Marvel's Wolverine Review Roundup

Marvel's Wolverine (Image: Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment, via IGN)

Marvel's Wolverine launched September 15 on PlayStation 5, and now that the reviews have settled, here's where it landed. Insomniac Games moved away from the open worlds of its Spider-Man games for a more linear, very bloody action game built around Logan's claws. Critics are split: the game holds a 77 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic, with 63% of critics recommending it. That's well below Insomniac's Spider-Man games, and the scores range from perfect marks to a few 5s.

Almost everyone praises the fast, brutal combat, the visuals, and the take on Logan and the rest of the cast. The criticism is mostly about the combat getting repetitive, uneven pacing, a melodramatic story, and design that feels dated and hand-holding next to Insomniac's best work.

Aggregate Scores

• OpenCritic: 77 Top Critic Average, 63% of critics recommend – opencritic.com

Marvel's Wolverine (Image: Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment, via Eurogamer)

What the Critics Are Saying

• Hardcore Gamer (5/5): A triumph that does for Wolverine what Marvel's Spider-Man did for Spider-Man. – Hardcore Gamer
• Game Informer (8.5/10): "It may not hit a lot of notes, but like Logan himself, it nails the vitals where it counts." – Game Informer
• DualShockers (8.5/10): "A fun, blood-soaked journey that will have you feeling like a badass while also tugging at your heartstrings." – DualShockers
• TheGamer (4/5): "A memorable, emotional, and high-stakes story" with "brutally satisfying combat that distils the core of the character down to every snikt and claw pop." – TheGamer
• Shacknews (8/10): "An action-heavy superhero game that does an excellent job adapting the iconic mutant." – Shacknews
• TheSixthAxis (8/10): The combat can feel more limited, but it "never outstays its welcome" and sets up "what could be a stone cold killer of a sequel." – TheSixthAxis
• GameRant (8/10): Takes on "the impossible task of bringing an unkillable killing machine to an interactive medium." – GameRant
• PlayStation LifeStyle (7/10): Some of the year's best action when it's firing on all cylinders, but it "isn't able to crawl out from under the shadow of its spiritual predecessors." – PlayStation LifeStyle
• Game Revolution (7/10): Worth playing for X-Men and Insomniac fans, "but those expecting Spider-Man-level quality will be unpleasantly surprised." – Game Revolution
• Tom's Guide (3.5/5): A slick superhero romp with extremely violent but "highly repetitive" combat. – Tom's Guide
• IGN (6/10): "Slick and satisfying combat wears thin well before its conclusion," and even strong character work "can't quite save it from being anything more than okay." – IGN
• GameSpot (6/10): "At best, it's a fun but forgettable experience that'll entertain you for a few hours." – GameSpot
• Eurogamer (3/5): "Wolverine's characterisation is a bright spot in this otherwise underwhelming, old-school romp." – Eurogamer
• The Jimquisition (5/10): "Marvel's Wolverine isn't the best at what it does." – The Jimquisition
• Giant Bomb (2.5/5): "Momentary sparks of fun," but mediocre storytelling and poor pacing left the reviewer "very bored far too often." – Giant Bomb

The consensus: Marvel's Wolverine nails how it feels to be Logan, with fast, gory, great-looking combat and a well-played cast. It doesn't reach the heights of Insomniac's Spider-Man games, and many critics say the combat wears thin and the structure feels old-fashioned. Wolverine fans who want a tight, linear, very bloody action game will probably have a good time. Players hoping for Spider-Man-level ambition may want to wait for a sale. It's out now on PS5.

More Reading

• OpenCritic: https://opencritic.com/game/17842/marvels-wolverine
• IGN review: https://www.ign.com/articles/marvels-wolverine-review
• Game Informer review: https://gameinformer.com/review/marvels-wolverine/relentless-momentum