👍 Marvel’s Wolverine has achieved a Metacritic score of 77
📉 That’s lower than Insomniac Games’ other superhero titles
😒 The game’s repetitive combat, hand-holding and messy story have been criticized
📅 Marvel’s Wolverine is a PS5 exclusive and is out on September 15, 2026
Marvel’s Wolverine is the latest comic-book adaptation from developer Insomniac games. But does it live up to the studio’s excellent Spider-Man games? Sadly, the consensus seems to be no.
Marvel’s Wolverine currently has a Metacritic score of 77 after 118 critic reviews. That still means the game has received generally favorable review scores, but compared to Marvel’s Spider-Man (87), Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (85), and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (90), Marvel’s Wolverine has clearly fallen short.
Here’s what the critics made of Marvel’s Wolverine, which is exclusive to PS5 and releases on September 15.
Hardcore Gamer was one of the few outlets that gave Marvel’s Wolverine a perfect score, saying:
“Marvel’s Wolverine is an absolute triumph in nearly every category, doing for the character what Marvel’s Spider-Man did for Spider-Man. The story is exceptional through its deep dive into Logan’s complex character, using both allies and villains and an overarching plot to deliver the best Wolverine performance since Hugh Jackman first stepped into the role.”
Game Informer praised the game’s graphics and sound, awarding Marvel’s Wolverine a score of 85/100:
“Insomniac’s latest action opus is beautiful to look at and listen to, and it plays like a dream. Whether you’re a fan of the wily mutant lead or you simply gravitate to taut, tightly animated combat like what you’d find in God of War or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Wolverine is an intense and unrelenting ride. It may not hit a lot of notes, but like Logan himself, it nails the vitals where it counts.”
TheSixthAxis also enjoyed Insomniac’s Wolverine adaptation, and gave the game an 8/10 in its review:
“Marvel’s Wolverine carves out its slot in a packed year for single-player adventures. The comparisons back to Insomniac's previous work are inevitable, and it's true that Wolverine's blood-soaked combat can feel more restrained and limited, but this globetrotting odyssey never outstays its welcome and sets the foundation for what could be a stone cold killer of a sequel.”
GamesRadar+ gave the game 6/10 and criticized the game’s combat and story:
“Marvel's Wolverine is a surprisingly average game let down by basic combat, a messy story, and the whelming feeling it could have all been a lot better. It's an enjoyable enough experience but one that lacks the depth, nuance and variety you'd expect.”
GameSpot also thought Marvel’s Wolverine was worthy of a 6/10 score:
“Wolverine is a difficult game to grapple with. As I’ve emphasized repeatedly, there’s nothing outright wrong or bad about it. It delivers an authentic, highly playable Wolverine experience. I don’t regret my time with it and, in fact, I left hoping there’s a sequel that makes good on what the game sets up. But at the same time, that inoffensiveness comes from the fact that it’s a barebones third-person action game executed in a no-frills way, with no real surprises. At best, it’s a fun but forgettable experience that’ll entertain you for a few hours. At worst, it shows that just because you can make really good superhero games with one character, that doesn’t mean you can make really super hero games with any character. Insomniac is an incredibly talented developer, but it shines with characters that allow it to flex its well-trained design muscles. Wolverine might be the best at what he does, but what he does hasn’t let Insomniac’s developers be the best at what they do.”
IGN was also not a fan of Marvel’s Wolverine, giving it a 6/10 in its review:
“Just like its hero’s adamantium core, Marvel’s Wolverine is built of sturdy stuff – it just fails to layer something special atop its initially satisfying action, which wears thin well before the conclusion as a result. I wish there was more variety, as the combat shows its hand early on and the level design plays it safe more often than not. That means this 15-hour campaign is largely carried by its story, which, while not revolutionary, is an enjoyable tale with good character work at times and a strong portrayal of X-Men’s lead. Marvel’s Wolverine is okay, just a step or two below Insomniac’s other superhero efforts.”
Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t sound like a bad game by any means, but it clearly doesn’t live up to the quality that many expect from Sony first-party exclusives, and specifically, developer Insomniac Games. If you’re a huge X-Men and Wolverine fan, it’s probably worth picking it up when it’s on sale.
Up next: Wolverine PS5 controller and console update: this is what’s still in stock
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.