Marvel’s Wolverine has been one of my most anticipated PS5 games since it was first revealed back in 2021. With its launch just a few weeks away, I was invited by PlayStation Canada for a special hands-on preview of Insomniac Games’ latest superhero adventure. After spending two hours playing with the demo, I came away impressed by how quickly it captured Wolverine’s essence, from his personality to gameplay. Combat is fast and responsive, while every slash, kick and takedown carries the weight you would expect from Logan’s adamantium skeleton.
After playing the demo, I also sat down with Gavin Goulden, Art Director at Insomniac Games, to discuss how the studio captured Logan’s look, physicality and emotional core. Goulden brings a uniquely Canadian perspective to the project: he grew up in Nova Scotia and now lives in Vancouver, close to several British Columbia locations featured in the game.
Aside from the action, the biggest surprise for me was how much character-driven storytelling accompanied it. The game is visceral and unapologetically mature, but Insomniac is also exploring Logan’s anger, guilt, and place in a world hostile to mutants. Based on what I played, this isn’t Marvel’s Spider-Man with claws, but something far more brutal, grounded, and connected to a darker side of the Marvel universe. It’s an adventure shaped around Wolverine from the ground up with many intriguing aspects. Let’s dive into my full preview to give you a better idea of what to expect from Marvel’s Wolverine when it launches on September 15, 2026.
Marvel’s Wolverine Details
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro
Previewed on: PlayStation 5 Pro
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action-adventure
Available game modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M for Mature 17+
Release Date: September 15, 2026—Pre-order today
Marvel’s Wolverine forges its own identity
Insomniac is not retelling Logan’s transformation into Wolverine; instead, it opts to hit the ground running. He’s already infused with adamantium, claws at the ready, and he has developed a complicated relationship with the people around him. The story takes place before the X-Men have formed; a majority of mutants remain largely unknown to the wider world.
Team X vs. the world
Wolverine, Sabretooth and Mystique share a history as members of Team X, a mutant task force formed by Nathaniel Essex. Logan walked away from the group for reasons unknown, but rejoins during its darkest hour. Bolivar Trask, a billionaire industrialist who believes in human superiority, has been abducting and experimenting on mutants. When Essex is captured, Team X launches a rescue mission against Trask’s heavily guarded compound on the island of Telambang and this is where the game picks up from.
Longtime comic readers will recognize these names, but Insomniac is remixing familiar relationships to tell its own story. Much like Marvel’s Spider-Man introduced an experienced Peter Parker, Wolverine gets to the action quickly while leaving intriguing questions about Logan’s past for you to uncover as you play.
The opening mission comes out claws blazing
From the moment I picked up the controller, the demo got its claws in me. From the impressive visuals, acting and character dynamics, it drew me right in as I skydived toward Trask’s island, where his private army was preparing for Team X’s arrival. Within moments of landing, I was sprinting into battle with Logan’s claws drawn. The sequence establishes Wolverine as a force of nature without making him feel invincible. Enemies attack from multiple angles and punish careless play, so survival still depends on maintaining pressure and choosing the right moment to parry.
Fast, ferocious combat makes you feel like Wolverine
Right away, combat felt great. Logan has quick barrages, heavier strikes and a powerful kick that can knock enemies off balance. He can also lunge across a surprising distance, letting me close the gap before ranged attackers settle in. Wolverine is at his best when moving toward danger and keeping constant pressure on foes, not circling them from a safe distance.
That combination of speed and impact was carefully considered. “We want him to be animalistic, ferocious and brutal, so his attacks, his movement, it all feels heavy,” Goulden explained. The team went through extensive playtesting to make sure Logan’s agility never came at the expense of the weight behind his adamantium skeleton.
There are traces of Marvel’s Spider-Man in how smoothly Logan moves from one target to the next. However, Wolverine feels heavier, more direct and far more dangerous at close range. Spider-Man fights with acrobatic grace; Logan launches himself at an enemy like a compact wrecking ball. Graphic finishers also make the game’s M rating immediately understandable. You can tone down the blood and gore, but this experience is definitely aimed at a mature audience.
Parrying adds rhythm and strategy to combat
Parrying is a major part of the flow of combat. Pressing L1 as an enemy attacks lets Logan counter and create an opening. I quickly fell into a satisfying rhythm of lunging, parrying and cutting through the next target. The timing was easy to understand, but larger encounters demanded concentration and sometimes required you to roll of the way of more powerful attacks.
Unlockable Special Techniques add more options which look to keep combat fresh as the game continues. My favourite from the demo was “Tornado Spin,” a crowd-clearing move that carved through surrounding enemies. Techniques can be assigned to the four face buttons and recharged by successfully landing clusters of successive hits. I only sampled a few, but they gave me reasons to vary my approach instead of leaning on one combo.
Channel your Rage
The Rage system ties Wolverine’s attacks, survivability and personality together in an interesting system. Its three-tier meter builds as you stay aggressive, land attacks, parry blows and keep a combo moving. Playing too cautiously leaves power on the table, continually encouraging you to push forward.
Seeing red
Each tier makes Logan more dangerous. His combos grow stronger, and at the highest level, colour drains from the scene as his fighting becomes faster and more savage. Powerful Critical Strikes tear through enemies and keep the rampage going. It is stylish, violent and completely in step with Wolverine, and it made for some epic moments as I played.
Healing through rage
Rage also powers Logan’s Healing Factor. If his health reaches zero while at least one bar remains, he enters a “Last Stand” phase. You need to rapidly press the prompted button; it burns Rage, regenerates health and pulls him back into the fight. If the meter is empty, it’s “game over,” and you return to the last checkpoint. Keeping some Rage in reserve gave me a valuable second chance when an encounter went sideways.
