Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 – Everything We Know So Far
Marvel’s Wolverine may not have a release date or even a release date yet, but there are already plenty of juicy details floating around about the upcoming action-adventure game.
Developer Insomniac Games is known for Marvel’s Spider-Man, and the sequels, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales And Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. These games are all fantastic, immersive, and faithful realizations of the Spider-Man fantasy, and show that the studio has a lot of experience when it comes to creating thoughtful adaptations of comic book greats. This suggests that Wolverine is in good hands and could very well end up on our lists of the best single-player games and the best story-driven games when it eventually comes out.
Like Marvel’s Spider-Manwe expect Marvel’s Wolverine to be an action-oriented, story-driven game with plenty of satisfying punch-ups and engaging cutscenes. But as creative director Brian Horton put it: Wolverine will take on a “more mature tone.” Considering James ‘Logan’ Howlett, the titular Wolverine, is known for his gritty adventures and dark behavior, it makes sense that Insomniac would want to go in that direction. Read on for more details and an in-depth analysis of the teaser trailer.
Marvel’s Wolverine: Get straight to the point
- What is it? A Wolverine game from the makers of Marvel’s Spider-Man
- When is it coming out? To be determined
- What can I play it on? PS5
- Who makes it? Insomnia Games
Marvel’s Wolverine Platforms – What We Know So Far
We don’t have a release date or even a release window for Marvel’s Wolverine so far. However, it is clear that the game will be a PlayStation exclusive, in the same vein as the Marvel’s Spider-Man games. Although it has been confirmed that Wolverine is coming to the PS5, there’s no indication that it’s coming to the PS4. That prospect seems increasingly unlikely as the years go by.
However, it is not impossible that the game will eventually come to PC, as Sony exclusives often appear on that platform. Marvel’s Spider-Man And Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales are both available on PC, with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 likely to follow sometime in the future. This suggests that Wolverine could also come to PC at some point, but likely some time after its original launch on PS5.
Marvel’s Wolverine Trailer
Marvel’s Wolverine was announced during Sony’s PlayStation Showcase in September 2021, with a short teaser trailer giving us our first look at Insomniac’s take on Logan.
The teaser trailer shows a destroyed dive bar, with injured men lying on the ground, before cutting to a rear view of a man in a cowboy hat and plaid shirt drinking – his knuckles and the surrounding area covered in blood. In the background, we see one of the injured men stand up and pull out a knife. The man at the bar – our hero – senses the attacker and clenches his fist, revealing the iconic metal claws.
The trailer may not give us a glimpse into the fights or Logan himself, but it does set the tone Marvel’s Wolverine. At first glance, it seems like a bloodier, more mature alternative to Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man series. Watch the trailer below:
So far, the reveal trailer is the only preview we currently have access to. In the meantime, we recommend keeping your eyes peeled Official PlayStation YouTube Channel for future updates.
Marvel’s Wolverine Story and Setting
Although we don’t yet have any concrete details about what to expect from the coming period, Marvel’s WolverineThe reveal trailer does contain a number of ‘easter eggs’ that provide some interesting hints.
First, the trailer’s setting seems to give a big clue as to when and where Marvel’s Wolverine is set. Logan is drinking at the Princess Bar, located in Madripoor (which you may recognize from the Marvel TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), which we can see on the bar’s sign and on the Madripoor tourist poster.
In Marvel Comics Presents Part 1 #1 (1988), Wolverine visits the Princess Bar while hunting down a criminal named Roche. After cleaning up the bar floor with Roche’s enforcers – who are trying to get protection money from the bar’s owner, O’Donnell – Wolverine becomes a regular at the bar, going by the name “Patch”, and even co-owning it for a time. The bar was essentially Logan’s home away from home during a period when the X-Men were inactive. Insomniac Games indicates that this is the time when Marvel’s Wolverine will take place? Will we see Logan take on the criminal underworld? Both seem like distinct possibilities.
Another possible Easter egg is the Radio Lowtown 104.8 poster. Lowtown is a district in Madipoor, so Madipoor seems a likely setting. It’s also possible that the number 104.8 is a reference to Marvel Earth-1048, the universe in which Marvel’s Spider-Man is set. This seems to suggest that Insomniac’s Spider-Man and Wolverine games are set in the same universe, meaning we could see potential crossovers in the future. This could be huge, allowing Insomniac to build an answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that isn’t bogged down in endless sequels and story bloat.
