by Marvel's Wolverine has finally arrived on PlayStation 5, marking the end of a long journey that began with an initial tease from Insomniac five years ago. Positioned as a more linear and visceral alternative to the studio's celebrated Spider-Man series, this single-player brawler promises bigger action set-pieces and a distinct, darker tone. Early anticipation suggested a tighter, more focused experience, and the final product delivers a compelling, albeit traditional, AAA action adventure - but what modes are the best choices on PS5? And does the game look meaningfully better on PS5 Pro?
The core of the experience here lies in the combat, which is meatier and not surprisingly M-rated. Insomniac has crafted a responsive system that prioritises player input and visual feedback, making each slash, kick and spin feel impactful. While the developer's earlier Spider-Man titles focus on non-lethal takedowns, Wolverine embraces a more violent approach. Combat is punctuated by blood-spattered hit reactions that provide a sense of brutality and weight - following a comic book sensibility that doesn't descend into gratuitous gore. The blood itself holds up to photo mode scrutiny, and exhibits some measure of persistence when staining the ground or dispersing into water.
This intensity extends beyond the characters, as the environment itself plays a dynamic role in the action. The game features impressive destructibility, with objects breaking into pre-scored chunks that scatter in response to player strikes. While some environmental elements remain static, the ability to tear through the scenery adds a layer of visual consequence that keeps the momentum high. It is a polished execution of a classic action formula, even if it lacks the open-ended depth of some modern genre peers.
Visually, the game is a strong performer, benefiting heavily from Insomniac's mastery of hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Unlike many console titles that lean on screen-space reflections, Wolverine uses hardware RT reflections across all PS5 graphics modes, creating convincing metallic and glossy surfaces throughout the world. Planar reflections are sometimes used for certain mirror surfaces, which exhibit enhanced detail relative to their ray traced counterparts.
The game’s diffuse GI isn’t quite as advanced. Wolverine seems to rely on a precalculated probe GI, supplemented by SSAO, which produces good enough results in most scenes. But some areas lack a strong sense of lighting directionality, with awkward SSAO coverage or objects that seem to glow. The upside of this approach is that the lighting essentially takes no time to cohere at all, avoiding the speckled noise patterns often associated with RTGI.
The PS5 Pro offers the premier way to experience the title, providing a clearer image and more robust settings thanks to the use of PSSR instead of the more basic upscaler used on base PS5 (likely Insomniac's IGTI). The console offers both fidelity and performance modes that resolve a clean 4K picture, with the performance mode providing a rock-solid 60fps experience.
The 30fps fidelity mode, while offering minor iterative improvements like superior foliage and shadows, is less impressive, though it does feature an advanced RT toggle for those seeking extra visual flair, which adds in screen-space GI, ray-traced ambient occlusion and higher-res RT reflections. We'd suggest keeping this enabled in fidelity mode, though it doesn't add that much to the game. With advanced RT disabled, internal resolutions are about 1440p for performance mode and 1800p for fidelity mode in most scenes, though PSSR homogenises these differences. With advanced RT, this drops somewhat, but actual resolved image quality remains similar. Performance remains close to a locked 30 or 60fps depending on mode.
Standard PS5 owners are not left behind, as the base console still delivers a highly competent performance. While image quality is slightly softer with more noticeable aliasing compared to the Pro, the core experience remains smooth and visually impressive. Both performance and fidelity modes achieve stable frame rates, with performance mode at roughly 1296p and fidelity mode at 1800p on the base machine.
Flexibility is a hallmark of the release, with robust support for 120Hz displays and VRR displays across both PS5 models. Players can opt for 40fps fidelity targets (with slightly lowered resolutions) or fully unlocked configurations that push frame rates higher, sometimes significantly so. While the 60fps performance mode is the easiest recommendation on both consoles, it's worth experimenting with these additional options if you have the necessary display hardware.
Ultimately, Marvel's Wolverine succeeds by doubling down on a focused, polished, and highly satisfying combat loop. It may not push the boundaries of open-ended gameplay, but it offers a superbly crafted adventure that justifies its existence in a crowded market. By mastering the fundamentals and delivering a consistent, high-quality experience on both PS5 and PS5 Pro, Insomniac has once again proven their prowess in creating definitive superhero action.