{"id":6847,"date":"2026-09-10T21:59:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T21:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=6847"},"modified":"2026-09-10T21:59:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T21:59:46","slug":"wolverine-review-ps5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=6847","title":{"rendered":"Wolverine review: a simpler kind of PS5 action game"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Marvel\u2019s Wolverine<\/em> captures just how angry its lead character is. The latest PS5 exclusive from Spider-Man<\/em> developer Insomniac<\/a>, Wolverine<\/em> is a straightforward action game that is at its best when you\u2019re (literally) slicing through enemies or thrust into a sequence pulled from a blockbuster movie, like climbing the fuselage of a plane as it careens toward land or racing a motorcycle across rain-slicked city streets. It\u2019s the kind of game that can really get your heart rate rising, and keeping Logan mad is a key part of the strategy. In many ways, it\u2019s a throwback to straightforward action titles of the past \u2014 and it\u2019s a refreshing change of pace in a medium saturated with live-service and open-world games.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Though it comes from Insomniac, Wolverine<\/em> is very different from Spider-Man<\/em>, which thrust the web-slinger into an open-world version of New York City. Instead, this is a much more linear experience that feels like a combination of two other PlayStation staples: God of War<\/em> and Uncharted<\/em>. Rather than follow Wolverine as a member of the X-Men, the story instead has him as an often reluctant member of Team X, a mercenary group with similar pro-mutant aims but a much more violent approach. Instead of heroes like Cyclops and Professor X, Wolvy is joined by more villain-adjacent characters like Sabretooth, Mystique, and Nathaniel Essex, before eventually connecting with Jean Grey. The story pulls Logan and his companions across the globe, but it starts out relatively simple, as they investigate a rash of mutant disappearances connected to a billionaire arms dealer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The most important thing about both Wolverine the character and Wolverine<\/em> the game is fighting. This is a hairy little dude who loves to scrap, and his mutant powers \u2014 healing and sharp claws \u2014 make it so that he is very good at it, able to both take a huge amount of damage and dish it out. And the best part of the game is how Wolverine-specific the action is. The combat is fast and violent and forces you to be aggressive. Wolverine can leap huge distances to take out foes and use his claws to both repel attacks and slice at enemies, often with very gruesome results. (At the end of a battle he\u2019s usually coated in blood.) An important part of this is Wolverine\u2019s rage level, which increases the more you fight. As his rage grows, it allows you to do two things: go absolutely berserk and kill a rash of enemies with a single blow, and use your healing power as a sort of extra life in case your health depletes. It\u2019s a clever system that means you can\u2019t sit back and play it safe. Wolverine isn\u2019t chill, and you can\u2019t be either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That\u2019s the God of War<\/em> side of Wolverine<\/em>. The Uncharted<\/em> side comes in the form of all of the over-the-top set-pieces you\u2019re thrown into. I\u2019ll refrain from detailing some of the best ones for spoiler reasons, but I\u2019ll say that, just like in Uncharted<\/em>, these moments make it feel like you\u2019re playing out a wild sequence from an action movie. There are chases across the rooftops of Tokyo, massive boss battles against some iconic comic book villains, and scenes where Wolverine is literally being ripped apart as he fights for survival.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The flip side is that, because of this setup, Wolverine<\/em> is also much more restrictive than most of its contemporaries. In some ways this is a good thing; it\u2019s refreshing to play a game that isn\u2019t trying to do everything<\/em>. But there are still some awkward elements. For instance, much like in Spider-Man<\/em>, there are lots of collectibles that will reveal new bits of story or unlock new suits for Wolverine to wear. But exploration outside of the main path is extremely dull, so the only reason to track these down is if you have a completionist mindset. It\u2019s also disappointing that Wolverine\u2019s closet of outfits is much less fun than Spider-Man\u2019s<\/a>, and they often feel out of place with the game\u2019s attempt at a more gritty tone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Making matters worse is that, despite a promising start, the story ends up in a largely forgettable place, with few surprises, particularly if you have an even slight knowledge of the X-Men universe from comics or the animated series. Outside of combat and set-pieces, Wolverine<\/em> skews generic AAA game; the voice acting, the cutscenes, and even some of the missions feel like standard video game fare, many of which seem out of place. Wolverine<\/em> is amazing when you\u2019re surrounded by ninjas trying to kill you. But when Logan is in a tux trying to spy on a fancy party? Not so much.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All that said, Wolverine<\/em>\u2019s return to a simpler and smaller style of action \u2014 I beat the game in around 13 hours \u2014 is still notable, particularly from Sony, which has had a rough few years after placing many ill-fated bets in the live-service space<\/a>. But much like last year\u2019s Ghost of Y\u014dtei<\/em><\/a>, Wolverine<\/em> shows that PlayStation is still capable of the single-player blockbusters the platform is best known for. It\u2019s also launching at perhaps the busiest video game release period in recent memory, going up against major titles including Onimusha: Way of the Sword<\/em>, Control Resonant<\/em>, Fire Emblem: Fortune\u2019s Weave<\/em>, Gears of War: E-Day<\/em>, Silent Hill: Townfall<\/em>, Star Wars: Zero Company<\/em>, and, soon enough, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time<\/em> and Grand Theft Auto VI<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In that company, despite occasionally skewing generic, Wolverine<\/em>\u2019s bloodthirsty focus on action is something that makes it stand out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Marvel\u2019s Wolverine launches on September 15th on the PS5<\/em>.<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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