Marvel’s Wolverine Review: The Game Logan Deserved

There are certain video game characters who feel like they were practically born to have their own game. Wolverine is absolutely one of them.

After years of watching Logan tear through enemies in comic books, movies, animated shows, and other Marvel games, I’ve always wondered what a truly dedicated Wolverine game could look like if a developer went all-in on the character. Not just Wolverine as a superhero, but Wolverine as Logan — the angry, damaged, stubborn, surprisingly emotional mutant who can take an unbelievable amount of punishment and still get back up.

Now that Insomniac Games has finally delivered Marvel’s Wolverine, I can honestly say that this is exactly the kind of game I wanted.

Released exclusively for PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026, Marvel’s Wolverine takes a much darker and more brutal approach than Insomniac’s Spider-Man games. Instead of swinging through an enormous version of New York City, Logan travels through locations including Madripoor, the Canadian wilderness and Tokyo. The result is a more focused adventure that puts the character, story and combat front and center. (PlayStation.Blog)

And let’s get one thing out of the way immediately:

This game lets Wolverine be Wolverine.

Logan Is Finally the Star

The biggest success here is Logan himself.

Liam McIntyre’s performance gives Wolverine a personality that feels appropriately rough around the edges. Logan isn’t constantly cracking jokes or trying to be the most likable guy in the room. He’s angry. He’s stubborn. He’s haunted by his past. He’s trying to figure out exactly who he is while constantly being reminded of everything he’s done and everything that’s been done to him.

That’s what makes him work.

Wolverine has always been one of Marvel’s most complicated characters because underneath all those claws and muscles is somebody who desperately wants to be better than the monster other people sometimes see him as.

The game understands that.

Insomniac has described this version of Logan as a reluctant hero who will get the job done by whatever means necessary, and that philosophy shows up everywhere — from the writing to the animations to the combat. (PlayStation.Blog)

But what I really enjoyed is that Logan doesn’t feel like a superhero wearing Wolverine’s costume.

He feels like Wolverine.

When Spider-Man fights, there’s an athletic elegance to it. Peter and Miles are constantly moving, jumping and swinging around their enemies.

Logan is different.

Logan gets hit.

Logan gets thrown through walls.

Logan crashes through doors.

Logan gets back up.

Then he puts his claws through somebody.

And that difference makes the entire game feel different.

The Claws Are the Star of the Show

Let’s talk about the combat because this is where Marvel’s Wolverine really comes alive.

The first time you get into a serious fight, you immediately understand that Insomniac wasn’t trying to make Wolverine feel like Spider-Man with claws.

This is a completely different beast.

Wolverine’s combat is close, aggressive and violent. You’re constantly moving toward enemies rather than trying to keep your distance. Logan can slash, punch, kick, dodge, counter and unleash devastating attacks that make you feel like a human-shaped wrecking ball.

The developers specifically built the combat around aggressive momentum, with claws, kicks, barrages and critical strikes all contributing to the experience. (PlayStation.Blog)

And it works.

There is something incredibly satisfying about running into a group of enemies, throwing the first punch and basically deciding that you’re going to solve every problem in the room with violence.

That’s Wolverine.

The game also does an excellent job of making the environment part of the action. Logan isn’t some perfectly controlled martial artist. He’s a tank.

Things break.

Enemies get thrown around.

Walls get damaged.

The entire environment can feel like it’s taking punishment right alongside Logan.

And because Wolverine can heal, the game finds clever ways to make his regenerative abilities part of the gameplay rather than simply treating them as an excuse for him to be invincible.

The Rage system is particularly interesting because Logan’s anger becomes connected to his ability to survive and continue pushing forward.

It’s a very Wolverine idea.

The angrier he gets, the more dangerous he becomes.

The Action Is Absolutely Insane

If there’s one word I’d use to describe the action, it’s relentless.

This isn’t a game where you spend twenty minutes walking around before something interesting happens.

When the action starts, it starts.

One minute you’re investigating something and the next you’re surrounded by enemies, smashing through a facility or fighting for your life.

Some of the game’s larger sequences feel like interactive action movies, and that’s where Insomniac’s experience really shows.

The game features enormous set pieces, vehicle sequences, brutal encounters and boss battles that constantly remind you that you’re controlling one of Marvel’s most dangerous characters.

One early hands-on sequence put Logan against the forces of anti-mutant industrialist Bolivar Trask, while later sections introduced the chaos of Madripoor. (PlayStation.Blog)

And Madripoor might be one of my favorite parts of the entire game.

It’s exactly the kind of place where Wolverine belongs.

It’s dirty.

It’s dangerous.

It’s unpredictable.

And it feels like the perfect playground for Logan.

Sabretooth Is Everything I Wanted

Any Wolverine story needs Sabretooth.

Period.

These two characters are connected in a way that goes far beyond simply being hero and villain. They’re opposites who understand each other because they’re both monsters in their own ways.

Whenever Sabretooth enters the story, there is an immediate sense that things are about to get ugly.

And that’s exactly what I wanted.

Their confrontations aren’t just physical fights. There’s history behind them.

You can feel the hatred.

You can feel the familiarity.

You can feel that these two characters have been through things that neither one can simply forget.

Sabretooth represents the darker side of Logan — the part of Wolverine that Logan is constantly trying to control.

That’s why their relationship works so well.

Jean Grey Brings Another Side of Logan

Jean Grey is another major part of the experience, and I really enjoyed seeing her relationship with Logan explored.

She’s powerful, confident and capable, but more importantly, she gives Logan somebody who can challenge him emotionally.

