this world; they do not live entirely in the shadows, hidden from the public eye.
In this universe, there are no X-Men; the future of the mutant race rests in the hands of a select few. Liam McIntyre, Crizia Bajos, and Troy Baker deliver stellar performances, drawing inspiration from various iterations of Logan while infusing the roles with their own unique flair. McIntyre’s impressive acting vividly captures Logan’s pain and rage, creating a version of the character that rivals Hugh Jackman’s cinematic portrayal. Baker’s Essex (also known as Mr. Sinister) shares motivations with Magneto regarding the mutant cause, yet possesses enough complexity to stand out among a crowded field of supervillains.
What surprised me most about the game was the inspiration it drew from Naughty Dog’s titles. It features cinematic chase sequences spanning locations ranging from airplanes and bars to wilderness areas and skyscrapers. Furthermore, the game offers more open environments for Wolverine to explore, with the streets of Tokyo standing out as a particular highlight. The game channels the adventurous spirit of Uncharted alongside the somber tone and deep character study of The Last of Us. While Wolverine may lack some depth, it compensates with a compelling narrative and tight pacing.
The relationship between Logan and Jean lies at the heart of the story, with the two sharing significant screen time throughout the narrative. The story follows the duo on a globe-trotting adventure, exploring a scope of the universe far broader than any previous Spider-Man game. In terms of tone, the game draws upon the setting of the 2013 Wolverine film while incorporating supernatural mythological elements from the comics. It skillfully weaves together Logan’s history with the Hand—and their supernatural beliefs—with his amnesia; the narrative cleverly leverages his memory loss, revealing his past at just the right moments to generate compelling conflict and keep the story engaging throughout.
Combat – Unleash Claws
Insomniac Games is renowned for providing players with a wealth of tools to express themselves during combat and exploration. Spider-Man and Ratchet (along with Rivet and their robotic companions) possess extensive arsenals and skill sets, ensuring a unique experience for every player. So, how does one give Wolverine—an angry brawler with claws—enough depth for players to explore? Insomniac Games certainly delivers that depth, though not everything is perfect; the time required to unlock new skills during the campaign is excessive, causing many multi-stage encounters to feel repetitive and tedious.
Wolverine’s combat centers on crowd control and parrying. It is easy to get knocked down, so the game encourages players to stay aggressively on the offensive. This aggressive style is reinforced by the “Berserker Rage” mechanic: landing combos and finishers builds up rage, which provides continuous health regeneration during battle. Once the rage meter depletes, health regeneration stops. Rage is also tied to powerful special abilities essential for taking on mini-bosses and swarms of enemies.
The game demands constant spatial awareness, requiring players to quickly close the gap with enemies while nimbly dodging attacks. Parrying requires precise timing to execute a counter-attack, turning combat into a dance of movement within tight arenas.
Collecting parts to unlock suits also boosts your maximum health, directly linking exploration to passive stat upgrades. Other passive abilities come in the form of “Adaptation Skills,” which drive you to seek out and complete nightmarish trials involving combat, parkour, and wave-based defense. As a linear game, however, it offers limited choices when it comes to shaping a unique playstyle.
The Wolverine series is famous for its brutal, bloody combat. Enhanced visual fidelity vividly showcases Logan’s beast-like nature in the heat of battle. The story frequently places Wolverine in perilous situations from which no ordinary human—or even other superheroes—could escape. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Wolverine’s skin torn away to reveal the Adamantium skeleton beneath—a spectacle that is as gory as it is cool. Despite Wolverine’s special abilities, blocking, and finishing moves, you still have to mash buttons constantly for the most part. Even on lower difficulty settings, enemies are tough to take down. I often found my fingers aching after just a few waves of combat. The lack of variety in Logan’s moveset is undoubtedly a drawback.
While there aren’t many boss battles, each one cleverly utilizes the environment and puts Logan’s innate, superhuman healing factor to the test. Combat begins on the ground but escalates into fierce clashes against towering Sentinels. Although enemy variety is limited, each type poses a significant challenge, forcing you to stay vigilant and constantly monitor their positioning.
The game’s stealth mechanics leave something to be desired. For one, players are easily detected, often plunging the entire stealth sequence into chaos. Furthermore, Logan’s movement capabilities lack the polish found in other superhero titles. Sneaking up on prey from the treetops feels somewhat superficial, as closing the distance is ultimately unavoidable. Often, it is simply easier to unsheathe your claws and cut down waves of enemies head-on—even if doing so proves exhausting.
Wolverine makes excellent use of the PS5.
As is the case with most Insomniac Games titles, Wolverine looks and runs beautifully on the PS5. The game offers various performance and visual modes, perfectly optimized for 120Hz displays. Whether you prefer a high-resolution experience at 30 or 40 frames per second, or want to unlock VRR to get the most out of your screen, Wolverine has you covered.
Over the course of my 14-hour journey, I experienced a single crash, but otherwise, the game ran smoothly; frankly, the visuals rendered across various scenes were breathtaking. Wolverine delivers incredible detail in its environments and destruction effects, offering the kind of visual spectacle we’ve come to expect from Insomniac Games.
It also makes excellent use of the DualSense controller; the well-tuned haptic feedback and audio cues from the built-in speaker prove very useful during exploration. While the adaptive triggers don’t see much action here, I couldn’t help but wonder if mapping attacks to the triggers might have provided an even more impactful experience.