Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to take Marvel’s Wolverine for a spin in Toronto ahead of the game’s September 15 launch. As a huge fan of the X-Men and, as such, Logan himself, I’ve been awaiting this one with bated breath since its original announcement. I got to play just under two hours of the upcoming game for myself (and record a snazzy interview that we’ll be dropping before the game’s launch), and I came away from it champing at the bit for more.
I primarily got to experience three segments from throughout the game – an action and stealth-based section from the beginning, a bombastic boss fight from later on, and a (briefly) more subdued part set in Madripoor. Each showcased different aspects of the game, along with story elements and Easter eggs that comic fans will certainly dig. I’m not going to delve too deeply into the story, as I feel that’s the most exciting part of experiencing a new take on a beloved character, so no need to worry about major spoilers here.
That first part of the Marvel’s Wolverine demo follows Logan and Team X on a mission to save Nathaniel Essex – a name that is likely familiar to some as that of Mister Sinister. There’s a cool moment at the start that gives Essex a bit of a fake-out moment as he first meets Wolverine, though I think it’s more fun if you experience it for yourself. It’s neat to see Logan work on this tactical team that essentially does mutant-related wetwork, as this is a period of his history that doesn’t come up as often in games and other adaptations. Plus, mutants are barely known about in Insomniac’s universe, so we’re also getting to see how they’re treated as they come to be more prominent.
The game certainly doesn’t hold back on how violent these missions (and Logan himself) would realistically be. Though you can choose to stalk your foes in some sections (and it was satisfying to do), the real character-suited joy comes from decimating hordes of creeps as violently as possible. Every attack is intense and satisfying, as Logan’s claws make for an especially bloody combat experience. The combo finishers are especially gruesome in the coolest way, though there’s also a “limited gore” option for those who want to play the game but aren’t thrilled at the prospect of seeing gallons of blood in the game. There’s a smoothness to the combat that I dug a lot, as it makes Logan come off as a true killing machine.
In the same way that 2017’s Logan finally showed us what a violent and mature Wolverine movie would be like, Marvel’s Wolverine feels like the first time in ages (likely since the 2009 game based on X-Men Origins: Wolverine) where you’re able to experience how truly violent Logan’s life is. Somehow, though, it doesn’t feel extraneous. When Sabertooth is fighting enemies with you, the joy he takes in the violence fully sells how unsettling and psychotic he is, whilst Logan’s angrier and, at times, reluctant vibes keep him from feeling like some sort of unredeemable monster. It helps that the enemies are all Reavers, Hand ninjas, and other pretty nasty individuals, so there’s not a lot of guilt involved in turning Logan’s enemies into red stains.
Marvel’s Wolverine lets you take on one of the most iconic X-Men enemies — a Sentinel.
I also got to take on a massive Sentinel prototype, which served as a pretty challenging boss fight. Taking on such a massive threat alongside the rest of Team X – Sabertooth and Mystique – felt totally different than the one-on-one violence, and featured both an impressive sense of scale and a more bombastic sort of action. Sabertooth and Wolverine even pulled off a pseudo-Fastball Special, which was a nice little Easter egg. The final part of the demo took me to the neon-lit city of Madripoor, where I got to interact with Team X and, eventually, pursue some Hand ninja.
Credit: PlayStation
The most intriguing part of this section, though, was the “Memory Doors.” Using what seemed to be Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart-esque seamless dimension-hopping, you’re able to enter mysterious doors that take Logan to otherworldly trials. Through taking part in these trials, you’re able to learn more about his origins as you decipher his foggy memories – a key part of his character. This integration of optional backstory and more challenging trial sections feels like a perfect version of the more exploration-focused trials from the Marvel’s Spider-Man games, and perfectly suits Marvel’s Wolverine while giving the more linear action title some extra meat.
It might sound like a goofy thing for me to focus on for a point, but I really love that Wolverine himself is comic-accurate height (roughly 5 ‘3). I noticed in one cutscene that he was roughly half the size of Sabertooth, which makes his “runt” nickname from Creed fit perfectly while also restoring that scrappiness Logan is known for in the comics. This is just one of many little details that impressed me in terms of properly adapting the source material, with the many costumes I got to see standing out as some of my favorites. I think it’ll be more enjoyable for players to discover which suits are in Marvel’s Wolverine for themselves, but I’ll say that all sorts of comic looks (both obscure and iconic) as well as suits from adaptations are on the table.
I am absolutely stoked to play through Marvel’s Wolverine, as the demo portions that I played have me feeling that Insomniac Games has once again nailed the very essence of a superhero through a video game. You can expect our review to go live on September 10, along with a plethora of features in the following weeks.