Jean isn’t simply there to stand around and watch Wolverine fight.

Her telekinetic abilities also allow Insomniac to create some spectacular team-up sequences.

Watching Logan tear into a group of Reavers while Jean uses her powers to control the battlefield is exactly the kind of mutant action I’ve wanted to see in a game.

The two characters complement each other beautifully.

And their relationship adds an emotional dimension to the story.

Logan may spend most of the game punching, stabbing and destroying everything in his path, but Jean reminds us that there is still a person underneath all that rage.

Mystique Adds Another Layer

Then there’s Mystique.

Mystique is one of those Marvel characters who can walk into a scene and immediately make you question what you’re looking at.

You never completely know what her motivations are.

That’s part of the fun.

Her connection to Logan adds another layer of mystery and unpredictability to the story, particularly because Wolverine’s past is such a major part of the narrative.

Insomniac uses characters like Mystique and Sabretooth to make Logan’s journey feel bigger than simply “Wolverine punches bad guys.”

There is a larger conspiracy happening around him, and the supporting cast constantly pulls Logan in different directions.

Team X Is a Great Addition

The inclusion of Team X is another thing I appreciated.

Rather than making the entire game about Logan operating alone, the story gives us glimpses of Wolverine working alongside other characters.

That creates some interesting contrasts.

Logan is a loner, but he’s not necessarily someone who wants to be alone.

That’s an important distinction.

He wants connection, even when he doesn’t know how to handle it.

The game’s story uses that conflict effectively.

The World Feels Different From Spider-Man

One of the smartest decisions Insomniac made was not trying to turn Wolverine into another open-world superhero game.

This isn’t Spider-Man 3: Wolverine Edition.

It’s its own thing.

The developers have specifically talked about how Logan’s world needed to feel more intimate and visceral than Spider-Man’s open-world approach. (PlayStation.Blog)

And I think that’s the right call.

Wolverine doesn’t need to swing around a city completing random activities for hours.

His stories are often about survival, investigation, revenge, memory and violence.

A more focused structure actually works for him.

The journey through places like Madripoor, Canada and Tokyo gives the game variety without losing focus on Logan’s story. (PlayStation.Blog)

The Visuals Are Brutal

Visually, this is one of the most impressive representations of Wolverine we’ve ever seen.

The character models are fantastic.

The environments are detailed.

The lighting is cinematic.

But what really stands out is the damage.

Wolverine gets hurt.

Enemies get hurt.

The environment gets destroyed.

There is a physicality to the combat that makes every punch and claw strike feel heavier.

Insomniac has talked openly about wanting Wolverine to look messier and more destructive than its Spider-Man heroes, and that philosophy is all over the game. (PlayStation.Blog)

The result is a Wolverine who looks like he has actually been through hell.

And that’s exactly how he should look.

This Is Probably the Most Violent Marvel Game I’ve Played

I have to give Insomniac credit for committing to the character.

Wolverine without violence would be like Batman without the darkness.

The game doesn’t try to make Logan squeaky clean.

He’s brutal.

Sometimes extremely brutal.

But the violence also creates one of the game’s biggest thematic questions:

How does someone like Logan become a hero when violence is the first answer his instincts give him?

That’s where the story becomes more interesting.

Because underneath the action is a character trying to decide whether he can become something better.

The Story Gives Logan Something to Fight For

What surprised me most is how much the story focuses on Logan’s emotional journey.

Yes, there are mutants to rescue.

Yes, there are villains to fight.

Yes, there are massive action sequences.

But underneath everything is Logan’s search for answers about his past.

That’s a classic Wolverine story.

The man who can’t remember everything about himself is constantly searching for pieces of the person he used to be.

And every answer creates another question.

That’s what keeps the story moving.

Is It Perfect?

No.

As much as I enjoyed the game, there are moments where the linear structure feels restrictive.

After experiencing Insomniac’s massive Spider-Man games, part of me occasionally wanted more freedom to explore.

I also think some of the supporting characters could have been given even more time.

There are characters I wanted to spend more time with because the game introduces such an interesting collection of Marvel personalities.

And honestly, when the credits rolled, I wasn’t ready for the adventure to be over.

That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give it.

I wanted more.

Final Thoughts

Marvel’s Wolverine is not Marvel’s Spider-Man with claws.

Thank goodness.

Insomniac understood that Wolverine needed his own identity.

The game is darker.

More violent.

More personal.

More focused.

And much more interested in exploring the damaged man underneath the superhero costume.

The combat is the obvious highlight, but the characters are what give the experience its heart.

Logan is fantastic.

Jean Grey adds emotional depth.

Sabretooth brings the rivalry Wolverine fans expect.

Mystique adds mystery.

Team X expands the world.

And the villains give Logan plenty of reasons to unleash the claws.

But ultimately, this is Logan’s story.

It’s about rage.

It’s about memory.

It’s about pain.

It’s about redemption.

And, of course, it’s about stabbing a ridiculous number of bad guys with adamantium claws.

That’s Wolverine.

And after spending so many years imagining what an Insomniac Wolverine game could actually be, I’m happy to say that Marvel’s Wolverine feels like the character finally got the video game treatment he deserved.

There are superheroes who fly.

There are superheroes who swing.

There are superheroes who shoot lasers.

And then there’s Wolverine.

He walks into a room, pops his claws, takes whatever punishment comes his way and keeps moving forward.

SNIKT.

That’s the sound this entire game was waiting to make.

And honestly?

It sounds pretty damn good.

8/10