When I think about some of PlayStation Studios’ most consistent developers, Insomniac Games always ranks above the others. Balancing both the Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank franchises for the last two generations or so, the acclaimed studio has fallen into a comfortable groove of delivering high-quality, big-budget AAA games at the forefront of the gaming industry. That ‘comfortable groove’ is amplified in Marvel’s Wolverine, its latest action-adventure using the Marvel IP - and Insomniac Games has delivered something undoubtedly great, but it’s also a game that never aspires to be greater.

Note: This review is spoiler-free.



Marvel’s Wolverine follows Logan in his younger years, before the X-Men came into play, when Wolverine fought alongside (and eventually left) Team X and its members like Mystique, Sabretooth and Jean Grey. Logan’s regenerative mutant powers have granted him an almost immortal status and that’s a piece of himself he continues to wrestle with decades later while still trying to find purpose in his life, maintain fading relationships, and understand his place in a world where mutants are the outlaws but also the last bastions of hope when things go wrong.



Marvel’s Wolverine tells a story that’s all too familiar if you’ve seen the movies or read the comics. It’s thanks to Insomniac’s fantastic cinematic storytelling, detailed character models, and sharp writing that it all feels surprisingly fresh. In fact, Marvel’s Wolverine is a lot heavier on story than I expected, maybe more than the Spider-Man games. Insomniac needs to build those narrative foundations carefully because this is a whole new cast of characters we’re being introduced to in this universe, not just Logan. Each core member of Team X shares a decent amount of screen time and their dialogue with each other is well-written.

In fact, Marvel’s Wolverine is a lot heavier on story than I expected, maybe more than the Spider-Man games.

Despite the overwhelming presence of these side characters, it’s rare that the game ever loses track of Wolverine as the star of the show. When it does, unfortunately it’s a bit noticeable. It runs into the “Dawn of Justice” problem of setting up plotlines or character motivations for an X-Men game we all know is coming, so it’s a bit jarring when Logan takes a backseat in these moments. That’s not to say any of them are bad - Jean Grey is actually a standout for me and I think Logan’s brutish dynamic with Sabretooth is one of the more compelling story threads in the game - but it had me questioning if a Wolverine story solely focused on him alone would’ve brought out his best qualities as a character without a strong supporting cast. I’ll let you decide.



Now that we’ve established that Insomniac Games are still maestros of cinematic story crafting, let’s dig into the gameplay because this is going to be the make-or-break point for a lot of players. Marvel’s Wolverine has some of the bloodiest and most visceral combat Insomniac has ever made. There’s just no other way to properly convey Wolverine’s animalistic fighting style without leaning into the violence, blood, gore, and bodily dismemberment. Wolverine’s killer instincts are sharp and his claws are sharper, making for some visually fun and brutal action. Blood splatters across the floors and walls while Wolverine slices them up, and flashy finishers can rip enemies apart like confetti. It’s cool, weighty, hard-hitting combat that works in its moment-to-moment gameplay.

Wolverine gradually unlocks new skills and buffs through a Techniques skill tree. Here you’ll find new movesets like the awesome Tornado Spin or the satisfying Savage Sprinter, as well as let you buff aspects of combat and survival; faster regeneration, wider parry windows, or more agile lunges, for example. Most of your powerful moves come with cooldown timers and this is a mixed bag for me. You certainly want Wolverine to be able to perform these moves freely, but time restrictions on the cooldowns sometimes means you’ll be spamming your Square attack button just waiting to use them, rinse and repeat. Don’t get me started on how long it takes for the Tornado Spin cooldown to reset. In Marvel’s Spider-Man, you also have cooldowns on special abilities, but at least Spider-Man has a lot more versatility in combat that you don’t always feel like you’re pressing one button waiting for the timer.



Wolverine is not as versatile or agile as Spider-Man (which is a shame because his animalistic nature could’ve given him some devastating mobility). Instead, he’s kind of rooted to the ground in Marvel’s Wolverine - tanky but never sluggish, weighty but never hard to control. Even through some traversal scenarios, Wolverine feels a bit heavy as he leaps over rooftops or ziplines between locations. I would’ve liked a little more agility from playing as Wolverine because Insomniac’s decision to root him feels kind of restrictive to the gameplay in a way.

Wolverine’s killer instincts are sharp and his claws are sharper, making for some visually fun and brutal action.

I think as long as you can detach yourself from the mindset of playing Marvel’s Spider-Man and take Marvel’s Wolverine as its own beast, you’ll end up enjoying it a lot more. In the moments where this creative decision does work, it actually feels great. Logan can tap into his Rage Meter that slowly builds up in combat, allowing him to dish out massive damage while taking almost no damage in return. It’s basically Kratos’ Rage Ability from the newer God of War games cranked up to 11. It’s incredibly fun when you tweak your upgrades and stats to build up Wolverine’s Rage Meter faster so he stays in that state for longer (basically the build I went for). It’s not RPG-level stats, but there’s enough flexibility in the ugprade paths to make him play how you want.



