It’s hard to say how Marvel’s Wolverine will measure up against Insomniac’s Spider-Man ventures, but a recent development indicates that it’s going to be better in at least one major way. Insomniac has confirmed that, unlike the Spider-Man games, and most notably, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Wolverine will feature New Game+ and a level-select feature on day one.
As Marvel’s Spider-Man fans know all too well, Insomniac has gotten into an unusual habit with its integration of New Game Plus. In the case of the first Marvel’s Spider-Man, the mode was added a little more than a month post-launch. This wasn’t terrible: a month isn’t too long of a wait for the average player (AKA not the type who beats the game in one or two sittings), and you could say that Insomniac was prompted to add the mode due to the overwhelming popularity and support for the game. But Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 didn’t launch with NG+ either, which was quite odd, considering that Insomniac had already set a precedent for the feature in the series. To make matters worse, it took a whopping four months to add NG+ to the game, and then, it proved to be fairly Spartan in terms of content on offer.
Marvel’s Wolverine Is Tackling Spider-Man’s New Game+ Problem Head-On
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Few reasonable people would argue that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘s launch-day omission of New Game+ constitutes a game-ruining failure, but it’s definitely a strange choice. After all, NG+ is a common feature, and has been for decades, so you would think there would be relatively few complications getting it out the door.
Whatever the reasons were behind Spider-Man 2‘s NG+ delay, it’s safe to say that the wait had an incendiary effect on the game’s most dedicated players. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 isn’t a very long game, and considering that fans had been anticipating it eagerly for four years (or more realistically, six, since Spider-Man: Miles Morales is more like a standalone DLC), there was a lot of “no-lifing” going on. In other words, many Spider-Man 2 players beat the game quickly, and were left with a surprisingly sparse amount of content to explore.
Few reasonable people would argue that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘s launch-day omission of New Game+ constitutes a game-ruining failure, but it’s definitely a strange choice.
This issue was exacerbated by the fact that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 never got any DLC, while the first Marvel’s Spider-Man received three expansions over the course of three months immediately post-launch. Just in case you’re not tracking the math, that means that, in the time that it took for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to get NG+, Marvel’s Spider-Man had already gotten the feature, plus three substantive story DLCs.
Speaking personally, while I enjoy Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, I’ve also criticized it for a number of shortcomings, including its general failure to meaningfully iterate upon the foundation set by its predecessors. The failure to include NG+ is a small example of this disappointing stagnation. Then you have the fact that, as far as new content in NG+ goes, Spider-Man 2 keeps things pretty standard, offering a handful of cosmetic unlocks and only minor mechanical differences, like Suit Tech Fusion. It was a bit too little, too late.
Marvel’s Wolverine’s New Game+ Actually Sounds Quite Compelling
As a linear, level-based game, Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t necessarily need New Game+, at least in the way that the average RPG or survival horror game presents it: level-select works just fine for this kind of game. Thankfully, Marvel’s Wolverine will include level-select as an option independent of NG+, letting players dive back in to particular missions to dot their i’s and cross their t’s. Marvel’s Wolverine will feature collectibles and standalone trials called Nightmare Doors in each level, so it seems like there will definitely be strong incentives for using this feature.
For those who want to run through the Marvel’s Wolverine campaign again from the first beat, New Game+ serves as a more holistic option. Naturally, you can pick up various collectibles or complete certain challenges this way, but Insomniac is also including some new mechanical options for those who want to experience the game a second time. These new options fall under two categories:
- Techniques: active abilities, some of them on a cooldown
- Adaptations: passive buffs that can be mixed and matched for playstyle tuning
It remains to be seen how great of an impact these new options ultimately have on the Marvel’s Wolverine experience, but expanding progression through a new playthrough is generally a good idea. It’s something we can often take for granted in more free-form progression systems, like those in Dark Souls or Elden Ring, but giving the player the tools to grow meaningfully stronger on a second playthrough can significantly enhance replay value.
For one thing, new abilities or higher power ceilings can serve as great incentives for a repeat playthrough. I’m not the most avid game-replayer—guilt stemming from my ever-growing backlog generally keeps me from beating most games twice—but I’ll be far more likely to replay a game if I can get new rewards or experience new content in the process. Without this design philosophy, I may never have been urged to replay Lies of P, for example.
Additionally, a second playthrough of Marvel’s Wolverine can allow for a more robust and multifaceted power fantasy, thanks to these new upgrades. Logan can grow even more effective on the battlefield, further supplementing the various gear and upgrades you’ll carry over as part of NG+ in the first place. Furthermore, this serves as a wise counterweight for anyone who wants to crank up the game’s difficulty for a repeat playthrough.
I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how Marvel’s Wolverine comes together as a whole product, and how great an impact replay value has on that whole. If Marvel’s Wolverine can keep players hooked through solid NG+ design at launch, something that was pointedly absent in its predecessors, it could have longer legs and leave a more indelible mark on the industry landscape.
- Released
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September 15, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
