Marvel’s Wolverine launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 15, giving Insomniac Games its biggest release of the year after the studio’s recent Spider-Man games sold more than 50 million copies. This time, however, Sony is targeting an older audience with a PEGI 18 game built around blood, dismemberment and close-range combat.
Players control Logan, whose retractable adamantium claws, healing ability and rage form the basis of the combat system. Insomniac describes the game in its official gameplay announcement as a deliberately brutal single-player experience rather than a toned-down version of the character.
Wolverine Takes a More Linear Approach
Unlike Marvel’s Spider-Man and its open-world recreation of New York, Wolverine follows a more linear structure. Players move through detailed environments, combat encounters, climbing sequences and scripted action scenes instead of freely travelling across one large map.
Combat is fast and easy to understand, with Logan able to stab, slash and overwhelm groups of enemies while filling a rage meter. That stored rage can also restore health, while additional abilities become available as the game progresses.
Insomniac has included stealth options, but players can generally choose direct combat instead without being heavily penalised. The game takes roughly 15 to 20 hours to reach the credits, depending on play style.
The PlayStation Store describes the combat as built around aggressive momentum, with techniques and adaptations that allow Logan to ambush or overpower enemies. Insomniac has also added settings that can reduce dynamic blood, dismemberment and adult language.
Game director Mike Daly acknowledged that the higher age rating reduces the potential audience compared with Spider-Man. But he said making the game unsuitable for children was necessary to portray Wolverine appropriately.
Performances Carry Much of the Story
Wolverine frequently shifts from gameplay into cinematic sequences, placing greater emphasis on its cast. Liam McIntyre plays Logan, while veteran game actor Troy Baker portrays Nathaniel Essex and Criminal Minds actor Nicole Pacent appears as Mystique.
The performances are consistently strong, although the number of cutscenes can make stretches of the game feel more passive. Some action sequences also occur entirely within cinematics rather than giving the player control.
Insomniac previously confirmed through PlayStation that the story follows Logan across locations including Canada, Tokyo and Madripoor. The studio has built an original storyline around his past and his relationships with other mutants.
The game does not attempt to replicate the open-world design that helped distinguish Spider-Man in 2018. Instead, it relies on tight combat, strong performances and a more controlled campaign designed specifically around Wolverine’s violent abilities.
Daly said the pressure following Spider-Man’s success was “monumental,” but that his measure of success is simpler: hearing Wolverine fans say the studio understood the character it was trying to create.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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