In Defense of Wolverine [Review]

When Insomniac Studios announced a Marvel Wolverine game in September of 2021, the State of Play fans were skeptical about how Wolverine could work in the Insomniac superhero game format. Questions, such as: Could they make Wolverine work in an open world? Would the game even be open world? Could Insomniac do the story and history of Wolverine justice? Well after a 5-year wait Marvel’s Wolverine launched as a PS5 exclusive on September 15.

Set in the same continuity as the Insomniac Spider-man games, we follow Logan (Wolverine) in a modern world where mutants are not publicly known but are still hated and oppressed. Logan is a member of Team X, Insomniac’s main team of mutants. Throughout the game players are taken from mission to mission in a linear single player style game reminiscent of the modern God of War franchise – saving mutants and ripping through enemies.

At its core, Wolverine’s gameplay revolves around a very gore heavy slasher combat system combined with upgrades and interchangeable mutations that change based on the different battles you fight. The combat is further advanced when playing with a DuelSense controller, which adds a whole new level of immersion to the game. The side content consists of whiskey bottle collectibles and Nightmare Doors that help players unlock stories from Logan’s past. Both of which do a great job of expanding on the character and giving a backbone to the larger Insomniac universe.

Review

Our rating

4.5 / 5

The game is visually stunning, utilizing a more realism-based graphics style compared to other recent Marvel video games, like Marvel Rivals. Because the game forces you onto a linear path, we are given the chance to travel to multiple different continents, something only ever seen once in Insomniac’s history, and a thing they don’t typically go for due to their open world nature of game making.

When playing on the PS5, the game runs at 60 FPS with ray tracing automatically enabled. When changing over to Fidelity mode, the graphics are even more amazing. The FPS drops to a targeted 30 but makes up for it in the jaw dropping looks you see.

If you’re someone who loves the Insomniac Spiderman games, a fan of Marvel in general, or just someone who wants a fun game to play that will keep you engaged throughout the story, I would 100% recommend buying Marvel’s Wolverine. Although the 60-dollar price might seem steep, what you get for it is an unforgettable experience.

Wolverine is a game with an amazing story while also being an action-packed slasher full of fun, combined with a great story that had zero problem keeping my attention for hours on end.