Wolverine : Marvel's greatest mutant hero explained
Marvel's Wolverine landed on PlayStation 5 in late September 2026, developed by Insomniac Games, the studio already behind two acclaimed Spider-Man titles. Our team tracked the release closely, and after spending roughly twenty hours clawing through its campaign, here is our full verdict.
A story set before the X-Men, with real stakes
The narrative places Logan three years after leaving his mutant task force, Team X. He believed that chapter was closed. It was not. A threat forces him back into action : Bolivar Trask, a fanatic driven by an obsession with human superiority, is hunting and kidnapping mutants. Wolverine is the only one with the combination of brutality and resilience to stop him.
The campaign travels across Canada, Japan, and Madripoor, the fictional Marvel island nation familiar to fans of the comics and the X-Men '97 animated series available on Disney+. This prequel setting works well. It lets Insomniac introduce a version of Logan that feels raw, unpolished, and genuinely dangerous, without being constrained by the broader X-Men timeline.
The supporting cast is a highlight. Sabretooth, Mystique, Toad, Jean Grey, and Mr. Sinister all appear, each woven into the plot with purpose. The story does not waste them as cameos. It is clear the writers left room to expand this universe in future installments, and the ending strongly hints at where a sequel could go.
One element worth flagging for parents : this is not a game for children. The violence is intense and relentless. Wolverine's claws tear through enemies in ways that occasionally feel closer to a Mortal Kombat fatality than a superhero game. That brutality fits the character, but know what you are getting into before buying it for younger players.
Gameplay mechanics : satisfying core, with a few friction points
The combat loop is the heart of the experience. You sprint, dodge, and slice. Rinse, repeat. For players who enjoy tight, focused action, this rhythm stays satisfying for most of the twenty-hour runtime. Wolverine's regeneration mechanic adds a layer of tension : you can absorb punishment, but recklessness still punishes you.
The game includes skill trees and progressive character upgrades. We understand why they are there, but frankly, we would have preferred access to Wolverine's full moveset from the start. The unlocking process feels artificially stretched. Similarly, XP crates and collectible whiskey bottles scattered through levels add little to the experience. Spotting a glowing crate in the middle of a Japanese forest breaks immersion rather than rewarding exploration.
Here is a quick breakdown of the main gameplay pillars :
- Combat : fluid, visceral, built around Wolverine's claws and regeneration
- Exploration : linear level design with limited off-path rewards
- Boss fights : challenging, with adjustable difficulty settings
- Collectibles : present but oddly placed, rarely hidden in a meaningful way
- QTE sequences : triggered during cutscenes, skippable with no real consequence
That last point is worth addressing directly. The quick-time events during cutscenes feel hollow. Miss the prompt ? The game continues exactly the same way. Including them without consequence makes them feel like decoration rather than design.
On the tracking mechanic : Wolverine's heightened sense of smell is represented by a permanent blue trail pointing toward objectives. Combined with a secondary waypoint beacon, the game barely trusts players to navigate independently. A linear structure does not need this much hand-holding.
| Feature | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Story quality | Strong prequel with well-used characters |
| Combat feel | Satisfying and appropriately brutal |
| Level design | Very linear, little room to explore |
| Side content | Minimal, mostly collectibles |
| Difficulty options | Flexible, accessible to all skill levels |
| Costumes | Several unlockable, including the Deadpool & Wolverine suit |
The costume from Deadpool & Wolverine and the animated series design are both available. They look sharp in isolation, though they clash slightly with the game's overall visual tone.
Is Marvel's Wolverine worth £70, and who should buy it ?
The price is the sharpest debate. At £70 for a campaign that runs around twenty hours with minimal replay value, Marvel's Wolverine sits closer to a premium rental than a long-term investment. For comparison, Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 offered a larger open world and more side content at the same price point.
That said, those twenty hours are largely well-spent. The pacing is tight, the action rarely drags, and the story delivers genuine surprises. Players who remember when a campaign-focused game was the norm, rather than the exception, will find this refreshing. It shares DNA with the Uncharted series in that respect : a cinematic, forward-moving experience that does not overstay its welcome.
If the £70 feels steep, waiting for a discount or a PS+ inclusion in a year or two is a reasonable strategy. We track platform availability regularly, and titles at this price point do tend to migrate to subscription services within 18 to 24 months. The Wolverine special look trailer revealed by Disney+ and Marvel already generated significant buzz ahead of launch, suggesting the franchise has strong platform momentum.
Our rating : 4 out of 5. Marvel's Wolverine is a focused, brutal, and entertaining action game with a story worth experiencing. Its flaws, particularly the over-signposted navigation and thin collectibles, are real but never derail the experience. For Marvel fans and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted single-player campaign, this belongs in your library.