Marvel’s Wolverine Follows In The Footsteps Of The Greatest Wolverine Game Of All Time

I’ll be brutally honest with you; I wasn’t excited about Marvel’s Wolverine until June 2026 because I, wrongly, assumed that Insomniac was going to put out an ill-fitting open-world game.

I wasn’t the only one who thought this, but I should have given the spectacular developer behind games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ratchet and Clank more of a chance. Now, following what we were shown at Sony’s June 2026 State of Play, I know that this game is inspired by Wolverine’s best video game appearance in history to date: X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Original And Best

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the video game movie tie-in title that was initially released all the way back in May 2009. I didn’t get it right away because back then, movie tie-in games weren’t all that good. This game was one of the few exceptions to the rule, though.

In it, you play as the angry adamantium-skeletoned claw-wielder himself, though with a different voice and face for some bizarre reason (probably something to do with Hugh Jackman’s hourly rate). It faithfully follows the story of the movie and throws in some extra beats for flavor, including a battle with a proto-Sentinel and far more detailed jungle excursions as a pre-Adamantium Wolverine.

What makes the game so fantastic is that it’s almost criplingly linear, with only a few deviations from the main path, and that it has a laser focus on brutal combat. I remember shouting uncontrollably as Wolverine ripped enemies apart, and the sheer level of gore that comes out of the screen while you play. Raven Software understood that Wolverine is a very angry mutant, and what we love to see him do is beat people up or, preferably, rip them to shreds and yell really loudly as he does so.

Another element that made the game so gripping to actually play is how Wolverine’s regeneration is displayed. The poor guy can be worn away to nothing more than his adamantium skeleton and a pair of trousers, and, providing he has just enough health to carry on, he’ll still tear a new hole in anything you point him at. My fight with the Sentinel boss saw him practically disappear, and I thought that was amazing.

This system was paired with whatever clothing Wolverine starts a level wearing on his torso, which doesn’t regenerate unless you’re wearing one of the bonus costumes. A few fans have an issue with the seemingly regenerative properties of the outfits in Insomniac’s game, but it really won’t be a big deal in the end, given that the outfit damage in games like this is often used to benefit the story, not the gameplay.

Related: Marvel’s Wolverine Confirms Release Date

What Marvel’s Wolverine Pulls

You can see from the trailer above how Marvel’s Wolverine pulls a lot from what I believe is Wolverine’s last standalone game. The steadfast solo adventure that sees him fight this way through swathes of enemies, a huge focus on combat, blood, gore, and regeneration, and a sharp eye for remaining faithful to the source material while creating original story beats.

This new game is an original take on the X-Men universe, but a lot of things are going to be exactly as you expect them. Jean Grey is fighting for Team X and, I presume, Professor X, and you can already see a few other mutants about to be brought ot the fore, including Cyclops in the truck.

Origins, as both a movie and a video game, had a unique take on the mutants shown in it. Deadpool needs no introduction and is really best forgotten, Sabretooth is personal and a persistent threat, Blob is one of the most fantastic characters I’ve ever seen, and Gambit has never shone more brightly than in this rendition of his character.

This isn’t a game that looks as though it’ll explore the wider roster of mutants in too much detail. Instead, they’re likely going to develop around Wolverine because he can stay the same even if the game’s timeline spans a century. Of course, that’s a huge assumption to make, but seeing Wolverine ride a bike into a truck convoy and stealthily sneak his way around a compound while turning mercenaries into scary jam screams a brilliantly focused story that leans into everything we love about Wolverine.

Now, Insomniac Games has given us a real look at Marvel’s Wolverine, and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s got all the hallmarks of a legendary superhero game because the development team so clearly cares about who this character is and has a vision for the journey they want to see him go on.

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About the Author

Jamie Moorcroft Sharp

Editor

Jamie adores the indie games that you don’t hear about until you’re on a video essay binge at 3AM and suddenly the sound of them changes your life. He’s played games all his life and loves looking at the intricate details that make them magical and different. If there’s a wierd list, embarrassing feature, or something else far too out there on Bonus Action, there’s a good chance he wrote it. But that’s not all! He’s also an absolute fiend who never knows when to stop when he puts on his dirty robes and takes on his D&D persona as a Mud Warlock who acts on that tiny voice in your head when it wonders what would happen if you did something really dumb right now. He’s easy to beat in a TGC, though, just keep an eye out for his crazy card combos.

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