Summary
✓Reviewed by Laura Bennett Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine arrives on PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026, carrying a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100 across more than 113 critic reviews — the studio's lowest-rated Marvel game to date and...
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Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine arrives on PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026, carrying a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100 across more than 113 critic reviews — the studio’s lowest-rated Marvel game to date and a significant step down from the Spider-Man trilogy that defined its superhero era. The PS5 exclusive has divided critics, with praise for its visceral combat system but widespread criticism of its linear structure and lack of ambition compared to Insomniac’s open-world predecessors.
Review Scores Land Below Expectations
The review embargo for Marvel’s Wolverine lifted on September 10, 2026, at 8:00 AM Pacific Time, and the scores painted a picture that Sony’s PlayStation Studios likely did not anticipate. On Metacritic, the game settled at 78 based on 113 critic reviews, with 74 percent of those reviews rated positive and 26 percent mixed. No reviews were outright negative. On OpenCritic, the game scored approximately 79 to 80, with roughly 75 percent of critics recommending it.
For context, Insomniac’s three prior Marvel titles all scored considerably higher: Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) earned an 87, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) hit 85, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023) reached 90. A 78 represents a notable decline for a studio that had established itself as Sony’s premier superhero game developer. As Forbes’ Paul Tassi wrote when the score first came in on September 10, the number marked a clear departure from the trajectory PlayStation had expected for its next major first-party exclusive.
What the Critics Said
Individual outlet scores ranged widely. Push Square awarded the game an 8 out of 10, describing it as a title that “ends the open-world streak at Insomniac for an intentional and linear superhuman title that revels in its gory, intense combat system.” At the other end, both IGN and GameSpot scored it 6 out of 10, and Giant Bomb gave it 2.5 out of 5.
Eurogamer’s review, which gave the game 3 out of 5, offered one of the most quoted assessments: “Wolverine’s characterisation is a bright spot in this otherwise underwhelming, old-school romp that reminds us how far action games have come.” Polygon delivered the harshest high-profile take, calling it “the biggest disappointment of the PS5 era” in a verdict catalogued across review aggregators.
Kotaku’s assessment summarised the middle ground that most reviewers occupied, describing Marvel’s Wolverine as “a solid if somewhat uninspiring romp.” The publication noted that a Metacritic score of 78 existed partly because numerous smaller international outlets awarded the game 9s and 10s, while the larger and more established sites were more reserved in their praise.
Review Score Breakdown
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| COGconnected | 100/100 |
| Hardcore Gamer | 5/5 |
| DualShockers | 8.5/10 |
| Wccftech | 8.5/10 |
| Push Square | 8/10 |
| CGMagazine | 7/10 |
| IGN | 6/10 |
| GameSpot | 6/10 |
| VGC | 6/10 |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 |
| Giant Bomb | 2.5/5 |
Source: Metacritic and OpenCritic aggregations as of September 13, 2026. Individual scores from published reviews.
A Linear Departure From Open-World Tradition
The most significant talking point among reviewers is the game’s structure. After three open-world Spider-Man titles, Insomniac opted for a tighter, more linear action experience with Wolverine. The campaign reportedly runs approximately 15 hours, and the shift away from the open-world formula that defined the studio’s PlayStation 4 and PS5 output has proven divisive.
Reviewers who embraced the change praised the focused pacing and the freedom it gave Insomniac to build more elaborate combat encounters around Wolverine’s brutal melee abilities. Those who criticised it argued that the game does not quite justify its tighter scope. As The Sixth Axis noted on September 12, the linear structure is the main point of contention among critics, with supporters viewing it as an intentional creative choice and detractors seeing it as a step backward.
Combat Earns Widespread Praise
Where nearly all critics found common ground was in praising the combat system. Wolverine’s melee-focused gameplay, which leans heavily into gore and the character’s regenerative healing factor, was consistently highlighted as the game’s strongest element. Push Square’s review specifically called out the “gory, intense combat system” as the feature that most clearly distinguishes the game from Insomniac’s Spider-Man titles.
The game’s Mature rating — a first for Insomniac’s Marvel output — allowed the studio to explore a level of violence and tonal darkness that the Spider-Man games could not. Multiple reviews noted that the combat successfully captures the feel of playing as Wolverine, even if the missions and environments surrounding those encounters do not always match the quality of the moment-to-moment action. Players with a PlayStation 5 Pro may see enhanced performance, though specific Pro enhancement details had not been widely detailed in the pre-launch review coverage.
Sony’s Weakest PS5 First-Party Score Since Concord
The 78 Metacritic score places Marvel’s Wolverine in uncomfortable company within Sony’s PS5 portfolio. Gagadget reported on September 11 that the score makes Wolverine “Sony’s weakest PS5 exclusive since Concord,” the multiplayer shooter that was pulled from sale within two weeks of its August 2024 launch. Among the 20 first-party PlayStation Studios PS5 releases, Wolverine now sits 19th in terms of Metacritic score.
That comparison comes with caveats. Concord scored far lower and was a commercial disaster, while Wolverine’s 78 still qualifies as “Generally Favorable” and no critic reviews were negative. But the figure underscores the elevated expectations that come with the Insomniac and Marvel brands. When Spider-Man 2 scored a 90 in 2023, it set a benchmark that Wolverine was always going to be measured against.
What Singapore Gamers Should Know
Marvel’s Wolverine launches as a PS5 console exclusive on September 15, 2026. Singapore retailers have the standard edition priced at the usual first-party rate. No PC release date has been announced, though Sony’s track record of bringing its exclusives to PC within one to two years means a later port remains likely.
For Singapore players weighing whether to pick up the game at launch, the critical consensus suggests a solidly built but unspectacular action game that delivers on combat but may leave those expecting Spider-Man-scale scope feeling underwhelmed. The 15-hour campaign length also puts it on the shorter side for a full-price PS5 exclusive.
What Comes Next
The launch-week sales data for Marvel’s Wolverine will be closely watched by industry observers. Despite the mixed critical reception, the Wolverine brand and Insomniac’s reputation could still drive strong initial sales. The question is whether word of mouth sustains that momentum or whether the game follows the pattern of recent PS5 exclusives that debuted to solid but unremarkable commercial performance.
Insomniac Games has not announced any post-launch DLC plans for Wolverine. The studio’s next confirmed project remains unclear, though speculation continues about whether a third Spider-Man game or an entirely new Marvel property will follow. For now, all eyes are on how September 15 launch-day player reception compares to the verdict the critics have already delivered.
