After the resounding success of 2018’s Spider-Man and its two sequels, Insomniac Games is back with another Marvel video game. This time around, it’s Wolverine getting the star treatment. While Spidey got to swing around a wonderfully recreated New York City, this is a more linear, globe-trotting adventure full of epic set pieces and a linear story that delves into Wolverine’s memory loss and his time before meeting up with the rest of the X-Men (although there are plenty of familiar faces seen and alluded to).
While there is some light puzzle-solving to be had using Wolverine’s superior senses, the vast majority of the game is simply ripping into people looking to murder mutants. Combat is usually group-heavy, with foes often attacking off-screen and trying to overwhelm the player. Using well-timed parries and special moves that can be upgraded over time, you can gain an advantage, but the combat encounters never felt truly special despite a fun rage meter unlocking deadlier abilities, bloody kill animations, and a revive mechanic. It gets better following the first act when you get more interesting enemies to fight, but coming off Onimusha: Way of the Sword, it was hard not to feel a bit underwhelmed by the core combat loop (in fact, it might be more fun just putting it to easy and enjoying the power fantasy).
The game is at its best when Wolverine is paired with other mutants, like Sabretooth and Jean Grey. Their assists make the game’s combat and platforming sections far more interesting, and it reminds you that the X-Men are cool because their powers interact and can work together to achieve incredible feats. The story, which gets a bit bogged down in mutant persecution without a unique take, shines when it lets these characters interact and builds up to major boss fights and set pieces that I don’t want to spoil. If getting to these scenes was a bit more fun, then this would be an all-time great Marvel video game rather than just a very good one.
Despite these epic moments that even the most jaded Marvel fans can’t help but enjoy, Wolverine never reaches the same highs as Insomniac’s best games. The studio makes a great attempt at making a melee-heavy, brooding affair, but there’s no doubt that they’re at their best when they’re doing something a bit goofy with fun weaponry à la Ratchet & Clank and Spider-Man. I’m hopeful that the inevitable X-Men follow-up will play to the studio’s strengths more and that this was a valuable and fun-to-play learning experience.
The game also drags on a bit, keeping it from being truly special. There are far too many stealth scenes that don’t really fit the character (does any X-Men fan want to see Wolverine hiding in tall grass?), combat encounters involve too many waves of nameless grunts, and some of the late-game twists fall flat. However, that initial power fantasy of just slicing and dicing through dudes as Wolverine remains appealing enough that I’ll go back to the challenges and replay levels for collectibles as I go for the Platinum trophy. Complaints be damned, it’s still a fun time sinking adamantium claws into dudes’ skulls.
Marvel’s Wolverine Review: Final Verdict
While Marvel’s Wolverine has several issues, it’s the epic motorcycle chases and key action moments that will stick with players after the credits roll. This isn’t quite the home run that Spider-Man was off the bat, but it sets up an intriguing X-Men world that needs to be expanded upon in the future. Wolverine didn’t need to be announced five years in advance, as it likely led to unrealistic expectations, but the end result is a solid action game that Marvel fans will get a real kick out of, even if the story doesn’t all land as well as one would hope.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a PS5 copy for our Marvel’s Wolverine review. Reviewed on version 1.001.003.
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