Marvel's Wolverine PS5 Reviews Land at 77, Insomniac's Lowest This Generation
The performances and presentation won critics over; the combat loop and a heavily guided campaign are where scores from 2.5/5 to 8.5/10 part ways.
Marvel's Wolverine has been out on PS5 since 15 September, and the critical verdict is now settled: a Metacritic score of 77, "generally favourable", from just over 100 reviews on review day, 10 September. That makes Insomniac's first solo X-Men game a solid release rather than the event its studio pedigree promised, and the spread of individual scores is unusually wide for a Sony first-party launch.
For PS5 owners still deciding whether to buy, the useful part is not the average but the reasons behind it: almost every review agrees on what Wolverine does well, and they disagree on how much the weaker parts matter.
How to read this: aggregate scores move as late reviews arrive. The 77 figure is the one Push Square and TheGamer both reported on review day; later counts on aggregators have put it a point either side. Individual scores below are as published by each outlet.
The Scores: 77 on Metacritic
Push Square reported the 77 from just over 100 evaluations on 10 September, and TheGamer's round-up logged the same figure the same day. The headline number hides a split that is visible as soon as you look at individual outlets:
| Outlet | Score | In one line |
|---|---|---|
| Wccftech | 8.5/10 | Among the most positive verdicts |
| Push Square | 8/10 | Combat carries a restrictive campaign |
| TheGamer | 4/5 | Memorable story, satisfying combat |
| VGC | 3/5 | Strong narrative, uninspired gameplay |
| GameSpot | 6/10 | Only aims as high as its hero |
| Giant Bomb | 2.5/5 | Good combat let down by pacing and agency |
Wccftech, TheGamer and Giant Bomb scores as collected by TheGamer; Push Square, VGC and GameSpot from their own reviews.
What Critics Liked
The consensus strength is the cast. VGC's review, one of the more critical ones, still singles out Liam McIntyre's Logan as an authentic take that does not lean on previous portrayals, and praises the relationship between Logan and Jean Grey and Troy Baker's turn as Essex. TheGamer's reviewer called the story memorable and emotional, and most outlets rate the presentation highly: detailed character models and distinct locations, with Madripoor and Tokyo both named.
Several reviews also read the ending as Insomniac laying groundwork for a wider X-Men line-up on PS5. Nothing has been announced beyond Wolverine itself, so treat that as critics' interpretation, not a roadmap.
Where the Reviews Split
The disagreement is about how it plays. VGC found the combat dated and repetitive, with little change between the opening hours and the finale, claws that lack impact against armoured enemies, and bosses that come down to parrying. It also criticised how often the game takes control away for walk-and-talk sequences. Giant Bomb's complaint was similar in kind: good fights undermined by pacing and limited player agency.
Push Square came down on the other side of the same evidence. Its 8/10 calls the campaign restrictive and the story dull, but rates the combat highly enough to carry it. If you enjoy a tightly scripted, linear action game, the reviews that score it highest are describing the game you want; if you came for the freedom of Insomniac's Spider-Man games, the critical ones are the better guide.
That structural point matters more than any single score. As our preview round-up noted in August, Wolverine is a linear game, not an open world, and TheGamer's round-up made the same argument: comparisons with Spider-Man's web-swinging are not entirely fair to a game built around enclosed levels.
Why 77 Stands Out for Insomniac
By most studios' standards a 77 is a good result. For Insomniac it is an outlier. Push Square pointed out that the studio had no game below 85 on Metacritic earlier in this generation, and on its list of first-party PS5 releases only Days Gone Remastered (78) and Concord (62) sit near or below Wolverine. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is at 90, Miles Morales at 85.
That context explains why the scores became a talking point, and why GameSpot ran a separate piece arguing the reaction online had become harsher than the reviews themselves. Neither Insomniac nor Sony has commented publicly on the reception.
Who Should Play It
Buy it now if… you want a cinematic, character-led action game and rate performances and presentation above mechanical depth. The high-scoring reviews describe exactly that.
Wait if… repetitive combat or heavy hand-holding put you off other linear action games. The critical reviews are consistent on both, and a price drop or trial costs you nothing.
If you are weighing the hardware too, our piece on the Marvel's Wolverine PS5 bundle covers what it includes. For the background on the game's development and confirmed features, see what Insomniac confirmed before launch.
The Bottom Line
Marvel's Wolverine is a well-acted, good-looking PS5 exclusive that critics broadly liked without loving. The 77 reflects a real split: the story and cast earn praise almost everywhere, while combat variety and a tightly guided campaign divide reviewers. Read the review that matches what you want from an action game. Do not go by the average.