Marvel's Wolverine is one of my favourite PS5 Pro games of the year – here's why

If you only looked at the Metacritic score for Marvel's Wolverine you'd think Sony and Insomniac had made a massive misstep with the PlayStation 5 exclusive. Reviewers and players have been truly torn over the action-adventure, resulting in some wildly differing opinions.

And I'm not one to say anyone is wrong – reviewing and judging any form of entertainment is highly subjective. It'd be a boring world if we all liked (or hated) the same things. I just wonder how many of them played the game on PS5 Pro. For me, that makes a massive difference.

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Now obviously a game is only as good as its gameplay, which I'll come to in a bit, but one thing's indisputable – Marvel's Wolverine is a graphical showcase on the Pro.

Insomniac is renowned for eking performance out of PlayStation hardware, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart still among the best running games on Sony's mid-generation hardware. The same is true with Wolverine.

You get a healthy collection of picture options to choose from, which run at 30 and 60 frames per second, or 40 if you have a 120Hz TV (I ran it on a Philips OLED+950 – which is more than capable). Fidelity is obviously the sharpest at the cost of frame rate, but even opting for performance mode gives you a glorious picture on Pro.

In addition, you can choose whether to have advanced ray tracing switched on, which introduces some caveats but enhances some aspects if you're looking closely. Thankfully though, ray tracing is available by default anyway, including in performance mode, and considering it runs at a solid, locked 60fps, you'll never likely care.

The game is routinely stunning throughout, whether you are on the neon-soaked streets of Japan or snow covered scapes of Canada. It is as much a visual feast as the Spider-Man games, even if it's very different in genre and tone. And I think it's easily up there will the best-looking titles of 2026.

But what about the game, Bub?

Now we come to the gameplay, and this is the divisive bit. Those expecting a Spider-Man-like open world will be (and have been) disappointed. This is a balls-out combat action game befitting its hero – and it's also why I've found it refreshing.

I'm a big fan of the earlier action-adventure games lurking in PlayStation's past – like the early God of War and Devil May Cry outings. As with those, Wolverine has a modicum of exploration but is a linear fighting game at heart. It is also reminiscent of the glory days of single-player 2D scrolling beat-em-ups, throwing waves of enemies at you to hack, slash and maim.

That might seem unsophisticated in the modern era, but Insomniac's combat mechanics are so fast and smooth, it feels right – especially at 60fps. Basic attacks are simple to employ, while the game adds a selection of combos and special abilities as it progresses, which you can assign through a traditional-style skill tree.

By the third or fourth story mission, you'll be cutting a swathe through your foes in multiple ways – with gore flying around a-plenty. It's a bloody game for sure, which is to be expected considering you play a mutant with unbreakable knifes that extend from your knuckles, and it must be said that the engine that flings around crimson splatters and spray is one of the best ever created.

But that's not my reason to like it so much. Even though fights can get repetitive and the default difficulty is a little on the easy side, it's unique these days to get a AAA title that's so obviously designed for basic fun. You can largely switch off your brain and just play. It's why I also like EA Sports FC 27 so much, I use it to de-stress after a tough day – I really don't have to think much.

That won't be enough for some, admittedly. But it is for me.

And then there's the story

I'm also a big comic book fan, so really like Insomniac's take on Logan. The voice acting throughout the game is superb, especially Liam McIntyre (Spartacus: Vengeance) as the lead. As is the animation. And while the game strays from the comics' canon, being based in Insomniac's gamified take on the Marvel universe instead, the characters feel familiar while also given us new twists to get our teeth into.

In addition, for an action game, there's a decent 15 or so hours of well-written story, plus another few of side and collectable missions. Add some great Easter eggs and the ability to unlock classic Wolverine outfits and claws, and you're getting a decent amount of game for your money.

I get that this isn't exactly the game that we all expected when the first teaser trailer appeared five years ago, but it's good to see Insomniac branching out and trying something different. Considering how much flack open-world games regularly get, you can't blame it either.

As for myself, gameplay aside, I'm happy that the studio has provided yet another true visual showcase for my PS5 Pro – one that looks even more stunning on a 65-inch OLED. And as we're unlikely to get a PS6 anytime soon, that's enough for me for now.