Insomniac Games' 2018 title, Marvel's Spider-Man, remains one of the few games that truly left a mark on me. Beyond just being a riot, it forced me to reconsider what level of immersion a digital experience could actually achieve. It was, in many ways, the project that widened my horizons on what this medium is capable of.

Naturally, when Marvel's Wolverine was first teased in 2021, my attention was held firm. The promise of a more visceral, blood-soaked combat style—a stark departure from its predecessor—only heightened the anticipation. I was left wondering: if you take Insomniac Games' signature mastery of immersion and inject it with this level of grit, what exactly are you left with? After a two-hour hands-on session, I found the answer to be a potent, bone-crunching cocktail of deep engagement and sheer, unadulterated combat satisfaction.

If you've spent any time with the comics or films, you know the drill: the X-Men saga is a grim exploration of the friction between 'mutants' and a humanity that views them with a mix of fear and hatred. It is a heavy, emotionally charged narrative that thrives on the internal ideological rifts within the mutant community itself.

Marvel's Wolverine carves out its own original story, yet it remains tethered to the fundamental tone of its source material. Focusing on the X-Team, the plot navigates the clash between mutants and those hunting them. While Marvel's Spider-Man balanced levity and weight, this title leans heavily into the darker, more sombre side of the spectrum.

That signature Insomniac immersion is very much alive. The transition between gameplay and cinematic sequences is seamless, and by stripping away UI clutter like navigation markers or health bars, the game keeps you firmly in the moment. Interestingly, the field of view feels slightly narrower than in previous titles, a design choice that forces you to lock eyes with the carnage. It doesn't feel restrictive, but rather laser-focused on the action at hand.

For the lore-obsessed, there are plenty of familiar faces. Seeing the likes of Mystique, Sabretooth, Nathaniel Essex (Mr. Sinister), Omega Red, and Jean Grey pop up is a treat, and cross-referencing their portrayals with the original canon is a hobby in itself.

Of course, this raises the question: what about the newcomers? Fear not. The developers have included an in-game 'Gallery' that archives key figures and events. It distills complex histories into digestible snippets, ensuring that even if you haven't read decades of comics, you won't be left scratching your head.

As I hinted at the start, the real star of the show is the uncompromising violence. While the free-flow combat system—utilising melee strikes, skills, and parries—feels familiar to anyone who played as Spidey, the execution here is far more savage. We are talking geysers of blood and limb-severing finishers. When paired with that familiar dynamic camera and high-octane pacing, the result is a catharsis unique to this game.

This all hits a crescendo when the 'Rage Gauge' reaches its third tier. You fill this special meter through steady strikes and timed parries. While active skills or respawning will drain it, saving it up to that third level triggers an enhanced state. In this mode, combo finishers are significantly upgraded; Wolverine will lunge at foes, driving claws into faces or slamming them into the dirt with ribs-crushing force, effectively thinning the herd in seconds.

Combat difficulty feels a step up from the previous titles. While you are still largely dealing with crowd control, the absence of aerial acrobatics and the reliance on purely close-quarters combat means you are constantly in the firing line. When a group of enemies surrounds the character, there is no easy escape.

This is why parrying and environmental awareness are your best friends. The parry system is standard, but enemies occasionally unleash a 'Reckless Attack' marked by a yellow glow. Fail to dodge these, and the penalty is massive—sometimes even fatal. Get the timing right, however, and you can land a one-hit finisher that completely shifts the momentum of the fight.

Furthermore, holding the light attack button (□) allows for a powerful kick that knocks foes back. If they collide with a wall, you can follow up with a flurry of strikes to finish them off quickly. Better yet, knock them into hazards like a forklift, and they will be skewered on the spot.

In these one-versus-many scenarios, your tactical use of the environment is the difference between life and death. Moving enemies around the map is far more effective than mindless button-mashing. To top it off, the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback provides a granular, tactile resistance that makes every claw strike feel heavy and impactful.

In summary, Marvel's Wolverine is a masterclass in adapting the gritty, heavy world of the X-Men through the lens of Insomniac Games. It marries a dark, mature atmosphere with a deep, visceral combat system that feels polished to a mirror shine. While two hours is hardly enough to judge the full scope of the game, if you crave high-octane, blood-spattered combat or simply enjoyed the developer's previous work, you have plenty to look forward to.