Insomniac Games, which has established itself as one of the flagship developers for the PlayStation platform through the Marvel's Spider-Man series, is back with a new Marvel hero. That hero is 'Marvel's Wolverine'.

First revealed during State of Play in September 2025, 'Marvel's Wolverine' immediately captured the attention of gamers worldwide. Part of this was due to being the new work from Insomniac Games, the developer behind the reliably excellent Marvel's Spider-Man series, but it quickly emerged as a highly anticipated title by showcasing intense action and direction with Wolverine literally tearing enemies apart. Since then, anticipation has grown with every new detail released about the game.

After a long development, 'Marvel's Wolverine' is set for official release on September 15. Can 'Marvel's Wolverine' carry on the legacy of its predecessor, 'Marvel's Spider-Man'? I had the chance to play 'Marvel's Wolverine' hands-on for about two hours at a recent preview event. Although I could experience only a fraction of the game in that limited time, one thing was clear: it faithfully delivers the violence- and gore-filled Wolverine that gamers have been hoping for.

Before the X-Men, There Was Team X

One unique aspect regarding the characters and story is Wolverine's (Logan's) background. Typically, Wolverine is known as an iconic X-Men character and appears as an active or former member of the X-Men in most adaptations. However, 'Marvel's Wolverine' tackles a story slightly different from that traditional setup, as it deals with Wolverine during his days operating in Team X, prior to the formation of the X-Men.

That said, this does not mean 'Marvel's Wolverine' is an origin story. Much like Spider-Man in the studio's previous title, Wolverine is portrayed as a seasoned mutant who has crossed the line between life and death dozens, if not hundreds, of times. While he sometimes clashes with comrades and appears weary of human relationships, those are merely Logan's personal struggles. As Wolverine, he serves as a core asset and dedicated member of Team X seeking to protect mutants across the globe.

Since this isn't the X-Men, the lineup of companions is also different. Sabretooth and Mystique, who typically appear as villains opposing the X-Men and Wolverine in most media, appear as dependable allies in 'Marvel's Wolverine'. Sabretooth snarls at Wolverine every time they meet, but is nonetheless portrayed as sharing a degree of camaraderie with him, while Mystique shares a bond that goes beyond mere teammates as they confide their personal troubles in each other.

This storyline will likely feel fresh in many ways to players accustomed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Korea, the original Marvel Comics remain somewhat unfamiliar to the general public, leading most people to view things through the lens of the MCU. From that perspective, seeing Sabretooth and Mystique—traditionally presented as enemies of the X-Men—appear as allies was quite intriguing.

Of course, it should be noted that these story beats and character relationships are strictly based on what was experienced during the preview. The preview lasted about two hours, with the first hour spent on the early section of the game and the second hour skipping ahead to a later section. Consequently, it was impossible to tell how these relationships might evolve as the story unfolds beyond the preview portion. Nevertheless, it was more than enough to spark curiosity about how their dynamics will progress in the future.

The Bloody, Beastlike Action Catharsis

Personally, I often consider the DualSense to be the greatest strength of the PS5. For PS5 exclusives, the unique tactile feedback offered by the DualSense is difficult to experience on other platforms or controllers. Haptic feedback delivers a variety of vibrations—sometimes heavy, sometimes snappy—while adaptive triggers adjust tension depending on the situation to heighten immersion. In 'Marvel's Wolverine' in particular, where combat frequently unleashes a stormy, beastlike onslaught, the DualSense's tactile feel shines even brighter.

Although both are titles from Insomniac Games set in the Marvel Universe, 'Marvel's Wolverine' delivers a gameplay feel that is quite distinct from the studio's previous work, 'Marvel's Spider-Man'.

Of course, the two titles do share certain elements. Both games feature a combat system built on freeflow combat, executing attacks, parries (counterattacks), and dodges through rhythmic inputs, with attacks transitioning fluidly toward nearby enemies. Aside from being grounded in freeflow combat, however, the combat systems of the two games are considerably different.

First and foremost, the target engagement range for attacks is narrower. While Spider-Man seamlessly zips back and forth to enemies several meters away during battle, Wolverine generally engages enemies within a 1-to-2 meter range. Naturally, this stems from the core concept of the character rather than just the combat mechanics. Whereas Spider-Man freely navigates vast spaces using acrobatic movement and web-swinging, Wolverine's combat relies on power-based action, making similar mobility impractical.

That doesn't mean you have to slowly walk up to distant enemies. If Spider-Man has web-swinging, Wolverine has his trump card: the leap attack. Through leap attacks, Wolverine can close the gap with an enemy in an instant. Once the distance is closed, it's time to slice and dice enemies with his claws.

Naturally, some enemies will block claw attacks. In these cases, you must use kicks to break their stance. In short, the basic flow of combat involves confronting enemies using a combination of basic claw attacks, combos, finishers, and kicks, while closing the distance on far-away targets with leap attacks.

