Marvel’s Wolverine lets you fight with all the anger you’d expect from Logan, and I had a blast doing it. Closing in on an enemy with his adamantium claws never gets old. Insomniac Games has built a single-player action-adventure for PS5 that follows a directed campaign instead of dropping Wolverine into an enormous open world. That’s exactly the approach I wanted for this character.
Logan’s missing memories and his ties to Team X made me care about the story between fights. I just wish the fighting changed more as his abilities grew. The encounters can become predictable, but there’s plenty here for anyone who wants a mature Wolverine adventure with a story worth following.
Logan Has Plenty to Fight for Beyond His Own Past
Logan returns to Team X, a mutant group he left behind, because Bolivar Trask is hunting people like them. Nathaniel Essex leads the team and knows more about Logan’s history than Logan does himself. Much of Wolverine’s memory is missing, so getting answers means dealing with people he doesn’t entirely understand or trust.
You don’t need to know decades of X-Men comics to follow any of this. The X-Men haven’t formed in this version of Marvel’s world. Mystique and Sabretooth already have a complicated history with Logan, and their conversations establish that without requiring a long explanation of comic-book events. Sabretooth in particular has no trouble embracing the violence that Logan struggles with.
Liam McIntyre is excellent as Wolverine. His voice has the anger you’d expect, but he also sounds like someone who’s tired of not knowing what happened to him. I enjoyed hearing him deal with people instead of just threatening the next enemy. McIntyre makes those exchanges convincing without turning Logan into somebody he isn’t.
Jean Grey becomes involved when Logan’s investigation crosses paths with mutants she’s protecting. She’s dealing with the danger mutants face right now, not just Logan’s missing past. I liked seeing that connection develop, but I also wanted to hear more from the rest of Team X. Another round of arena fights can get in the way just when there’s more I’d like to learn about them.
Wolverine’s Claws Are a Blast, Even When the Levels Restrict You
Insomniac understands how close Wolverine needs to be to his enemies. A lunge gets Logan across the battlefield, and once he’s there, he can attack the next opponent without much downtime. That speed is part of why the ordinary claw attacks are fun, even before you unlock heavier moves. You still have to watch for a counterattack, especially against opponents who can block his claws. Logan heals quickly, but he can still lose a fight.
Rage Turns Aggression Into Survival
Attacking builds Rage, which increases Wolverine’s power through three tiers. I like that the game encourages you to attack rather than hang back, even when your health is getting low. With enough Rage available, Last Stand can bring Logan back after he’s been knocked down. It’s a clever connection between his temper and his Healing Factor. Fighting aggressively can be the reason you survive a bad encounter.
Special Techniques are heavier attacks that you can equip in four slots. Each has a cooldown, so you can’t repeat a heavy attack without waiting for it to become available again. Having one ready when a group closes in can save Logan from getting overwhelmed. Adaptations let you adjust his abilities as you progress, including how Techniques behave. I liked experimenting with those changes, even when enemies didn’t require a different approach.
Too Many Enemies Fall to the Same Approach
Wolverine has plenty of ways to attack, but you can often rely on the same handful of moves. Shielded or armoured enemies can interrupt your first attack, yet a familiar Technique usually handles the problem. I wanted more opponents who could force me to change tactics.
Unlocking a new Technique is exciting, but that excitement doesn’t last if the next group falls to attacks you already know. I still enjoyed the fighting because Wolverine is fun to control. I just wanted more chances to find out what his newer abilities could really do.
The World Deserves More Space to Explore
I’m glad Wolverine isn’t another open-world superhero game with a map covered in objectives. Moving between places such as Madripoor, Japan and the Canadian wilderness adds plenty of variety to the journey. But you rarely get much freedom within those locations. A side path might end at a collectible or some costume materials before sending you straight back towards the next fight.
The optional challenges tied to Logan’s memories are much better detours. You take part in exploring his past instead of getting all your answers through conversations. When a level does open up, it’s fun to have somewhere to investigate besides the next arena. I didn’t need a sprawling map, just a few more places where I could choose where to go.
Wolverine Looks Fantastic on PS5
Watching Logan’s body repair itself after a fight is one of my favourite visual details. Wounds appear as he takes damage, then gradually close as his Healing Factor does its work. It’s an impressive effect that makes his mutant abilities part of what you’re seeing, not just something represented by a health bar. The detail in his expressions also adds a lot when he’s talking to the people who know him.
Tokyo’s brightly lit streets have a very different look from the snowy wilderness in Canada. Madripoor has a different look again. The lighting and detail are excellent across all three, so the journey never seems stuck in one place.
The combat animation deserves credit too. Every claw attack has a vicious follow-through, and Logan’s movements suit someone who’d rather attack than retreat. Between the injuries, the environments and the way he fights, the game looks excellent on PS5.
Marvel’s Wolverine Gets Logan Right, Even When Fights Repeat
I had a great time with Marvel’s Wolverine because the aggression never gets in the way of caring about Logan. He’s terrifying in a fight, but McIntyre lets you hear the frustration when Logan talks about his past. I wanted answers just as much as I wanted the next fight.
I would’ve liked enemies that forced me to use more of Wolverine’s abilities. Some of the locations also deserve more opportunities to investigate beyond the main path. Those limitations are real, but I never stopped enjoying the claw combat or wanting answers about Logan.
If you want a bloody Wolverine adventure that takes Logan seriously, this is one I’d happily tell you to play. Even with those frustrations, I never got tired of being Wolverine.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Summary
Marvel’s Wolverine delivers the brutal claw combat and engaging story I wanted from Logan’s adventure. Liam McIntyre is excellent as Wolverine, the environments look fantastic, and tearing through enemies is a blast. The fighting does become repetitive, and I wish the levels offered more freedom to explore. Even with those frustrations, I had a great time following Logan’s search for answers. If you’ve been waiting for a mature, story-driven Wolverine game, there’s a lot to enjoy here.
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