A review code for Marvel's Wolverine was provided by PlayStation on 9/15 - we've since reached 100% completion and earned the Platinum trophy.
Wolverine has been a long time coming, but was it worth the wait? In short, no, but there's some fun to be had with Insomniac Games' latest Marvel Comics adaptation. For comic book fans, the story takes some big swings, many of which likely won't be appreciated. The game makes huge changes to Logan's origin story, and while they sometimes work in context, the more you think about them, the dumber they get. From a startling, largely unexplained revelation about the mutant's past to a bizarre take on his history with Jean Grey, it's hard to say what Insomniac was going for here.
In fairness, there's room for interpretation with Wolverine's past, and moving away from Weapon X was a bold choice. Unfortunately, a new spin on that familiar story would have been preferable to what we get here. Still, Logan's relationships with Nathaniel Essex, Team X, and Jean prove largely compelling, and the bad is definitely countered with some good. Ultimately, Insomniac's take on the hero risks alienating fans of the character and, at several points, veers so far away from what makes Wolverine who he is that he becomes someone else entirely.
In terms of gameplay, Wolverine fares better in some areas than others. The combat is satisfying at times and feels suitably visceral as you hack and slash your way through Reavers, The Hand, and Sentinels. However, it's also extremely repetitive, boiling down to mashing SQUARE and TRIANGLE again and again...and again...and again. As time passes, the game boils down to short traversal sections that are bookended with fight after fight. There are a few special moves, but combat doesn't require much skill as a player and is far more basic than the Spider-Man games, where you're able to string sequences together to fight in a way that feels wholly unique to you. There's nothing particularly unique about Wolverine.
Boss battles are a drag, as they largely revolve around just parrying moves and running in to frantically hit them with as many moves as possible. You just repeat that process until you're done, meaning they lack variety and ask little of you beyond good timing. Throughout combat, Wolverine is brutalised to a point where his Adamantium skeleton is on full display, and he's splattered in blood. That's somewhat diminished by the same effects being used on rinse and repeat, and a tattered costume miraculously healing itself—there's mention of nano-tech early on—from one scene to the next. It's a small thing, but one that makes what you've just been through feel less impactful.
Wolverine attempts to throw in some variety with "Nightmare Doors," but they're a mixture of easy traversal missions and fighting waves of enemies, so they become more tedious than anything. The game also tasks the player with finding material crates and whiskey bottles, but its linear nature means you're unlikely to miss any of them even on a first playthrough. There are heaps of costumes to unlock, at least, many of which pull from the comics in fun ways.
Even when the story is lacking, the performances shine. Liam McIntyre is excellent as Wolverine, delivering a soulful take on the hero where needed, but also proving himself wholly convincing as a raging berserker. Troy Baker is a delight as the villainous Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister, delivering the type of quality work we've grown used to after seeing him as Joel Miller in The Last of Us. Krizia Bajos is similarly impressive as Jean Grey, while solid turns from Brett Gipson (Sabretooth), Nicole Pacent (Mystique), and Jason Spisak (Bolivar Trask) give the cutscenes a high-quality feel. They're not always working with the best material, but make no mistake about it: Wolverine shines through its cast, and McIntyre proves there's more to Logan than just Hugh Jackman.
Wolverine's biggest issue is that it feels incomplete. Several levels suggest there was once meant to be an open-world feel to the game, but wandering through downtown Tokyo feels surprisingly desolate and more like a PS4 game, given how NPCs react to Logan (well, don't react). There are a lot of glitches, whether it's Wolverine's dance with Jean ruined by NPCs walking straight off a balcony in the background or a late emotional moment between the two that was undermined by a large strand of hair protruding through Jean's head. There are lots of examples of the game feeling sloppy and unfinished, and a six-month delay would have surely helped greatly increase the quality. Insomniac has promised fixes for some glaring issues, but Wolverine is what it is at this point, and what it is is only okay.
Wolverine delivers killer cutscenes and performances, but with basic gameplay and an unfinished feel, Insomniac Games, the team behind the Spider-Man games, is no longer the best at what it does when it comes to Marvel Comics adaptations. ⭐⭐⭐