Marvel's Wolverine PS5 Preview: two hours that make you want to play the full game

Thanks to an invitation from Sony PlayStation Italy, we had the opportunity to preview Wolverine, the new PlayStation 5 exclusive developed by Insomniac Games. Two hours with the controller in hand allowed us to test a portion of the game and, above all, to understand what the core of the experience will be.

Wolverine is an action game heavily focused on combat and built around one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel universe and the X-Men. Logan is the absolute protagonist, but during the adventure, we will also meet numerous other characters linked to the mutant universe. To avoid any spoilers, however, we will not go into detail about their identities.

What we can already say is that, technically, the work done by Insomniac Games is truly impressive. Animations, visual effects, destruction, brawls, and especially the representation of combat violence deliver a remarkable visual impact. Added to this is a high-level voice acting, capable of giving further weight to the narrative sequences. 

Claws, combos, and Fury mode: Marvel's Wolverine combat system is brutally fun

The true core of Wolverine is, of course, the gameplay. Logan fights by leveraging his most iconic characteristics: his claws, superhuman strength, and above all, his regenerative ability that allows him to recover health and survive wounds that would incapacitate any other human.

The combat system combines attacks, combos, parries, and counterattacks, with a stealth component that allows for eliminating enemies without directly confronting them in certain situations. The result, at least in the two hours we played, is brutally fun.

The feeling of power is constant, and clashes can quickly become spectacular, especially when you get into the thick of the combos. Particularly interesting is the Fury mode, which activates after accumulating a certain amount of attacks and allows you to unleash a series of even more devastating actions.

The dismemberments, the impact effects, and the physicality of the clashes make every combat extremely satisfying. It's hard not to get caught up in the action when Logan starts slashing left and right.

Naturally, the question that remains is a simple one: how varied will all this be in the long run? Two hours are enough to understand that the system works, but not to establish whether it will maintain the same level of fun throughout the entire adventure. 

Progression and skill tree: how Insomniac builds an increasingly powerful Logan

An important component will also be progression. During the preview, we saw a rather deep skill tree, through which it's possible to develop and enhance Wolverine's abilities.

We will deliberately not go into details, but it's clear that Insomniac has tried to build a progression capable of accompanying the player throughout the entire adventure, progressively increasing Logan's offensive possibilities and capabilities.

There are also some mini-games and secondary activities based on the player's abilities and the achievement of certain objectives. In some cases, you have to complete a section in the shortest possible time, in others, eliminate the most enemies, earning rewards proportionate to the result achieved. 

The initial portion we played was rather linear. The path mainly follows an A-to-B structure, leaving little room for free exploration.

However, we also had the opportunity to try a very small, more exploratory portion, which allowed us to understand how the game can change pace as it progresses. We were indeed confirmed that further on there will be greater freedom of exploration.

The narrative component also seems to carry significant weight. We witnessed some dialogues with other characters and, despite only seeing a small part of the story, the premises seem interesting. The plot appears well-constructed and will naturally be one of the elements to evaluate more carefully in the complete version. 

During the preview, we also faced a boss. It was probably the moment that left us with the most mixed feelings.

On one hand, the clash is spectacular and highlights the physicality of the combat. On the other hand, some sequences are heavily scripted, and there are moments based on classic Quick Time Events. This isn't necessarily a problem, especially considering the genre and the cinematic nature of the experience, but it will be interesting to see if subsequent encounters offer more freedom to the player or predominantly follow a similar structure.

This, too, remains a question mark that we can only resolve with the final version. 

DualSense and immersion: heartbeat, physical impacts, and the PS5 exclusive's killer feature

One of the most pleasant surprises of the preview was certainly the integration with the DualSense.

The controller is used intelligently to increase engagement during gameplay. Particularly interesting is the stealth component: in some situations, Logan can perceive the heartbeat of nearby enemies, while the controller physically conveys that sensation through vibrations.

These are small details, but they contribute to making the experience much more immersive.

During combat, moreover, the DualSense's response accompanies impacts and conveys a sense of physicality that perfectly matches the character. It's a truly successful game-controller combination, especially when transitioning from exploration to combat. 

Marvel's Wolverine convinces, but variety will be the real litmus test

After two hours, the overall feeling is decidedly positive, but a fundamental question remains: how varied will Wolverine be in the full game?

The combat works, it's spectacular, and above all, fun. The progression seems to have solid foundations, the narrative component is intriguing, and technically the title already appears extremely polished.

What needs to be understood is how Insomniac will manage to evolve these foundations. More exploration, different situations, new enemy types, bosses capable of truly challenging the player, and a story that can maintain high interest will be the fundamental elements to transform an excellent combat system into a memorable adventure.

Because, at least in this first test, when Wolverine goes into action, it's hard not to have fun.