Marvel's Wolverine Review: Is Insomniac's Bloodiest Game Yet Worth It?
The 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine game still holds a special place in my heart. The game itself was good, not spectacular, but it left a permanent mark on my memory because of its incredible dose of brutality and violence, elements that form the core of Wolverine. Years of films with the excellent Hugh Jackman in the role of Logan have given us a modified, fairly calm version of Wolverine, for whom the most important thing is always being that rebel without a cause. That suits Hollywood and the blockbuster concept, but it's only a small fragment of this character's story.
Wolverine was originally conceived as the resurrected spirit of untamed and harsh Canadian nature, and on top of that, he is a seasoned war veteran whose entire life passes through various waves of violence, whether in countless wars and private conflicts or through traumatic torture that ultimately turns him into a perfect weapon. Whether he wants to or not, Logan is predestined for violence. He spares no one, doesn't bother with compassion toward enemies, and almost never gives up; his mind is a dark place full of rage, brutal instinct, and pain because of a (too) long life without a home or love.
Don't worry, you haven't gotten lost; this is a review of Insomniac's game Marvel's Wolverine. Sometimes we need to go back to the past to understand the present. Insomniac's Wolverine puts far greater emphasis on the brutal titular character, something that isn't merely incidental to the gameplay, but an indispensable element for this wild, hairy fellow.
On the other hand, Logan's relationship with Jean, the only person in his life who is allowed to get close to him, tame him, and calm him, is a perfect counterweight to the overall bloodshed on screen, and it makes this adventure an ideal package that would truly be a shame to miss.
In the mood for something different? Check out our review of A Beast of Reincarnation!
Marvel's Wolverine A Brutally Bloody Beginning
It's practically impossible, right from the very start of the game, not to notice the countless hectoliters of blood spraying from absolutely every part of the screen. Wolverine is an extremely violent game and rightfully comes with an adults-only rating! Wolverine as a character doesn't have a multitude of different abilities, so Insomniac made a maximum effort to extract dozens of different animations of dismembering, tearing, and damaging enemies, which is one of those elements that never gets boring during play, even once you've seen them all.
Blood Test for Dr. J. Logan
Although it sounds bizarre, dismembering and tearing apart enemies is always fun, and it's almost equally fun to watch your character move around missing half his organs, since Logan's body damage model is detailed. The combat itself plays out in a very arcade-like manner, with only a few options and combinations, but that's nothing new for this type of title.
Although some players will be bothered by the lack of deeper combo mechanics, you still have light and heavy moves at your disposal, special abilities you gradually unlock as you play, and a system for countering and punishing enemies who dare to ruin that slicked-back hairstyle of yours! The main special feature of the combat is the slicing, and the excellent power trip you get once you realize you've just wiped the floor with more than 30 unfortunate souls at once.
The variety of enemies in the game could be greater, but since they all start to resemble meatloaf-in-the-making after a while, that's not too big a problem. Logan will encounter various groups of enemies during his adventure that can be sorted into three categories, depending on whether they attack you with blades, firearms, or mutant powers.
During combat, Logan gradually "sees red," which manifests itself in a special rage meter that unlocks special options for individual attacks. Once it reaches the third level and Logan finally snaps, the world loses its colors, and all the player sees is the enemy's heartbeat and a river of blood that will soon burst through the screen.
In that insane state, all your attacks deal increased damage, you recover faster, and you unlock brutal finishing moves that show, in spectacular fashion, how to make a shish kebab without classic equipment. Although you're invincible in principle, you still can't relax, since enemies attack from all sides and constantly pour everything they've got onto you.
This is exactly where the brutal healing mechanic comes into its own, which is essentially a disguised "second chance," but it's hard to describe just how powerful it feels when Logan rises up from the ground with a roar, his recovering body ejecting pieces of arrows or bullets, while the surrounding enemies panic and back away, screaming in fear that they're going to die.
Here I must point out that Wolverine is actually a very ungrateful character for a video game in 2026, because regardless of his popularity and cult status, he has fairly ordinary abilities for a modern video game. I mean, we've played through so many games with characters with superhuman abilities who cut down enemies in some way, and miraculous healing has become so banal that even Nathan Drake pulls it off without any problems, which really isn't fair to our clawed friend.
Grandma, What Big Claws You Have?
Insomniac made an effort to make Wolverine special, so besides highly stylized combat, we also get chase and search sequences, motorcycle riding, and stealth sections. Again, these aren't exactly unprecedented elements, but they nicely round out the segments of hyper-violence.
Given that I've seen the same issue in the Spider-Man games, I'd say Insomniac doesn't like stealth, because here too you have sections designed so that you can quietly take out a few enemies, after which a bang, a crash, and the usual chaos follows.
