Marvel’s Wolverine Final Preview - Surely The Best It Is At What It Does

Ignore The Haters, Marvel’s Wolverine Is Shaping Up To Be Exactly What It Should Be Published Aug 20, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT George is the Lead News Editor for TheGamer, and has been working in the industry since 2021 after graduating from the University of South Wales with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. He has also previously written for RPG Site, WhatCulture, and PlayStation Lifestyle. George is an expert on platformers, action games, and fighters, but tends to play as many releases as possible. This hands-on experience lets him dive into gaming communities and follow the latest trends. Some of the games George has extensively covered first-hand include Dead Rising, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Ninja Gaiden 4. Going into a recent preview of Marvel’s Wolverine at PlayStation’s office in London, I couldn’t help but think about the sudden and ferocious online hate campaign trying to rip its Admantium skeleton apart. Wolverine was previously one of the most anticipated games in the PS5 line-up, with everyone in agreement that Insomniac getting to tackle a more mature character and give him the same triple-A treatment as Spidey was sure to be a slam dunk. That enthusiasm has been a lot harder to find lately if you’re as chronically online as me. Insomniac is no stranger to being put under the microscope by a hardcore fanbase, but the sudden backlash to Wolverine has been on another level. Complaints are running wild about suit regeneration, linearity, boss design, Logan’s characterisation, and pretty much every part of the game to a frankly forced degree. None of that hate had dampened my own excitement in the first place, but I’m very happy to say that just a few hours with Wolverine’s satisfyingly brutal combat and surprisingly emotional take on Logan were more than enough to prove that almost all of the backlash is unwarranted. Ignore the haters, because Insomniac is on to another winner here. It's A Cliche But Wolverine Makes You Feel Like Wolverine With Its Brutal Combat My preview kicked off right at the start of the game, with Wolverine, Sabretooth, and Mystique setting out to rescue Team X’s leader Nathaniel Essex in Talenbang. Much to the chagrin of Sabretooth, Logan had previously left Team X behind to go and live his own life, and only returns to the team to honour how Essex saved him from a savage life many years prior. It didn’t take long for Wolverine’s take on Logan and the other X-Men adjacent characters to grab me. Mystique is an absolute badass, and Sabretooth has the perfect level of angst, but Liam McIntyre’s more emotional and human take on Logan is the show-stealer so far. Everyone’s favourite bub is portrayed with more nuance here than most adaptations, and isn’t just flying off the handle and angrily tearing people to pieces. Of course, that’s not to say Wolverine is a pacifist, as I quickly found out as soon as I snikt’d my claws for the first time. Wolverine’s combat is incredibly fast-paced and brutal, with Logan slashing bad guys like a hot knife through butter. He fights with a mixture of light attacks, combo enders, a powerful kick, special abilities like the tornado claw, and a stand-out leap move that’s basically this game’s version of Spider-Man’s web zip. It’s also very reminiscent of X-Men Origins Wolverine’s signature lunge, which is nice to see. Wolverine’s combat doesn’t have as much free-flow creativity as Spider-Man’s mix of gadgets and web-slinging, but it makes up for it with pure satisfaction as you mow down enemies with ease. Logan’s rage also plays a big role in combat, as it builds up as you kill enemies, keeping your grisly healing factor ticking and eventually unlocking an insta-kill state with some vicious finishing moves. I was a little worried about combat getting repetitive with Logan’s more laser-focused claw action, but the wide variety of special moves and upgrades (as well as Adaptations that offer passive buffs) will hopefully keep things fresh for the whole game. Occasional stealth sections help break up the action too and, while they’re not groundbreaking, it is incredibly cathartic to hunt enemies down and lunge at them from the shadows. The first section of Wolverine also put to rest the notion that it’ll be entirely linear, as one section in an open training facility gave me more freedom with a choice between combat and stealth. I'm Already Hooked On Wolverine's More Personal Story After finding and rescuing Nathaniel, my preview jumped ahead to a little later on in the game near the end of its first act, with Logan and Team X now in Madripoor with a growing team of mutants. Given how breakneck the first section of the demo was (including an epic, if a little formulaic, battle against a Sentinel), it was a welcome surprise to take a breather and play through a slower section of the game as Logan recouped in the Princess Bar. This section also gave me access to a bunch of costumes, including Deadpool & Wolverine’s suit, the Weapon X fit, and the classic tank top. You can even mix and match with a range of unique claws. It’s here where the most interesting part of Wolverine’s story was introduced - Logan’s relationship with Jean Grey. Even with just one brief scene of the two having a deep conversation on a balcony, it’s clear that Insomniac has nailed their dynamic and given them a ton of chemistry and depth that I can’t wait to see play out in the final game. The rest of the preview dove right back into the action as Logan faced off against the Hand and chased them through the city of Madripoor. You’ve likely seen this part of the game getting roasted online for being too linear and, while it certainly is that as a purposeful setpiece moment, there’s a bit of freedom with which path you follow and how you choose to get around. I was already sold on the combat, but going hands-on with more of Logan’s moveset and facing off against more challenging enemies only cemented how perfectly Insomniac has captured Wolverine’s specific vibe. It’s a cliché, but you really do feel like Wolverine as you mercilessly lop off limbs and give in to your rage. My preview sadly ended as The Hand escaped Logan’s wrath on a speedboat, but my all-too-brief time with Wolverine has me more excited than ever for the final game. In just two hours, almost every complaint making the rounds online right now was put to rest by the ruthless combat, breakneck pace, and compelling characters. Rest easy, Wolverine fans, because Insomniac has delivered yet again. Marvel's Wolverine Systems Released September 15, 2026 ESRB Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases Developer(s) Insomniac Games Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment Franchise Marvel Genre(s) Action, Adventure