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Marvel’s Wolverine is not Spider-Man with claws, and its latest previews make that clear
Two hours of hands-on play are enough to expose the difference. Marvel’s Wolverine obviously benefits from the expertise Insomniac developed through Spider-Man, but the studio is not recreating Manhattan around a more violent hero. This is a linear, more aggressive game built around a Logan who constantly turns Rage into an advantage.
By Nolind Marvel’s Wolverine 
No open world, by design
Marvel’s Wolverine launches September 15 exclusively on PlayStation 5. Just over a month before release, Sony published a two-hour hands-on report covering the opening mission, a boss encounter and part of Madripoor.
The most important structural difference from Marvel’s Spider-Man is now completely clear: Wolverine is not an open-world game. PlayStation describes it as a narrative-driven single-player adventure, while Insomniac says it set out to create a linear, high-intensity journey capable of taking Logan across several parts of the world.
That decision also avoids the need to invent another variation on free-roaming traversal, which was fundamental to Spider-Man's identity. Wolverine can explore locations, discover resources, conversations and optional activities, but progression remains shaped around missions and authored set pieces.
Rage is more than a super meter
Combat revolves around something more interesting than a button that temporarily makes Logan stronger. Successful attacks, parries and kills build his Rage meter across several tiers.
As it rises, his combos grow more powerful. Rage also fuels his Healing Factor: Last Stand allows Logan to spend that resource to recover from a situation that would otherwise put him down.
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The player therefore has to balance offensive momentum against using the same resource as a safety net. At its highest tier, Rage further changes Wolverine's behavior and unlocks particularly brutal attacks and critical strikes.
It is a clean translation of the character into a game system. Wolverine becomes more dangerous as he gives in to anger, but that anger is also tied directly to his ability to keep moving after taking punishment.
Parrying still matters when claws are not enough
The previews describe highly aggressive encounters, but not a system where holding attack is enough. Logan can launch himself toward distant targets, chain claw strikes, trigger special Techniques and interrupt enemy attacks.
Parrying becomes especially important against opponents capable of surviving his initial assault. Sony's hands-on report describes a Sentinel Prototype encounter that requires dodging, reading attacks and waiting for openings instead of simply relying on regeneration.
Enemies can also deploy Ability Inhibitors that suppress mutant powers. When those devices are active, Logan loses access to abilities including his Healing Factor and has to destroy the source before returning to full strength.
Other mutants fight beside Logan without taking the controller away
Jean Grey, Mystique and Sabretooth have major roles in the story and can contribute directly during combat. Jean's telekinetic attacks, for example, can create opportunities for Critical Strikes.
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Insomniac has nevertheless confirmed that Logan remains the only playable character. The studio therefore avoids repeatedly breaking the rhythm by forcing players to abandon the claws for sections controlled by another member of the cast.
It fits the larger structure of the project. Even when Team X is around him, the game remains Wolverine's experience rather than an X-Men ensemble game.
Exploration is being used to dig into Logan
Quieter environments have not disappeared. In Madripoor, Logan can explore Lowtown and the Princess Bar, follow scents using Enhanced Senses, listen to conversations and uncover hidden details.
Nightmare Doors are one of the optional activities already shown. They send Wolverine into dreamlike trials connected to his memories, allowing the game to explore his past without turning the entire adventure into a conventional origin story.
That contrast may be essential. If Marvel’s Wolverine consisted only of more spectacular dismemberment, changing superheroes would not be enough to distinguish it from Insomniac's previous work for very long.
A month before launch, the project finally has a silhouette of its own
It remains to be seen how these systems hold up across the complete game, especially once more Techniques and Adaptations are unlocked. A two-hour preview cannot establish the long-term balance.
But the fundamental design decisions are now visible enough to judge. No open world, one playable character, Rage serving two purposes, unapologetic violence and more concentrated exploration: Insomniac appears to understand that adapting Wolverine requires more than replacing webs with claws.