Senses and Shadows: Flashes of Potential
Despite these criticisms, there are moments where Insomniac’s creative spark shines through, suggesting a more ambitious game lying just beneath the surface. The implementation of Logan’s mutant senses is a standout feature, particularly in how it utilizes the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller. Using the touchpad to "feel" your way around a wall to locate a hidden room or using scent tracking to uncover keypad codes adds a tactile, character-specific layer to the gameplay.
There are also glimpses of more open-ended design. A sequence in a nightclub where overhearing stray conversations can lead to multiple ways of disrupting the scene is a fantastic idea, even if the ultimate outcome feels somewhat pre-destined. Similarly, when Logan reaches the rooftops of Lowtown in Madripoor, the game briefly offers a sense of scale and verticality that is exhilarating. For a few minutes, the leash is loosened, and players are free to poke around the environment, find collectibles, and soak in the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, these moments are often short-lived. Move too far in the wrong direction, and the game firmly resets the player, sometimes requiring a checkpoint reload if the logic breaks. It is in these moments—the senses, the Madripoor rooftops, the environmental puzzles—that one can see the game Wolverine could have been if it had been allowed to push further into its more experimental ideas.
Verdict: A Story Worth Finishing
Marvel’s Wolverine is a solid, frequently spectacular brawler that tells one of the best Logan stories in recent memory. The character work, particularly the dynamics between Logan, Jean, Mystique, and Sabretooth, prevents the narrative from becoming a repetitive cycle of anger and memory loss. It is a game with real emotional weight and visual conviction.
However, it is also a game that plays it remarkably safe. For a character defined by his unpredictability and his tendency to do things "his own way," the rigid structure and defensive combat loop feel at odds with the protagonist’s identity. There is a great Wolverine game hidden within these 14 hours, visible in the way Logan dismantles a room or the way the DualSense hums as he tracks a scent. While the spectacle is enough to carry the experience to the credits, one can’t help but wish the gameplay had the same sharp, uncompromising edge as the character’s claws.
In the end, Marvel’s Wolverine is a journey worth taking for the story and the visual craft, but it remains a reminder that style, no matter how polished, cannot entirely replace the need for mechanical substance.
