Yes, the initial gameplay trailer highlighted the sheer brutality that Wolverine is capable of. But this was on another level, especially when it came to the realistic damage that Logan could take. Fortunately, ever since the “inception of the project,” Insomniac never wavered.

“We knew that the number one most important thing was to bring the Wolverine fantasy to life. Not just that, but make it the ultimate Wolverine fantasy,” said game director Mike Daly to IGN. “And when you look at the aspects of the character and all the stories he’s been through in his history, it was clear that violence was a key part of that. So that was never really in question, and it was kind of baked into how we made decisions from the very beginning. So we knew that we were going to have to bring that out in gameplay, put it in your hands as a player, make it a part of the story.

“But at the same time, Insomniac Games, we want to have a grounded world with believable things that happen. So we didn’t want to go over the top. We really wanted to hit the bullseye on what is the best representation of Wolverine, what delivers fan expectations, and what’s going to keep the claw combat action satisfying over the whole course of the playthrough.”

The result is an “unapologetically violent” experience. “We knew it would have to accomplish that in order to accomplish our ultimate mission. And because of that, the gameplay retains satisfaction.”

For those who feel that it’s too much – and undoubtedly to appear to a wider audience – there will be an option to turn off the gore. “Now all that being said, we know that it’s not for everyone. And because we knew this was going to be a big part of the game from the beginning, we also implemented an accessibility feature to turn off gore. It’s clearly integrated into the game in a lot of different ways, and so it’s a nuanced feature that is very selective about what we show, what we censor, turning off blood and things like that, just in order to make it more palatable to people who don’t really want to have that part of the experience.”

Launching on September 15th, Marvel’s Wolverine is certainly an interesting take on the classic anti-hero. Though it’s an all-new story, it actually picks up three years after Logan left his team, as he scours the globe, saving mutants from the Reavers.

Along the way, he fights alongside the likes of Jean Grey and, surprisingly, Sabretooth, his on-again, off-again nemesis from the comics. Rather than battling Wolverine, he’ll actually help out in a “competitive” manner, potentially stealing kills and bantering back and forth. Daly teased other allies to team with, but we’ll have to wait to find out.

“We want to show you more of the game first.”

Granted, Marvel’s Wolverine is already confirmed to launch on September 15th for PS5, thus avoiding the juggernaut that is Grand Theft Auto 6 in November. While the pricing remains to be announced, it’s unlikely that Insomniac will deviate from the usual $69.99.

However, one reason that it hasn’t opened pre-orders could be due to the Deluxe Edition. Perhaps there are some exclusive costumes for Wolverine that it wants to reveal while at the same time promising plenty to earn in-game. There may also be other gameplay-related benefits that the studio has yet to explain.

Either way, assuming Housemarque’s Saros gets a dedicated State of Play next month ahead of its launch on April 30th, Insomniac may reveal more of Marvel’s Wolverine in May. It also wouldn’t be surprising if it just dropped a new gameplay trailer in June at the Summer Game Fest showcase and then opened pre-orders. Stay tuned for updates, and head here to learn about how long actor Liam J McIntyre has been involved.

Actor Liam J McIntyre, who voices James “Logan” Howlett, tweeted that he had been “working on this for almost as long as my son has been alive. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time…not long now!!!” That’s a fairly long time, but keep in mind that it only measures Howlett’s involvement. The process of conceptualizing and pre-production may date back even further back.

It’s interesting to put into perspective, because it would mean that Insomniac has had plans for Marvel’s Wolverine while working on Ratchet and Clank and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Of course, based on that unfortunate leak from 2023, we know that the studio has even more projects in the works, so it may not be that surprising.

Regardless, Marvel’s Wolverine has been looking very exciting, especially after its first gameplay reveal. As an original story, it focuses on Logan as he journeys across locations like Madripoor and Tokyo to recover his lost memories. Foes like the Reavers and Sentinels steam forth to stop him, and he dons the signature yellow garb to slice and dice.

Despite missing the latest State of Play, Insomniac will reveal even more details this Spring, so stay tuned.

As an original story, the action-adventure title follows James “Logan” Howlett on a quest to recover his memories. However, several key factions and individuals don’t want that, including the Reavers, Sentinels, and long-time foes such as Omega Red. Of course, you also have the shape-shifting Mystique, who seemingly has her own motivations.

Unlike Insomniac’s Spider-Man series, Marvel’s Wolverine appears to be a more linear affair. It’s also far bloodier with players ripping through enemies with his Adamantium Claws, whether it’s separating limb from limb or outright stabbing them in the face. Logan’s adventures will see him venture through Madripoor, Tokyo and Canada to reclaim his memories.

Of course, there’s still a lot we don’t know, but fortunately, Insomniac Games will reveal more this Spring. A dedicated State of Play seems about right, so stay tuned for more details.

Marvel’s Wolverine will launch exclusively on PS5 this Fall and features PS5 Pro support. It’s one of two major first-party single-player games from PlayStation this year, the other being Housemarque’s Saros, which launches on April 30th. Check out the latest gameplay trailer for the latter here.