The radio station isn’t the only number that seems to reference a specific comic book. The license plate on the bar reads “HLK 181,” which seems to reference The Incredible Hulk #18 – in which Wolverine appears. Does this mean we’ll see Hulk in Marvel’s Wolverine? Again, we certainly hope so.
Marvel’s Wolverine News
A “full-size” game with a “mature tone”
According to Marvel’s Wolverine‘s creative director, Brian Horton, James ‘Logan’ Howlett’s standalone adventure on PS5 will be a full-size game with a “mature tone.” Horton confirmed this in response to a fan on Twitter the question of whether Wolverine on PS5 is “big or a [smaller] ‘Mile Morales“size game”.
Directed by Spider-Man: Miles Morales creative leads
In a PlayStation Blog PostInsomniac Games revealed that Marvel’s Wolverine is directed by Brian Horton (Creative Director) and Cameron Christian (Game Director), who led the creative efforts Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Respect for DNA with a fresh perspective
Insomniac Games has said that while the studio wants to honor the “DNA” of Wolverine, it wants to give Logan a new spin.
“In the spirit of our Spider-Man games, our goal is to not only respect the DNA that makes the character so popular, but also look for opportunities to make it feel fresh and truly reflect the Insomniac spirit,” Insomniac Games wrote in a PlayStation Blog PostAccording to the developer, despite it still being in early stages of development, Marvel’s Wolverine boasts an “emotional story and cutting-edge gameplay.” We hope the pun was intended.
Marvel’s Wolverine – What We Want to See
Embracing Wolverine’s Dark Side
While Marvel’s Spider-Man, Mile Morales, And Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 are critically acclaimed, they’re all fairly family-friendly affairs. This isn’t a criticism – Spider-Man himself is, after all, famously a “friendly neighborhood Spidey,” known for his youthful antics and cheeky jokes. A lighter tone suits the character. Wolverine isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however. His backstory and characterization are, relatively speaking, pretty dark. Wolverine stories are filled with angst, betrayal, and, more often than not, bloody violence.
We hope Insomniac will explore this side of Logan in the future. Wolverine game, which offers a more mature experience than Spider-Man did. We’re not asking for gratuitous violence, but we do think a different tone is needed. If you’re going to delve into Wolverine’s backstory (depending on when this game is set), you can’t avoid the darker moments from Logan’s past. Also, our hero could hardly carve up enemies with his iconic claws without spilling at least a little blood. Without a little darkness, you’ll only be scratching the surface of his story – pun intended.
The appearance of other Marvel heroes…
We don’t want them to steal the spotlight, but it would be nice to see Insomniac’s take on other Marvel heroes pop up in Wolverine as supporting characters. The details really depend on the story Insomniac wants to tell, but we’re hoping to see some of the X-Men make a cameo, including Jean Grey, Professor X, or maybe even Rogue.
…and notorious villains
We currently do not know who the main opponent will be in Marvel’s Wolverinebut there are plenty of notorious villains to choose from – and we imagine some could appear in smaller roles. We’re hoping we’ll see Logan battle Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, or even Silver Samurai. Or maybe we’ll see him fight to take down the Weapon X program that subjected him to the painful experiments that gave him his famous adamantium skeleton in the first place.
A Marvel gaming universe
Insomniac has done a great job of creating standalone products that have allowed us to meet all sorts of heroes and villains from the Marvel comics. Now that the studio is moving away from Spider-Man, however, it has the opportunity to carve out a shared continuity that could offer many of the benefits that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has, without the bloat. It’s a tantalizing idea, and we’d love to see what the skilled storytellers at Insomniac would come up with if they decided to go this route.
Marvel’s Wolverine FAQ
Is Marvel’s Wolverine Set in the Spider-Man Universe?
Yes, Marvel’s Wolverine is indeed set in the Spider-Man universe. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Creative Director Bryan Intihar confirmed this during a interview with Kinda Funny GamesWhen asked if the two series share the same universe, he replied:
“They are all 1048.”
This is a reference to Earth 1048, the universe in which the Marvel Spider-Man games are set. Let’s hope for a Spider-Man cameo in the upcoming Wolverine game!
Is Marvel’s Wolverine Coming to Xbox?
Marvel’s Wolverine is not scheduled for release on Xbox. Currently, only the PS5 is listed, but like other Sony projects, we could see it come to PC later. Unless Sony’s first-party strategy changes drastically in the coming years, we’ll never Marvel’s Wolverine release on Xbox platforms.
