After yesterday’s State of Play, Insomniac clarified in interviews one of the most pressing dilemmas surrounding the game – Marvel’s Wolverine will not be open world. Game director Mike Daly made it clear: “We didn’t want to do an open world or sandbox game. We wanted a tense, linear single-player action title, and the missions reflect that.”
Unlike the Spider-Man games that are built around free exploration of New York, Wolverine is conceived as a “globetrotting adventure” that takes the player from location to location – Japan, Madripoor, Canada – with a focus on a story that holds the attention from start to finish. There are certain sections where you can explore more freely and look for collectibles, but that’s not the heart of it; experiences.
Why linear makes sense for Logan
The developer’s argument is convincing. Spider-Man works as an open world because the character is closely tied to New York – walking around the city is part of his identity. Wolverine is a different animal: more brutal, more direct, with a story that requires rhythm and tension. Free roaming in the open world would break that.
That said, the game carries an M rating – the blood, violence and dismemberment of enemies are there, with Insomniac offering the option to reduce or completely turn it off for those who don’t like it.
As for Spider-Man – he won’t appear, even though that the action takes place in the same Insomniac’s Marvel universe. Jean Gray is confirmed as a comrade, with telekinetic abilities that open up new possibilities in combat and stealth sections. The release remains on September 15, exclusively on PS5.