Insomniac Games' upcoming title, Marvel's Wolverine, will feature a more linear structure compared to the studio's previous work on Marvel's Spider-Man. Unlike Peter Parker's adventures through New York City, players should not expect to explore a sprawling open world or return to a central base of operations in Wolverine's game. The X-Men will also not be present, precluding any exploration of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Game director Mike Daly described the experience as a "charge from start to finish," driven by the character's inherent need for forward momentum. He likened the mission pacing to that of a comic book, balancing action with intrigue and maintaining a brisk pace throughout. "We wanted variety in our levels," Daly stated, "so some of them have microcosms of that experience, where it is a little bit more open and you have some agency, but there's not a home base that you keep returning to to try and complete everything there. It is really a story with a lot of forward momentum."
While the game emphasizes forward progression, Daly noted that individual levels will offer variation. This can include moments where Wolverine uses his enhanced senses to track targets, like Jean Grey, and navigates environments with less emphasis on constant combat. "His enhanced senses help him track down things, so at the beginning you saw that he picked up Jean's scent, and that plays a bigger role in other parts of gameplay," Daly explained. "There's not always enemies covering every square meter of the land, so you have a little bit of flexibility to look around in nooks and crannies."
In combat, Wolverine's grounded and heavy nature will translate into distinct gameplay mechanics. Rather than Spider-Man's ability to manipulate enemies from a distance, Wolverine will push opponents away. "Logan pushes enemies around," Daly said. "So if you sprint into them and you do your flying kick, you can knock them far back - you can knock them into other enemies. And knocking enemies into walls or barricades is one of those ways you can break down their defenses and open them up." These staggered enemies provide opportunities for powerful follow-up attacks, which can build rage or trigger healing surges, and can be used to chain attacks across groups of enemies.
Insomniac is also implementing features to enhance replayability for Marvel's Wolverine. These include optional, score-based challenges hidden within levels and the ability to replay entire missions. Players may find reasons to revisit missions for collectibles, suit crafting materials, or to expand a "whisky collection" for narrative purposes. Additionally, the game will include a New Game Plus mode, allowing players to restart the campaign with increased pacing, danger, and intensity, offering new unlockables to keep the experience fresh.
The game is also slated to feature a mature rating, which creative director Marcus Smith noted will allow Insomniac to explore "emotional darkness and ambiguity and conflict" more deeply within its storyline. Marvel's Wolverine is set for release on September 15th, exclusively for PlayStation 5.