I mean, I know that "it was probably the wind" is a very strong argument for a soldier in gaming, but come on, brother,
if your buddy is screaming and bleeding all over the place while a wild man in a yellow costume with irresistible sideburns is slicing up his body, you can probably assume you did in fact, see something.
As you're probably aware, Wolverine is not an open-world game but a linear adventure. But that doesn't mean Logan won't dispense justice with his claws across the entire world. From frozen Canada, through the favelas of Madripoor, to neon-lit Tokyo, Logan's story will take you on a dynamic journey that also reveals his gentler side. Despite all his ferocity, beneath all those spikes and fur lies the heart of a good man, and this especially comes to the fore every time Logan comes into contact with Jean.
Although I'm not allowed to reveal anything more about their relationship, I can confirm that it's written quite well and won't leave you indifferent. Besides Jean, Logan will also develop relationships with other iconic characters from the X-Men universe, like Raven and the inevitable Sabretooth, who, here too, fantastically serves as a mirror of everything Logan would be if he gave up his desire for a peaceful life. The story revolves around the eternal war between humans and mutants, but beneath the surface lies something deeper and darker that will certainly delight anyone well-versed in the world of comics.
I particularly liked the slight twist on classic motifs that have already been seen many times and have become somewhat worn out. For example, Logan's past, and amnesia in particular, is still one of the main motifs of his story. However, the reason it was lost this time isn't merely a reflection of torture to create Weapon X…
Twenty Decagrams from the Shoulder Cut
The story of Marvel's Wolverine is written primarily for comic fans, but also for those about to become fans, so the relationships among the important characters are cleverly set up from zero at the start, so even a newcomer can grasp their depth and importance. At the same time, the author drops background clues that those who know why Logan hates birthdays will understand. It's not because of the candles, although it is worth wondering what a cake for a 200-year-old looks like!
To finish the game took me a little more than 16 hours, during which time I completed most of the side challenges in the form of parkour sections or fighting waves of enemies in order to collect points. By playing and completing challenges, you unlock Logan's memories, various costumes, and claws.
You have around 30 costumes at your disposal, but unlike Spider-Man, they are purely cosmetic, though it's still worth collecting them since crafting them increases your health meter.
Marvel's Wolverine Technical Performance: Beautiful but Buggy
Technically, the game looks gorgeous, but it's not without flaws. Above all, I hit several major bugs where enemies got stuck in a wall and I couldn't continue, or I fell through the floor; a few times I also got stuck between those stupid walls. Fortunately, the game loads positions incredibly fast, and it also saves constantly, so those few reloads weren't much of a problem.
As usual, the game comes with Fidelity and Performance modes, and I must admit that all that abundant blood, as beautiful as it is (I know it sounds strange!), sometimes dampens performance. Insomniac has warned us about this and emphasized that they are aware of the problem, so it's to be expected that it will be fixed by the game's launch.
In Conclusion
In a way, Wolverine is the spiritual successor to Origins, and if you look at it that way, it's very clear what Insomniac wanted to achieve with this game. I understand some players will be disappointed by the linearity, but I firmly believe not every game needs to be open-world, and for characters like Wolverine, that doesn't even make sense.
Wolverine is conceived like a crazy rail-mounted attraction, with a clearly defined beginning, climax, and end, without the possibility of slowing down and with a false sense of unlimited freedom, which is more than enough for one excellent game about an untamed, noble savage who "dances" with wolves.
Rating
8.7/10 — The review praises Wolverine's brutal, detailed combat, strong emotional core (Logan/Jean relationship), and confident linear design, while docking points for repetitive enemy variety, shallow combo depth, and notable technical bugs/performance dips from the heavy gore effects.
Recommended Age
Not recommended for anyone under 18 (strictly M/AO territory). The review flags the game as adults-only due to constant dismemberment, blood-spray effects, and graphic finishing moves—this isn't stylized cartoon violence, but sustained, close-up gore. Parents should treat it like a hard-R horror film and keep it away from teens, let alone younger kids.
Gemini AI Summary
Marvel's Wolverine is Insomniac's brutally violent, linear PS5 action game built entirely around Logan's dismemberment-heavy combat and his complicated tenderness toward Jean Grey. The reviewer calls it a spiritual successor to 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, praising its gore-drenched combat system, rage-meter "berserker" mode, and well-written relationships with X-Men characters like Sabretooth and Raven, while criticizing repetitive enemy types, shallow combos, and technical bugs (wall-clipping, floor-falling, gore-related frame drops). Taking around 16+ hours to complete with side content, the game earns praise for its confident, focused linear design rather than being penalized for lacking an open world. It carries an adults-only rating due to sustained graphic violence.