Marvel’s Wolverine had every reason to be one of the most natural projects in the PlayStation catalog: Logan has claws, heightened senses, regenerative abilities, and a personal backstory that seems tailored for close-quarters combat, chase scenes, and high-octane violence. Yet, just days away from its release scheduled for September 15 on PS5, the first international reviews describe a more uneven result than expected. Insomniac Games seems to have nailed the character’s portrayal, but not always the game built around him.
The verdict emerging from Eurogamer, GamesRadar, and Polygon is severe on one point in particular: Marvel’s Wolverine struggles to translate its identity into an equally distinctive gameplay proposition. The most positive take acknowledges the value of a solid action-adventure and a well-written protagonist; the others point instead to marked disappointment, going so far as to call the game one of the heaviest missteps of the PS5 era. It is hardly a debut met with the unanimity that greeted the Spider-Man titles from the same studio.
A less predictable Logan than usual
The aspect reviewers agree on most is Logan’s characterization. Insomniac does not simply rely on the gruff, brooding mutant ready to explode with rage—a narrative archetype heavily explored in contemporary blockbusters. This Wolverine is also portrayed as a figure capable of vulnerability, empathy, and even apologizing. It is a choice that breathes fresh air into a worn archetype without distorting the character: he remains a brutal fighter, but he is not defined solely by his violence.
The setting chosen for the story also matters. The game does not kick off with the traditional X-Men lineup: in this universe, the group—at least under that name—does not exist. Instead, Logan operates within Team X, a squad pulled from a lesser-known corner of Marvel lore and reimagined for the occasion. The decision gives Insomniac greater leeway, avoiding the need to present Wolverine as merely one member of an already familiar ensemble and allowing him to take center stage in the narrative.
According to Eurogamer, the protagonist's sheer charisma sustains many of the gameplay hours. It is an achievement that is anything but minor for a title based on a Marvel license, where superficial fidelity to the character is not enough: a credible voice, demeanor, and relationships are essential. From what reviews report, Wolverine seems to possess these qualities. The problem is that they are not always enough to make up for what happens with controller in hand.
Linearity does not translate into focus
Marvel’s Wolverine abandons the expansive format associated with Insomniac's recent Spider-Man titles, opting instead for a more linear progression. On paper, it is a sensible direction. Logan does not necessarily require a city to traverse, and a guided adventure could have focused on dense environments, memorable encounters, and a more controlled pace. Reviews, however, suggest that this choice does not deliver the hoped-for tightness.
Eurogamer speaks of a path that ends up being long and repetitive, despite the linear structure. Polygon is even harsher in assessing the experience, while GamesRadar notes the absence of that distinctive spark capable of making the project take off. The core issue, then, is not the lack of an open world: a guided structure can be an asset. Rather, it is the difficulty in making every segment feel necessary, varied, and memorable that weighs down the overall outcome.
This criticism fits into a broader debate surrounding Sony's first-party productions. In recent years, many high-budget games have shared an instantly recognizable repertoire: progression via unlockable skills, climbing sequences, stealth sections, parries, environmental indicators, light side activities, and meter-fed special moves. Taken individually, these are effective tools that have become second nature to audiences. The risk arises when their presence stops serving the needs of a character or a world, turning instead into a design shortcut.
The weight of the Sony formula on Insomniac's game
Wolverine seems to suffer from this very proximity to the design language of major PlayStation action games. Sources do not deny that combat can be fun, nor that some of its conventions are necessarily a flaw. However, they point to an approach that is overly derivative and struggles to surprise. For a character with such distinct physicality, the implicit comparison is especially demanding: claws and regeneration could have inspired a combat, risk, and movement system with its own rules, rather than merely a variation on the genre's established conventions.
Logan's regeneration, for instance, is an ability with immense gameplay potential because it alters the balance between damage, exposure, and aggression. His keen senses and athletic prowess can also be woven into exploration and navigation without feeling foreign to the narrative universe. Yet reviews suggest these ideas fail to forge a strong enough identity across the entire campaign. The result is reportedly a competent game, punctuated by well-executed moments, but all too often predictable in its sequence of encounters and objectives.
This aspect warrants attention also because Insomniac comes to Wolverine with a formidable reputation in the realm of superhero adaptations. Marvel’s Spider-Man struck an effective balance between mobility, spectacular combat, and accessible storytelling; mechanically repeating that formula with Logan, however, would have been impossible. Spider-Man thrives on momentum, verticality, and traversal freedom. Wolverine, by contrast, demands a heavier, close-quarters, and more vulnerable physicality, even with the ability to heal wounds. Treating the two heroes as mere variations of the same action-adventure template is precisely what the new game needed to steer clear of.
What to expect at launch
Marvel’s Wolverine will be available from September 15 on PS5; Eurogamer tested the title on PS5 Pro. Initial reviews do not point to a technical disaster, nor do they question the protagonist's appeal, but they outline a game that could divide players. Those looking for a Marvel adventure focused on Logan and his more emotional side may find solid reasons to play it. Those expecting a new benchmark for third-person action games, or a clear evolution of the Sony formula, should instead temper their expectations.
The real test will come with player reactions and a deeper analysis of its mechanics following the launch. For Sony, the title remains significant nonetheless: it shows how difficult it is to expand a strategy built on high-budget narrative productions without making them feel too similar to one another. Wolverine features an ideal video game protagonist; early reviews suggest that, this time around, the strength of the character does not always match the quality of his adventure.