My biggest gripe with Marvel’s Wolverine’s combat is that it feels safe, especially for a Wolverine game. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of fun to be had, but it feels like the bloody charm of the action runs out of steam at certain points. Part and parcel to that is Insomniac’s bag of recycled enemies. Be it lightning fast ninjas, Sentinels, or henchmen, you’ll already be intimately familiar with their types - the regular expendable trooper, the one with the shield, the bigger enemy that hits harder and takes longer to kill, and the irritating one that snipes you from afar. You’ve fought these enemies before in Spider-Man and you’re going to fight them here again - just, now you can turn an enemy’s insides into lasagna with your claws. Had the combat brought in a few inventive ideas - something like Metal Gear Rising’s body-slicing feature would’ve fit Wolverine perfectly, for example - I’d be more forgiving because yes, it’s safe, and safe can still mean fun, but it’s not doing anything to stand out either. Should we expect more from a big-budget AAA PlayStation game in 2026?

That tedium is somewhat alleviated by the fact that Wolverine is often joined in combat by another member of Team X. This is where the combat is at its strongest because you can seamlessly transition from a combo to a sort of “link” attack with your accompanying mutant, like using Sabretooth’s hulking body to do a leap or plunge attack, or Jean Grey’s telekinesis letting you cut up foes suspended in mid-air. When these happen, they’re so smoothly integrated into combat that you don’t even notice you’re performing them. That’s where a piece of Insomniac’s ingenuity from Marvel’s Spider-Man’s buttery smooth combat breaks through in the gameplay.



If Marvel’s Wolverine was all-combat, it might’ve become repetitive very quickly. However, Insomniac wisely chooses to break up the action with light exploration (it’s not open-world, but there are zones and levels large enough to encourage a fair bit of side-tracking), or big action set pieces. Scattered throughout the game are Nightmare Doors that unlock a part of Wolverine's memory from his past, either as small challenges or navigation puzzles. They really help flesh out his character and it’s easy to even miss some of them in later areas, encouraging further exploration. You can also tackle a fair bit of side content disconnected from the main story by engaging with NPCs - luckily they’re not overwhelming and the story’s solid pacing does a good job of reeling you back onto the main path.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of fun to be had, but it feels like the bloody charm of the action runs out of steam at certain points.

One of the coolest aspects of Marvel’s Wolverine is the customisation. Learning all the right things from its past titles, Insomniac honours the character’s legacy with a lot of fan-pleasing outfits handpicked from the comics, movies or other Wolverine media. They’re diverse and well-designed, and most are easy enough to unlock by simply following the game’s journey (though some have tougher requirements hidden behind challenges or goals to meet while playing the game).



The presentation of Marvel’s Wolverine is phenomenal. Character models are incredibly detailed and expressive, sometimes coming close to being as good as Death Stranding 2. Visually it’s spectacular - bustling urban environments like Madripoor shine with carefully crafted details in the world, jungle areas actually seem dense and tricky to navigate, and corridors feel fittingly claustrophobic. With Wolverine, you feel like a giant blender tearing through mobs of enemies in cramped spaces and it’s bloody fantastic. PlayStation once again delivers another outstandingly polished exclusive and playing it on PS5 Pro brings out its best graphical capabilities.

I’d like to also mention the voice acting, which does much of the heavy-lifting in Marvel’s Wolverine. Liam McIntyre mocaps and voices Logan and does a terrific job capturing the character’s mannerisms, profanities, quirks, and tone. It was like Wolverine literally leapt out of the comic book pages and onto the screen. More importantly, he finds an unique rhythm with the character that sets it apart from Hugh Jackman’s iconic portrayal, which is no easy feat. Other voice actors really clock in too, like Krizia Bajos as Jean Grey and, to no one’s surprise, Troy Baker as Nathaniel Essex. They all have great chemistry and that shows in their performances.



Marvel’s Wolverine does everything great but nothing exceptional, or anything that particularly stands out from Insomniac’s portfolio. It’s a solid superhero game with viscerally fun combat that’s only engaging on a surface level, while the cinematics, storytelling and tremendous voice acting does all of the leg work. Fans of Wolverine should be pleased with the end result because it’s rare that we get a game focused on the character and clearly made from a place of passion for the source material. However, I’d also be lying if I said it’s perfect or I got everything I wanted out of it. Insomniac is definitely capable of doing better but if this is their lowest point, it’s already a pretty high bar for 80% of games released today.

PS5 Review code provided by PlayStation | Marvel's Wolverine is available to pre-order on Nexus Hub for R1,380