After years of anticipation, Marvel’s Wolverine has finally arrived.

Developed by Insomniac Games in collaboration with Marvel Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game puts Logan at the center of a completely original single-player adventure.

Unlike Insomniac’s Spider-Man games, Wolverine does not use an open-world structure. Instead, it focuses on a more linear, narrative-driven experience that takes Logan across locations including Canada, Tokyo and Madripoor.

The result is a darker superhero adventure that places considerably more emphasis on Logan’s personality, relationships and violent nature.

Gameplay

The gameplay is built around close-range combat.

Logan’s claws are obviously the star of the show, but the combat system also incorporates kicks, attacks, critical strikes, rage abilities and different techniques that can be unlocked throughout the adventure.

The emphasis on aggressive momentum makes Wolverine feel different from Spider-Man.

There is no web-swinging across a huge city or large collection of gadgets to constantly switch between.

Instead, the game wants players to get close to enemies and keep the action moving.

The healing factor also plays an important role in the gameplay, reinforcing Logan’s ability to recover during difficult encounters.

Combat

Combat is easily the most important part of the experience.

Logan’s attacks feel powerful and responsive, while the different techniques give players several ways to approach encounters.

The game also includes stealth opportunities, allowing Logan to move through certain situations without immediately confronting every enemy.

However, enemy variety is one of the areas where the experience can become less impressive over time.

Several reviews have pointed to repetition in combat, with some critics arguing that the core mechanics begin to lose some of their impact during the later portions of the campaign.

That doesn’t make the combat bad.

Rather, the issue is that the foundation is strong enough that more variety could have made the system considerably deeper.

Story

The story is one of Marvel’s Wolverine’s strongest elements.

The game presents an original interpretation of Logan and explores his complicated relationship with his past, his identity and the people around him.

The adventure involves familiar Marvel characters including Jean Grey, Mystique and Sabretooth, while also introducing its own take on the wider mutant world.

The relationship between Logan and Jean Grey is particularly important to the emotional side of the campaign.

Rather than presenting Wolverine exclusively as an unstoppable fighter, Insomniac spends significant time exploring the person underneath the claws.

That gives the character more emotional weight and helps separate this game from a straightforward superhero action title.

Characters

Logan is naturally the center of attention, and the performance and writing give him considerably more personality than simply being a tough action hero.

The supporting cast also plays an important role.

Jean Grey provides an emotional counterpoint to Logan, while characters such as Mystique and Sabretooth contribute to the game’s exploration of his complicated past and relationships.

The combination gives the campaign a stronger character-driven focus.

For players already familiar with Wolverine and the X-Men, there are plenty of recognizable elements.

At the same time, the game is structured as its own story rather than simply adapting one specific comic-book storyline.

Exploration

Marvel’s Wolverine isn’t an open-world game.

Instead, exploration takes place across more controlled environments that are designed around the campaign’s narrative.

This approach allows Insomniac to move Logan between very different locations.

Players travel through the Canadian wilderness, Tokyo and Madripoor, with each location offering a different visual identity and atmosphere.

Tokyo is particularly notable for its more traditional level-design approach, while Madripoor provides a much different atmosphere.

The linear structure also keeps the story moving without requiring players to spend hours completing unrelated activities.

Graphics

The visual presentation is one of the game’s biggest strengths.

Insomniac uses the PS5 hardware to create detailed character models, environments and animations.

Logan’s movements are particularly important because so much of the game depends on making his attacks and abilities feel physical and impactful.

The environments also benefit from the game’s global journey.

The snowy Canadian landscapes contrast strongly with Tokyo’s streets and Madripoor’s dense urban environments.

The result is a visually varied adventure despite the game’s more linear structure.

Audio

The audio design plays an important role in establishing Logan’s atmosphere.

The sound of combat, environmental effects and the game’s music all contribute to a darker presentation than Insomniac’s Spider-Man titles.

The soundtrack was composed by David Fleming, whose score dynamically changes alongside Logan’s journey.

The game also offers a wide selection of voice and text languages, including Brazilian Portuguese.

Performance

Marvel’s Wolverine was developed specifically for PS5, allowing Insomniac to focus its technical presentation around the current-generation console.

The game also includes extensive accessibility options, with more than 100 features covering areas such as visual, auditory, cognitive and motor accessibility.

Additional options allow players to adjust aspects of the game’s presentation and difficulty.

The game also received a day-one update that added features including Photo Mode.

Replayability

After completing the campaign, players can return through New Game+.

This mode increases progression limits and introduces additional techniques and options.

The game also includes Mission Replay and Nightmare Challenges, giving players additional reasons to revisit parts of the campaign after finishing the main story.

These additions don’t completely transform the experience, but they provide useful extra content for players who want to continue experimenting with Logan’s abilities.

Playtime

Marvel’s Wolverine is a relatively focused single-player adventure.

The main campaign takes around 20 hours, depending on the player’s pace and approach to optional content.

That length fits the game’s more linear structure.

Rather than stretching the experience with a massive open world, Insomniac focuses on delivering a concentrated superhero story.

For players who enjoy completing additional challenges and revisiting missions, the total playtime can be extended further.