Among these, kicks serve as one of the key mechanics in 'Marvel's Wolverine'. Beyond breaking enemy guard as mentioned earlier, kicks can knock enemies off cliffs or shove them into debris behind them. You can also utilize environmental terrain to smash enemies into walls and stun them. When stunned, an execution prompt triggers, allowing Wolverine to mercilessly slice enemies to pieces and finish them off.

Defensive mechanics are broadly split into two options: traditional blocking and dodging. Even though blocking is available, the combat design of 'Marvel's Wolverine' doesn't seem to encourage heavy reliance on passive blocking. Instead, combat revolves around parrying, which triggers by timing a block precisely as an enemy attacks.

That said, parrying doesn't demand hyper-precise timing. While the timing window is tighter compared to the parrying in Marvel's Spider-Man series, that is only relative to those titles. Compared to typical action games featuring parry mechanics, it is reasonably forgiving and easily executed even during chaotic skirmishes. Beyond deflecting enemy strikes, parries also break enemy stances much like kicks do, actively encouraging players to incorporate them into combat.

However, not all attacks can be parried. Unparryable attacks exist, such as ranged gunfire or heavy attacks. These attacks, which glow red, must be dodged. As these varied combat mechanics interlock, 'Marvel's Wolverine' delivers intensely violent, blood-soaked combat.

A variety of skills adds further depth to combat. Using skills requires no special resource—only individual cooldowns. The skill lineup is diverse, ranging from area-of-effect attacks to single-target abilities aimed at bosses, as well as self-buffs. Combining these skills with basic attacks creates even more spectacular combat sequences.

A mechanic unique to Wolverine is his Rage Meter. As the name suggests, the Rage Meter fills as you attack enemies and gradually decays when out of combat. In other words, filling and maintaining the Rage Meter requires constantly pressing the attack.

The Rage Meter consists of up to three bars, granting buffs based on the tier achieved. Tier 1 grants no distinct stat buff, but as long as at least one bar of Rage remains, losing all health triggers a 'Last Stand' state. Put simply, it offers a revival opportunity, cleverly translating Wolverine's near-immortal healing factor into a gameplay mechanic.

Tier 2 is similarly straightforward, boosting attack power. While that alone might seem modest, the true value of the Rage Meter reveals itself at Tier 3. Upon reaching Tier 3, Wolverine enters a Rage Mode, allowing players to go on an absolute rampage against enemies.

The environment turns ashen while enemies glow blood-red, and Wolverine's attack power skyrockets. On top of that, weaker foes can be executed instantly with L2+R2. Naturally, there is no need to worry about health in this state. Rather than concerning yourself with parrying or dodging enemy strikes, you can simply leap into the middle of the horde and enjoy pure slaughter. It is no exaggeration to call this the peak of the action catharsis 'Marvel's Wolverine' aims to achieve.

This combat system in 'Marvel's Wolverine' feels authentically Wolverine. The visceral, beastlike violence provides extreme satisfaction, while design elements—such as breaking defenses with kicks or closing gaps with leap attacks—ensure combat cannot be tackled mindlessly. It strikes a good balance between flashy action and maintaining an engaging challenge.

However, it did leave a slight impression of repetitiveness. Of course, one must consider that the preview lasted only a brief two hours and Wolverine's abilities were not fully unlocked. Even so, compared to 'Marvel's Spider-Man'—where players created combat variety by vaulting among enemies, diving under bridges, or using web-shooters to bind, launch, and pull targets—Wolverine's broader core loop of diving into crowds and tearing enemies apart could potentially feel somewhat repetitive.

Only the Tip of the Iceberg, Yet Still Satisfying

What could be seen in this preview was merely the tip of the iceberg. Beyond the story, as noted regarding the combat system, there was a wealth of skills left locked. The combat that felt slightly repetitive early on is likely to gain far more variety as new skills are unlocked.

Nevertheless, this preview was more than enough to raise expectations for 'Marvel's Wolverine' on multiple fronts. From setting the story prior to the formation of the X-Men to featuring Mystique, Sabretooth, and figures like Nathaniel Essex and Jean Grey—who serve as Wolverine's anchors during his Team X era. Although the preview offered only a surface scratch of the narrative woven by these compelling characters, even that brief taste was enough to pull me in completely.

I would also give high marks to how effectively it stirs curiosity about where their story will lead. Sabretooth snarls incessantly every time he sees Wolverine, Mystique notes that the team still needs Wolverine despite his behavior, and Wolverine himself unleashes beastly violence on par with Sabretooth in battle while remaining cynical in quiet moments. It was enough to make me genuinely excited for how their story will develop.

From what was shown in this preview, 'Marvel's Wolverine' comes across as a well-rounded title. From visuals and presentation to action, Insomniac Games has skillfully blended everything one associates with Wolverine alongside their signature tactile gameplay feel. The only remaining question is whether that strong pull can be sustained beyond the two hours experienced in the preview.

What is certain is that, at least in this preview, the game delivered precisely the Wolverine gamers wanted to see. Whether Insomniac Games can score another massive hit following the Marvel's Spider-Man series will be something we can see for ourselves come September 15.