Insomniac Games' highly anticipated Marvel's Wolverine title has launched, and early reviews suggest a competent, though not groundbreaking, experience. While the game has been lauded for its strong character work and visceral combat, many critics point to repetitive gameplay loops and a lack of depth that prevent it from reaching the heights of the studio's previous PlayStation 5 exclusives.
Several outlets highlighted the game's success in adapting the iconic mutant. DualShockers awarded it an 8.5, calling it a "gripping, emotional bloodbath" that explores trauma and regret, with combat that is a step up from Insomniac's Spider-Man, despite lacking its predecessor's freedom. Game Informer also gave it an 8.5, praising its "high speed, brutal slashing, and unstoppable force" and describing it as an "intense and unrelenting ride" that "doesn't wear out its welcome."
IGN's 6/10 review emphasized the strong characterization, noting Liam McIntyre's performance grants Logan "a personality to match his trademark blades – a sharp, surprising hidden depth." However, the gameplay "wears thin well before the conclusion." Similarly, Shacknews' 8/10 review found "excellent character moments" and "deeply satisfying" combat, but acknowledged it became "repetitive" over time.
Other reviewers found the gameplay's shortcomings more pronounced. GamesRadar and VGC both gave the game 3/5. GamesRadar noted that while the mid-game offers a "lively, layered, and just a fun place to be," the rest of the game feels "thin," consisting of "boxy corridors" and "shallow combat luges." VGC stated that the "third-person hacking and slashing is fine, but it barely evolves from hour one until hour twelve," with additional abilities feeling "ineffective" compared to Logan's standard moveset.
TechRadar's 4/5 review echoed these sentiments, describing the fighting mechanics as suffering from a "lack of meaningful depth" despite being "visceral, varied, and extremely violent." GameSpot's 6/10 review found Wolverine to be "a fun but forgettable experience," noting that the character's limitations, especially when compared to the open-world dynamism of the Spider-Man games, prevented Insomniac from fully showcasing their capabilities.
The Guardian's 3/5 review found the combat lacked the impact of the Batman Arkham series and the fluidity of Spider-Man, ultimately feeling like a "chore." Giant Bomb offered one of the lowest scores at 2.5/5, questioning the applicability of the Spider-Man template to a character like Wolverine and finding that the approach "often doesn’t" make sense. Even generally positive outlets like Eurogamer (3/5) found the combat repetitive, leading to a "glaze over" effect.
This mixed reception arrives at a challenging time for PlayStation, which has recently faced scrutiny over its live-service game strategies, a high-profile project cancellation involving Hideo Kojima, and a controversial decision to end physical disc production in 2028. While Wolverine is a significant PlayStation 5 exclusive, its reception suggests it may not be the unqualified success Sony had hoped for, leaving some to feel "a little better about not getting it."