Hands-on: What Insomniac showed about Marvel’s Wolverine

Insomniac opened a deeper look at Marvel’s Wolverine with a hands-on session that highlighted the game’s story, combat, and exploration, and that matters because it clarifies the tone and mechanical priorities players should expect when the game arrives on September 15.

What we played

The session ran roughly two hours and began with the game’s opening mission set in the wilds of Telambang. That mission sends Wolverine back into action with Team X on an infiltration of an anti-mutant industrialist, Bolivar Trask. After that opener the preview jumped forward to a large boss encounter and a section set in Madripoor’s Lowtown, giving a cross-section of early story, combat, and level design.

Combat up close

Combat balances raw melee and tactical choices. The preview showed sequences of aggressive, close-quarters fighting described as brutal barrages, alongside quieter moments that required stealthy scouting and set-up. The hands-on included a range of takedowns driven by Wolverine’s rage meter, which surfaces in multiple play scenarios during the session.

Story and characters

The opening mission frames Wolverine as a character split between feral impulses and traces of humanity. Early sequences flash back to a feral, mangy-haired, memory-wiped state, and later beats reveal tension with Team X. The session noted Team X was formed by Nathaniel Essex, and that Wolverine had stepped away from the group prior to the mission, a choice that has created strain with his teammates. The preview also revealed the mission and later scenes uncover a piece of Wolverine’s buried past.

Exploration and locations

Locations shown in the hands-on covered Telambang and Madripoor’s Lowtown. The preview presented both dense combat spaces and more vertical, populated streets, suggesting the game will shift between tight encounters and exploration through character-focused hubs.

Why this matters for players

For readers tracking video games and release dates, the deep dive gives a clearer sense of what Insomniac emphasizes: close melee combat with stealth options, a story that blends memory fragments and team dynamics, and a mix of open areas and confined combat zones. The session also tied into PlayStation news earlier this week, when new PS5 hardware and accessories tied to the title were revealed.

What to watch next

Insomniac’s preview fills in practice-level questions about how Wolverine will play in action sequences and how the story opens. Ahead of the September 15 launch, watch for further developer details on progression, difficulty tuning, and whether subsequent previews confirm the combat and exploration balance seen in this hands-on session.