Marvel's Wolverine Review – Relentless Momentum

Reviewed on:
PlayStation 5

Platform:
PlayStation 5

Publisher:
Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer:
Insomniac Games

Rating:
Mature

Wolverine memorably and repeatedly quips in the comics about being the best there is at what he does, and I imagine Insomniac may have tried to take that directive to heart in crafting what aims to be the definitive experience of the character. Following in the wake of the successful Spider-Man games, Insomniac’s Wolverine nails one very specific thing with near perfection: the brutal efficiency of the lead character’s destructive ferocity. The high speed, brutal slashing, and unstoppable force of Wolverine are captured better than any film or game to come before, and that alone could be reason enough to embark on this adventure with him. If the accompanying story sometimes stumbles or the driving linearity doesn’t always land, you can still have confidence that the fights along the way will not disappoint.

Marvel’s Wolverine Video Review:

As one of many fictional variations on the X-Men mythology, this latest take is an especially bleak one, defined (at least so far) by the notable absence of Professor Xavier and Magneto. Without their influence, Insomniac can play more freely with the relationships and world dynamics that shape Logan’s life. Moment-to-moment interactions between characters are excellent, thanks to an impressive voice cast that doesn’t flinch from the high intensity and feral encounters that push the plot forward. At several points, the game slows down to allow for character development, but these more languid moments don’t always work, since virtually everything about them is on rails, with little to no choice in how to progress.

The bigger storytelling problem emerges in the second half of the game, as we begin to get hints and sequences about where the story is going next. Even as a lifelong fan of these characters, some of these later moments left me scratching my head, trying to understand what was actually happening, or the implications around Wolverine’s mysterious past. For someone relatively new to Logan’s convoluted backstory, I fear it might be even more impenetrable. At times, the game feels more interested in teasing where Insomniac wants to go next than in delivering a complete, satisfying resolution to this game’s key relational arcs.

In all honesty, you may simply not care much about all that, so eager are you to get back to the fight. From one encounter to the next, the extremely M-rated battles that ensue are deeply satisfying and smartly balanced. Logan’s varied attacks, dodges, and parries feed into a momentum-based loop to power his healing and rage, encouraging a relentless and fast-paced approach to every exchange. Additional attacks and abilities unlock gradually and add to the arsenal, consistently supplying more ways to steamroll basic enemies and help you survive the bigger and more nuanced fights. And, without spoiling it for the longtime fans, it’s enough to say that if you’ve been crossing your fingers to see a boss fight between Wolverine and a particular foe, there’s a good chance this game has you covered with an intense and memorable showdown.

Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t wear out its welcome. The linear adventure hits its conclusion before you might tire of the ferocious melees. Several secondary challenge stages (including some difficult wave-based gauntlets) give players some targets to prove their mastery. A New Game + lets you ramp up the difficulty, replay favorite battles, and lose yourself in the flurry of claws, but that’s mostly gravy on top rather than a motivation for extensive replayability. Spider-Man and Wolverine are very different characters who deserve different interactive treatments, but any illusions that you might have of the open-world exploration Insomniac delivered in that first hero’s adventures are best left at the door.

Insomniac’s latest action opus is beautiful to look at and listen to, and it plays like a dream. Whether you’re a fan of the wily mutant lead or you simply gravitate to taut, tightly animated combat like what you’d find in God of War or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Wolverine is an intense and unrelenting ride. It may not hit a lot of notes, but like Logan himself, it nails the vitals where it counts.