Insomniac offered a new look at Wolverine to open today’s Sony State of Play presentation. The new gameplay presentation shows Logan fighting his way through a group of Reavers to save a group of mutant children. If there’s one thing that the presentation makes clear right from the jump, it’s that Wolverine does not pull his punches. The entire demo is bloody, violent, and filled with brutal slashing injuries on a moment-to-moment basis. We also get a first look at one of the most integral characters from the X-Men fiction making her debut in the game, as Jean Grey shows up to bring her telekinetic mutant gifts into the fight.
The demonstration includes an extensive infiltration sequence that shows off some of Wolverine’s traversal capability, which involves jumping and sliding along his claws. Claw attacks are unabashedly brutal, with kill animations showing limb removal, head-piercings, and more. Shortly into the demo, we see the telltale pink telekinetic power effects of Jean Grey, as she levitates down into the battle to take out some Reavers. Given the complex friendship and relationship between the two characters in the comics, it’s one of the more exciting character additions we’ve seen so far, joining the likes of Mystique and Sabretooth.
After Jean’s arrival, the combat continues into an intense motorcycle chase after the kidnapped mutant kids, including a miniboss-esque fight atop a moving truck, where Wolverine takes a bunch of damage, and we get to see a button-tapping sequence that lets him rapidly heal. Of the many impressive visual feats on display in the new gameplay, the healing of flesh over top of Logan’s adamantium bones is certainly one of the most impressive.
Wolverine continues to look amazing, if decidedly mature in its presentation, every time we’ve seen it in action. The inclusion of familiar Marvel cameos is also a ton of fun, opening the door to the ways this game could act as a gateway into more Marvel adventures in the future.
Insomniac is targeting a September 15 launch for Wolverine on PlayStation 5.