Insomniac’s next great superhero power fantasy is nearly upon us, but instead of swinging gracefully between skyscrapers we’re lacerating faces, taking bullets, and waiting to heal. From stalking enemies through the shadows to ripping them open with adamantium claws, Marvel’s Wolverine promises an action game unlike anything the Spider-Man studio has attempted before. The trailers already show that Logan isn’t pulling his punches. The game, clearly, leans into his ferocity, but there’s more at play than simply making a bloody mess. Here’s ten things I can’t wait to do in Marvel’s Wolverine.
Master Wolverine’s Ferocious Claw Combat
Let’s start with the obvious: I can’t wait to learn how Wolverine actually feels to control. Insomniac describes the game’s combat as fast and fluid, and the footage so far shows something considerably heavier, physical, and decidedly more visceral than the acrobatic fighting style of your friendly neighbourhood spider. In other words: Logan doesn’t dance around his opponents – he gets close and rips them apart. Yet, while it’s unmistakably exciting to rapidly close distances, parry strikes, and chain claw attacks, beneath the aggression is a need for balance. See, Wolverine can absorb punishment, but the game doesn’t make you invulnerable. The key, it seems, is to manage his combativeness. To embody his character, I’ll need to blur the line between ferocity and control.
Build Logan Around Different Techniques
Wolverine’s combat isn’t just about mashing through a fixed set of claw attacks, either. Special moves dubbed Techniques suggest there’s room to mould Logan around the way I want to play. And this excites me because Logan’s animalistic abilities – which we’ll get into later – lend themselves to different approaches. Can I build him around relentless aggression and area of effect damage, or can I set him up to prioritise ambushing and healing? Of the Techniques we know about – the Tornado Spin and Bull Rush – there appears to be a suite of combinations to master beyond his basic moveset.
Stalk Enemies Before the Claws Come Out
We see it at the start of the extended gameplay trailer – he sniffs out his target, crouches, and surveys the route ahead. See, here is where Marvel’s Wolverine can feel different. You don’t always need to charge straight into a fight. Logan can stalk his enemies before engaging them, using his heightened senses, soft steps, and positioning to launch ambushes on unsuspecting foe. This, for me, creates an enticing alternative to the usual superhero power fantasy. Instead of being purely an unstoppable force that heedlessly barges through opponents, Wolverine becomes a predator waiting in the darkness. Even though gameplay shows Logan scything through Reavers at breakneck speed, his abilities suggest quietly thinning out their numbers is also viable – before the inevitable bloodbath, that is.
Push Logan’s Rage All the Way to Tier 3
I just alluded to it: the possibility of pushing Logan to maximum offence or focusing on his survivability seem like very real choices you’ll need to make during fights. Well, the game’s Rage system could well be how you balance the risk-versus-reward in each of those strategies. After all, Rage builds through successfully landing blows, parries, and kills – both attacking and defensive moves – with a meter that can be spent on more powerful attacks or healing. However, there’s an incentive to build it to its limit: reaching tier 3 unleashes a stylised monochromatic burst inspired by Marvel’s iconic Black, White, & Blood comics. It looks incredibly satisfying to pull off, so I expect to be holding onto Rage for as long as possible, pushing Logan toward his most devastating state.
Recover From Certain Defeat Using the Healing Factor
Wolverine’s Healing Factor is one of his defining abilities, so naturally I can’t wait to see how Insomniac distinguishes how it feels to use compared to a conventional health bar. See, when Logan is battered, on his knees, and staring down the barrel of defeat, Last Stand allows his Healing Factor to come back stronger. As the name implies, Last Stand is Logan’s final defence, but throughout gameplay footage we see his body getting visibly eviscerated before regenerating. This makes him a compelling combatant, not just because he can heal but because he can keep brawling throughout battles whilst becoming progressively more wounded.
Pull Off Critical Strikes With Jean Grey
Wolverine is, of course, the star of the show, but he doesn’t always fight alone. Jean Grey shares his mission, and she brawls alongside him with her telekinetic abilities to create openings for Critical Strikes – that is, devastating finishing moves. Now, Logan can execute these solo, but they’re much more awestriking when unleashed in tandem with a companion. Wolverine and Jean battle in completely different ways. One gets up close, while the other controls the battlefield from distance, making their coalition much more interesting than simply giving Logan sole control over Critical Strikes’ extra firepower. Alongside Jean, and perhaps other accompanying characters, I’m eager to see how superhero abilities different to Wolverine’s will complement his relentless violence.
Destroy a Reaver Convoy From the Back of a Motorcycle
Now, this is a set piece showcased with aplomb in the extended gameplay trailer. Insomniac shows us Wolverine chasing a Reaver convoy on a motorcycle, with Logan strafing between heavy vehicles, slashing tyres, and throwing enemies onto the road. It’s gloriously excessive, seamlessly blending cinematics with gameplay. And while Insomniac has already demonstrated an ability to craft these kinds of spectacular sequences, Marvel’s Wolverine looks decidedly more hands-on, even if there are moments when your eyeballs are just absorbing the action. If the entire experience harbours this level of spectacle, then Marvel’s Wolverine will surpass the foundation laid by the studio’s Spider-Man games.
Tear Through Enemies That Demand Different Approaches
Through the range of different enemy factions Wolverine will face, I think there’s a high chance that his enemies will demand different approaches. See, the Reavers have advanced weaponry and cybernetic enhancements, while the Hand provides a personal connection to Logan. Trask’s forces introduce dangerous robotic opponents, too. There’s variety here, so let’s hope Insomniac uses this to give us plenty of opportunities to change how we approach encounters. Some may fight in groups, others might specialise in ranged attacks. If so, I’ll be rethinking my Techniques, positioning, and aggression to tear through anyone who stands in Logan’s way.
Test Logan Against His Most Dangerous Rivals
In Marvel’s Wolverine, Omega Red has been confirmed as an enemy, while Deathstrike appears as one of the game’s major villains. Sabretooth, arguably Logan’s most famous adversary, appears in official gameplay footage. This mix of iconic opponents is an enticing prospect, as they aren’t merely more powerful enemies to fight but characters tied to Wolverine’s complicated history. Their confrontations have the potential to carry more emotional weight than standard encounters, whether they function as boss battles or not.
Take Wolverine Across Canada, Tokyo, and Madripoor
Finally, rather than stretching Logan across a conventional open world, Insomniac has opted to curate a focused single-player adventure through a diverse range of locations, including the Canadian wilderness, Tokyo, and Madripoor. This structure alone could give Insomniac license to make each environment feel designed around Wolverine’s abilities. Canada’s expanse can emphasise stalking, for instance, while Tokyo’s narrow streets could provide elevation tight enough to execute countless aerial attacks. Madripoor, of course, offers the grimy underworld that is so closely associated with Logan’s backstory. If Insomniac nails the variety, then each location could become an integral part of the story, not just a backdrop for brutal killing.
