I’ve been waiting five years for Marvel’s Wolverine, and despite what the mountains of debate and negativity on social media might tell you, I had a great time with it.
It’s neither revolutionary nor abysmal. It’s neither a masterpiece nor a failure. Marvel’s Wolverine is a great game plagued by modern gaming discourse, and as a Wolverine superfan, I was delighted about what Insomniac Games gave me.
Spoilers and Graphic Content Ahead
James “Logan” Howlett is one of the most iconic Marvel characters, and he’s no stranger to a media adaptation, be it books, movies, or even other video games. The last time Wolverine had a solo video game was 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Marvel’s Wolverine has a unique design that isn’t inspired by any movies or other material. Logan and his world of mutants fits into Insomniac’s Marvel Universe, which is shared with the Spider-Man games also released by the company. There are a handful of fun references to the events of those games, but Logan’s story has nothing to do with New York.
Speaking of the game’s story, I was delighted by what I experienced, even if it wasn’t what I was expecting based on the game’s trailers. Insomniac advertised a tale of Logan hunting his missing memories, and while those elements are in the game, they don’t drive the plot.
At the start of the game, Logan rejoins Team X after an unknown number of years away from them. The team consists of notable faces like Mystique, Sabretooth, and Nathaniel Essex, A.K.A. Mr. Sinister (albeit before he’s very sinister). While Logan fits back into the team’s structure, he meets Jean Grey on a mission to find mutants, and together, they get entangled in a plot against anti-mutant militants like Bolivar Trask, as well as the mysterious ninja organization known as The Hand.
The main story is filled with fun set pieces and excellent character moments, but it feels rather disjointed. Logan’s dealings with Trask are mere setup for the game’s third act and don’t feel relevant to much of his dealings with The Hand. He and Jean travel to Japan after The Hand kidnaps one of his teammates, Walter Langkowski, and discover a sinister plot to force the creation of more mutants in the world. This had nothing to do with the previous “arc” with Trask and comes seemingly out of nowhere.
Logan’s past comes back to haunt him during his adventure in mysterious ways. While I won’t spoil the ending, Insomniac plays with Logan’s missing memories and shrouded past in ways I haven’t seen in other adaptations. While die-hard Wolverine fans might think they know everything about his backstory, Insomniac challenges our assumptions and provides something refreshing.
While Logan’s globetrotting adventure still feels disconnected at times, the character work in Wolverine is some of the best Insomniac Games has done. Logan’s dynamics with Jean, Essex, Sabretooth, and Mystique are different and interesting. Logan conflicts naturally with all these characters as he develops. His chemistry with Jean is shockingly well-written and had me rooting for them to get together for the first time ever.
Yeah. It blows my mind too.
Liam McIntyre’s portrayal of Logan has quickly become my favorite, rivaling even Hugh Jackman’s performance in the Fox “X-Men” movies. McIntyre brings depth and sincerity to Logan’s character. He brings out Logan’s sensitive side and mirrors it excellently with the blind rage we expect from our favorite hairy killing machine.
I’d even go so far as to say McIntyre is in the running for the best gaming voice actor of the year.
Story and character are great and all, but what about the gameplay?
Wolverine is a graphic and bloody brawler. Throughout the game’s 15 hour runtime, you’ll be slicing and stabbing your way through cybernetic mercenaries, ninjas, and the iconic Sentinels.
The combat system isn’t overly complicated, but it’s also not as deep as I’d like. Logan’s skill tree and abilities keep things fresh enough for a single playthrough, but it gets stale right at the end. There aren’t enough unique enemy types to keep me challenged, despite a good effort with the Sentinels in the game’s third act.
Logan’s abilities revolve around brutal ways he can kill people. You can chain light and heavy attacks into combos, and the quicker you kill enemies without taking damage, the higher Logan’s Rage meter fills. He enters a berserker rage at Level 3, giving him access to instant takedowns and higher damage.
Certain unlockable skills add to the basic moveset. You can jump off enemies and lunge onto others. You can throw stunned targets into others and drop-kick ninjas off buildings. It looks sick as hell, but it’s not deep.
Logan unlocks a few environmental abilities that add a little more depth, but it isn’t much. He can dip his claws in fiery barrels to give them more damage, and he gets access to a powerful area-of-effect attack in the game’s second half to help deal with larger crowds of enemies. It’s fine.
If you enjoy serviceable, combo-based combat that you can truly master, this is the game for you. If you want a deeper experience, look somewhere else. Logan is the best he is at what he does, and what he does is stab people.
Repeatedly.
The Replayability Factor
If you enjoy the combat enough, you can master it in Wolverine’s Nightmare Trials. These trials put the player through a gauntlet of challenges that range from traversal to wave-based combat.
Wolverine also has a handful of hard difficulty modes and a New Game+ available at launch after finishing your first playthrough that lets you keep your unlocked abilities and earn a few new ones. If you can’t get enough of Logan, you can replay to your heart’s content.
You can replay any level you want to in search of the game’s collectibles: materials to craft new suits, and whisky bottles that let the player peek into Logan’s Team X days before the start of the game. I collected everything in my playthrough, which was definitely worth it for all the sick suits you can make Logan wear.
What about the music? Or the pretty graphics?
It’s little surprise that Wolverine looks so good, since it’s a AAA Insomniac title. Insomniac’s Marvel games have strove for photorealism, and Wolverine is definitely the peak of that effort. Logan is drop-dead handsome, and Jean is gorgeous. Reflections in water and ambient lighting are just as pretty, even if Logan looks the best.
The blood effects in this game are excellent, too. Blood spatters on Logan as he fights and gets wounded, and it even stains the ground and clouds water. Insomniac made sure every droplet would be rendered in full detail, and I’m glad they did.
The game’s OST is the strongest out of anything Insomniac has made, as well. David Fleming composed an excellent album filled with pulse-pounding action music, as well as memorable character themes. The track “Logan” is easily the best in the score and one of the best character themes I’ve ever heard in media.
In terms of raw visuals and sounds, Wolverine knocks it out of the park. I’ve always been a sucker for good music and a great art style, and this game is a treat.
Final Thoughts
Marvel’s Wolverine is a good game that suffers from a shallow combat system and a rather disjointed plot. Despite these issues, I highly recommend it for all Wolverine fans, as well as anyone who enjoys linear action games. A strong soundtrack and stellar character writing make this game an instant classic, in my mind.
As a longtime Wolverine fan, this game was a treat to play. I definitely see myself coming back to replay the game at a harder difficulty so I can get every achievement.
Go give this game a fair shot, bub. It’s the least you can do for the Best There Is.
