Insomniac Games, fresh off the success of its Marvel's Spider-Man series, has faced a critical cooling with its new title, Marvel's Wolverine. While not a commercial failure, the game has garnered a mixed reception from critics, falling below the high standards set by the studio and for major PlayStation exclusives. As of this writing, the game holds scores of 77 on Metacritic and 81 on OpenCritic, a marked departure from the acclaimed scores typically associated with Insomniac's output.
Mainstream critics have largely expressed underwhelm. IGN's review highlighted the story as a strong point but found the combat, while initially engaging, became repetitive over the game's duration, ultimately deeming the experience merely "okay." Similar sentiments were echoed by Kotaku, which acknowledged the game's refreshing simplicity in an era of overstuffed AAA titles and its effective exploration of the X-Men's themes of oppression. However, the review also noted that both the action and the portrayal of Logan's internal conflicts could be one-dimensional, suggesting a hope that a future installment would avoid feeling stagnant.
Some critics have been more direct in their criticism. YouTube critic Skill Up delivered a strong negative recommendation, pointing to an "uneven story and sub-par combat" that failed to justify the game's length. The critic also levied heavy criticism against the game's design, describing it as "obnoxious" and "hand-holding" due to constant guidance, pop-up reminders, and excessive sign-posting, viewing it as a prime example of dated AAA design trends.
Eurogamer's assessment noted that Marvel's Wolverine adheres closely to trends seen in other first-party Sony action titles, such as God of War. Despite this observation, the review found the characterization of Logan to be a surprisingly positive aspect, presenting a version of the character that is "openly vulnerable, emotive, apologetic, kind," and ultimately charming.
Polygon's own review characterized Marvel's Wolverine as a significant disappointment for the PS5 generation, suggesting it felt like a calculated attempt to engineer an award-winning game. While acknowledging the visceral combat and spectacle, the review concluded that these elements could not compensate for a melodramatic story striving to cover too many emotional beats within its runtime.
Marvel's Wolverine is scheduled for release exclusively on PS5 on September 15.