There is a broader skill tree that includes Technique and Adaptation upgrades affecting areas such as health and Rage. I didn’t unlock enough to judge its full depth, but I am excited to see how much the combat evolves across the complete adventure.
Go in claws blazing or hunt from the shadows
Direct combat is the star of the show when it comes to gameplay, but going in claws blazing is not your only option. Enhanced Senses let Logan track patrols, stalk isolated targets and perform stealth takedowns. I enjoyed thinning out a group quietly before turning an ambush into a full-scale brawl.
Trask’s Ability Inhibitors can also suppress mutant powers, including Logan’s Healing Factor, forcing you to fight more carefully until the device is destroyed. It’s a smart way to keep regeneration from removing all sense of danger and making you carefully consider your next move and which enemy to prioritize.
A cinematic story with a human side
I was pleasantly surprised by how much story was packed into the demo. Without spoiling what happens, the writing kept me invested and curious about Insomniac’s direction. Team X does not feel like a collection of cameos; Logan’s relationships with Mystique and Sabretooth carry what feel like years of unresolved history.
Strong acting performances
Liam McIntyre’s performance as Logan is especially strong. He delivers the gravel and fury the role demands, but some of his best work comes when Wolverine lets his guard down. Those quieter scenes give the violence context. In one scene, his rage grows uncontrollably out of a fierce desire to protect mutants who have no one else standing between them and Trask. The emotion of the moment and the rage-fuelled onslaught that followed were connected in a way that made sense.
A careful balance of restraint and all-out combat chaos
The game knows players want to unleash Wolverine’s claws, but it also understands that his contradictions make him compelling. “Wolverine’s a very complicated character,” Goulden told me. He is capable of terrifying violence, yet fears what his anger can turn him into. Goulden explained that Logan’s memories, history, and the past he may be running from are just as important as the brutal combat. My session only began exploring that tension, but I am interested to see how this dynamic unfolds as the story progresses.
Lowtown rewards you for slowing down
One of my favourite sections was a brief stop in Lowtown, Madripoor’s rough, neon-soaked lower district. Its crowded streets and iconic Princess Bar provide a welcome change of pace, letting you follow scents, overhear conversations, tackle side quests and spend time with allies. A drinking game with Mystique hints at her history with Logan, while conversations with Sabretooth and Jean Grey reveal different sides of him. Exploration rewards curiosity with upgrade materials, collectible whisky bottles and comic-book Easter eggs.
Nightmare Doors open a path into Logan’s past
While exploring Lowtown, I discovered a “Nightmare Door.” It pulled Logan into a dreamlike cabin before sending me through an optional Nightmare Trial. Familiar environments became a strange vertical fever dream as I raced through a timed traversal course.
Completing these trials unlocks forgotten memories from Logan’s buried past. They offer a clever way to explore his history without turning the game into an origin story. I only experienced one, but its challenge, presentation and story tidbits left me eager to find the others.
A Canadian eye for Wolverine’s world
Our conversation also turned to Logan’s Canadian roots and what it means for Goulden to help shape one of Marvel’s most iconic Canadian characters. “People throw around the term dream come true so much, and I don’t use it lightly because this really is a one-in-a-million shot for me,” he said. Goulden grew up in a small Nova Scotia town reading Wolverine comics, including Wolverine #88, and now has the opportunity to help define Insomniac’s version of the character.
That firsthand Canadian perspective also extends to the game’s environments. Goulden explained that the route shown in the gameplay trailer runs from North Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, an area he knows intimately. “All that is pretty much in my backyard. I live about 10 minutes away from all of that,” he said. The team drew on recognizable details such as Vancouver’s sulphur pile, signs for Squamish and Whistler, and Squamish-language spellings used on local signage. For Canadian players, those small touches should help make Logan’s journey feel grounded in a real place rather than a generic approximation of the West Coast.
Marvel’s Wolverine looks razor sharp on PS5 Pro
On the PlayStation 5 Pro, the demo remained smooth and responsive through dense fights, fast lunges and cinematic transitions. Character animation and environmental detail looked sharp, while the fluid presentation made parry timing feel immediate. The game is PS5 Pro Enhanced, although Insomniac has not detailed all the advantages of playing on the hardware. What I can say from my time with the game is that it looks absolutely brilliant, with incredible particle effects and reflections. Even the standard PS5’s default Performance Mode targets 60 frames per second with ray tracing, an encouraging foundation for combat this fast.
Final thoughts on Marvel’s Wolverine preview
After two hours, Marvel’s Wolverine left a strong first impression. Insomniac has captured the speed, weight and ferocity of Logan’s fighting style, while Rage and Last Stand turn his temper and Healing Factor into meaningful systems. Stealth adds flexibility, Lowtown gives the action room to breathe and the writing suggests there is much more beneath the bloodshed.
The biggest question is whether progression, enemy variety, and optional activities will keep deepening across the full game. Based on this hands-on, Marvel’s Wolverine is shaping up to be one of 2026’s most exciting PlayStation releases. More importantly, it already feels like the Wolverine game I have been waiting for. You can pre-order Marvel’s Wolverine now.
Grab the limited edition Marvel’s Wolverine gear
For fans looking to bring a little more Wolverine to their PS5 setup, the Marvel’s Wolverine limited edition products are also available to pre-order now at BestBuy.ca. Choose from the Battle Yellow Limited Edition DualSense controller, Battle Adamantium Limited Edition DualSense controller, or the PS5 825GB Console Marvel’s Wolverine Battle Yellow Limited Edition Bundle.
