Review: Marvel´s Wolverine

Marvel’s Wolverine throws us straight into the action as Nathaniel Essex (Troy Baker) has been abducted and is being held captive. Wolverine (Liam McIntyre), Mystique (Nicole Pacent) and Sabretooth (Brett Gipson) set out to rescue him. This marks the beginning of an adventure that proves to be far more complicated than anyone could have ever imagined. The fear and misunderstanding many harbor toward mutants will be exploited in the worst possible way. Wolverine now faces a difficult choice between his human side and the beast within him.

Background on the character

The character Wolverine first saw the light of day in 1974 in the comic book The Incredible Hulk #180, and since then, he has held a permanent place in Marvel’s massive roster of characters. I have always dug Wolverine long before Hugh Jackman donned the suit and made Wolverine famous among the masses, so when it was announced that the same studio that made Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 would now be making a game starring Wolvie, I became extremely curious. Will they succeed as well as they did with my absolute favorite hero Spider-Man, or will they struggle to tackle this darker character?

Story and Characters

The story takes us to many different locations, and we encounter characters we’ve seen in many other versions before, but this time in a new way. For those of us who know our comic book characters, it is clear that not everyone we meet is entirely above board, but the developers still manage to lull us into thinking everything is fine, even if our spider-sense is tingling. I also like that they chose to make Wolverine the height and size he actually is in the comics, and not like Hugh Jackman. It is clear that Sony wants to do something different from the films. Liam McIntyre, who plays Wolverine, does a good job of balancing the character’s both refined and more unpolished sides. We must remember that Wolverine is actually an anti-hero like Deadpool, so that whole “no killing” rule isn’t something he believes in. Those who face his claws meet a bloody end. Even though I mostly really liked the story, I still feel that it never quite ignites. The developers scratch the surface but never quite dare to take the leap and go deep with the character.

Gameplay Mechanics and Combat

In terms of gameplay mechanics, Insomniac has succeeded as usual. It’s not hard to get the hang of how to control Wolverine. There are clear tutorials at the start, and the further into the game you get, the more features you unlock. Slashing and crushing enemies is incredibly fun, and this is truly an extremely gory game. Body parts and blood fly everywhere. You can tell they had fun making the game, and several moves from the movies are recognizable. What’s been a shame with the movies up until Logan and Deadpool & Wolverine is that they were suitable for all ages, and I can tell you that this game is not. Plus, as a lovely bonus, when you fight alongside other characters, they help each other kill the enemy, which also makes the comic book nerd in me cheer with joy. There are also motorcycle sequences that provide a break, and I think the developers have made a good assessment of how much of a beating you can take before you actually lose. Because I really wondered how they would tackle Wolverine’s healing power, and it feels like they found a good solution anyway.

Gameplay Experience and Structure

The hours just flew by while I was playing, and I realize I’ve been sitting there without a break for eight hours just tearing through enemies. The story rolls on, and even though the combat is fairly repetitive, it never gets boring. However, there are some things that don’t quite reach perfection. Firstly, this is an incredibly linear game. There are no side missions, other than being able to visit your memories at any given time. In the middle of a sequence where it’s clear you’re in a hurry to get to the next step, the opportunity to enter a magical cabin to unlock your memories appears. I felt once or twice that they were quite misplaced. In the cabin, you can also replay the levels you’ve already unlocked to find all the gear boxes and other collectibles. I understand the idea of giving the game replay value, but as mentioned, it feels a bit desperate.

Playtime

The game is around 14–17 hours long depending on how you play, and I feel that is a bit on the short side. Now, this shouldn’t be compared to GTA VI, which claims to have around 80 hours of playtime just to get through the story, but it still feels a little short.

Performance and Graphics

Just like with the Spider-Man games, Marvel’s Wolverine is exclusive to Playstation and will therefore not be available on any other console for quite a long period. The game is developed for Playstation 5 and should thus be able to utilize the console’s full potential.

I tested the game on Playstation 5 Pro and, as always, chose Performance mode, because regardless, I always choose FPS over slightly smoother edges and more colors in the sunset. 60 FPS and native 4K resolution are offered in Performance mode on the Pro. In Fidelity mode, we instead get 30 FPS but with more advanced ray tracing, and thus more stable global illumination and better shadow detail.

Since I haven’t tested the game on the standard Playstation 5, I’ve only been able to read up on the information, and according to it, the base FPS should be the same in both modes for both consoles. The difference is that in heavier scenes, the FPS in Performance mode fluctuates between 47 and 60 FPS and the resolution between 1444p and 1880p.

I didn’t experience the game lagging or dropping frames a single time, so the specifications seem accurate even if I can’t speak for the standard Playstation 5.

Summary

In summary, I really want to recommend Marvel’s Wolverine. Had it been somewhat longer and not so linear, it would definitely have been an absolute must-play. So, how did Insomniac manage to tackle the anti-hero Wolverine? I believe that, on the whole, they succeeded very well; sure, there are a few areas of lost potential, but you will have fun playing and the hours will fly by at a furious pace, and that is what matters most, right?

Insomniac Games sent a review code for this test. The provider of the material has no editorial influence on our reviews.