‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ Review Scores Are In — And It’s No ‘Spider-Man 2’

Insomniac Games has a lot to prove with ‘Marvel’s Wolverine.’ The studio became one of PlayStation’s biggest names after the success of its ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’ games, so its first major move away from Peter Parker comes with huge expectations. Now that reviews are out, it looks like Logan’s first Insomniac adventure is landing well with critics, but it is not reaching the same heights as the studio’s Spider-Man games.

According to Metacritic, ‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ currently has a score of 78. OpenCritic has it slightly higher at around 80 to 81, with the game receiving a “Strong” rating. Around 79 percent of critics are recommending it based on OpenCritic’s current numbers. Those scores make it a solid release, but they also show that the game has not received the kind of near-universal praise that followed some of Insomniac’s biggest Spider-Man titles.

The biggest reason for the difference may be the type of game Insomniac has made. ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’ was built around an open world, fast movement and the freedom to swing across New York whenever players wanted. ‘Wolverine’ takes a more focused approach. The game puts much more attention on Logan, his story and brutal close-range combat. That change seems to have worked for some critics, while others wanted more freedom and variety.

The individual reviews show just how divided the response has been. IGN, GamesRadar+ and GameSpot each gave the game 6 out of 10. CGMagazine, PS LifeStyle and ScreenRant were more positive with 7 out of 10 scores. On the other side, Destructoid, Push Square and TheGamer gave the game 8 out of 10, while DualShockers and Wccftech went even higher with 8.5 out of 10.

TheGamer’s George Foster was especially impressed by the story and combat. In his four-out-of-five review, he wrote that “Marvel’s Wolverine gets its claws in deep with a memorable, emotional, and high-stakes story, wonderful interpretations of Logan, Jean, and the rest of the cast, and brutally satisfying combat that distils the core of the character down to every snikt and claw pop.” Foster also suggested that the game feels like an important first step toward a larger X-Men universe from Insomniac.

Wccftech’s Alessio Palumbo also gave the game an 8.5 out of 10. His review focused on how well Insomniac handled a character who plays very differently from Spider-Man. “Marvel’s Wolverine is a very different game from Insomniac’s Spider-Man adaptations, but it shows the developer really understands this hero, too,” Palumbo wrote. He also praised the story for keeping him interested throughout the experience.

Some critics were less convinced by the gameplay. Repetitive combat and limited player choice have been mentioned as problems, while the more linear design has not worked for everyone. These complaints help explain why the final average is lower than what Insomniac achieved with Spider-Man.

That comparison is impossible to avoid. The original ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’ scored 87 on Metacritic, while ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ reached 85. ‘Spider-Man 2’ went even higher with a 90. With ‘Wolverine’ sitting at 78, there is a clear gap between Logan’s early critical reception and the studio’s previous Marvel work.

Still, a 78 is far from a disaster. ‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ is launching on September 15 exclusively for PS5, and these scores suggest that Insomniac has delivered a game that many critics enjoy, even if it does not completely match the studio’s Spider-Man run. The game is also expected to be the first part of a larger X-Men plan, meaning its real importance could go beyond its launch score.

If players connect with Logan, the game could give Insomniac a strong foundation for its planned X-Men trilogy. For now, though, the reviews make one thing clear: ‘Wolverine’ is being received as a different kind of Marvel game, rather than simply the next ‘Spider-Man.’

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