By Isaac Kereakos
Writer/Reporter

Marvel and X-Men fans were given reason to celebrate on Sept. 15 as the highly anticipated PlayStation title “Marvel’s Wolverine” was finally released after being announced more than five years ago. Created by Insomniac, the same company behind the critically acclaimed “Marvel’s Spider-Man” series set in the same universe, the game centers on the most popular member of the X-Men, Wolverine. The developer promised a game filled with intense claw-slicing mechanics and gory combat taken straight from the character’s comic books. Insomniac also promised a gripping original story that would draw on elements and essential plot points from the comics. In the years and months leading up to its release, “Marvel’s Wolverine” was shaping up to be a potential game of the year.

So why is the game currently receiving so many mixed reviews and getting quite a cold reception online? After the official trailer was revealed last fall and more clips and teasers showing off the gameplay were released across social media, fans and critics alike had a lot of negative things to say about the upcoming Marvel video game. While some fans were elated by how brutal and bloody the game looked, others said it looked like nothing more than a button masher with extremely repetitive gameplay. Others complained about the character designs, saying they looked cheap, generic or just flat-out ugly.

Fans were also vocal about their displeasure when they found out the game was going to be very linear and not open-world like its Spider-Man predecessors. They were harsh on the game’s “scent trail,” too. The trail leads players toward their objectives, but critics claimed that it took them out of the experience and held their hands too much. So, with all those criticisms and complaints floating around the internet before its release, did Insomniac’s Wolverine-led title end up being a complete disappointment, or at the very least as mediocre as the internet believed it would be?

My Thoughts and Opinion on Marvel’s Wolverine (Spoiler-Free)

I read all the discourse about this game in the months leading up to its release and did my best to ignore it. I wanted to come to my own conclusion about the game I was looking forward to the most in 2026. I didn’t want someone else’s opinion to sway me on what looked to me like a super fun game and something a superhero-loving gamer like me had been waiting for since “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” came out. But I’m not going to lie: I started getting a little nervous when reviews of the game came out about a week before its release. Critics came down hard on the gameplay, saying it was repetitive and weak at times, and that the overall game was too linear.

So, the day finally came when the game was released to the entire world, and I was able to play it for myself. I was excited but also nervous because of all the harsh comments that had plagued the title since it was first revealed last year. I’m writing this a few days after beating the game, and now that I’ve been able to collect my thoughts, I can give my honest opinion on “Marvel’s Wolverine.”

I loved this game from start to finish.

As both a gamer and a massive superhero nerd, this game had it all for me. The gameplay, albeit pretty simple for the most part, was violent fun. Being able to hack and slash through enemies with ease and such savagery made me feel like the best there is at what I do (wink wink). Being able to dismember enemies and throw them out of buildings added to that feeling. The amount of blood and gore in the game isn’t something I necessarily yearn for as a gamer, but I appreciate that Insomniac included it because that brutal violence is integral to Wolverine’s character and fighting style in his comics and movies.

While the gameplay and mechanics are overall simple, the story is anything but. The plot is incredibly emotional as it follows Wolverine, also known as Logan, on a journey to discover who, or what, he truly is. Insomniac gives an original take on the titular mutant as well as other major characters such as Jean Grey and Sabretooth, while not completely shying away from the source material of Marvel comics.

In terms of character design, I feel like it’s pretty solid. Some characters look like they were taken straight out of the comic books, while others have more original designs that match the somewhat grounded and realistic approach Insomniac has taken since “Marvel’s Spider-Man” (2018). Speaking of that acclaimed title, one popular feature was the dozens of suits you could unlock for Peter Parker to wear.

While Wolverine unfortunately doesn’t have as many suits to unlock in his game (only 27 in the base game), the best there is at what he does still has an impressive wardrobe. It includes iconic outfits such as the classic brown suit and the Weapon X attire. The game even includes an animated suit that looks like it was taken straight out of “X-Men ’97.” What makes the suit roster even more fun is that each suit comes with its own unique set of claws that you can mix and match with other suits. Again, it’s a simple inclusion and by no means revolutionary to the gaming world, but c’mon, gold claws are in the game, and they look awesome!

I feel like it goes without saying that the graphics look stunning, as the PlayStation 5 is one of the most powerful systems ever created in terms of graphics. The game in general, outside of the scenes and levels filled with bloody, gratuitous violence, looks very pretty.

So, all in all, I really like the game. The story was intriguing, emotional and gripping all the way to the end, and the gameplay, which honestly can be mastered through intense button mashing by the player, was fun. It was good, simple, brutal fun that is everything a Wolverine fan would want, with a good amount of gear that would make comic book readers’ mouths water.

Why Is It Getting Such Mediocre Reviews?

Right now, it seems like I’m in the minority with the positive opinions stated above, as many people online are vocal about their displeasure with the game. Many gaming reviewers have been giving the title ratings of six or seven out of 10, which by no means say the game is a smoldering dumpster fire, but do suggest that those reviewers found it mediocre at best. But why? Why is this game catching so much heat for being “mediocre” and disappointing many fans all over the internet? After much thought, I think there are a few reasons.

One reason I believe the game is garnering such mediocre reviews is that people expected too much out of it. Because it was created by the same minds behind the “Marvel’s Spider-Man” series, fans understandably thought its style would be like its predecessors’. But the reality is that it never could be because of the different character the game revolves around. Spider-Man is very different from Wolverine, both in personality and abilities. Spider-Man is known for being speedy and having insane agility, allowing him to be more fluid with his movements and more creative with his offense.

Wolverine is much more about brute force and violence. He wasn’t exactly creative or unique in how he fought his enemies in his comics and movies. He uses his claws to slice and stab his way through them. Outside of some specific combos and mechanics implemented into the game to add variety for the player, there’s really no way to change up Wolverine’s fighting style without completely departing from who he is as a character. So, of course, the game would get a tad repetitive.

Another difference between the styles of these games is how linear “Marvel’s Wolverine” is compared with all of Spidey’s Insomniac titles. In the Spider-Man games, you get to roam around an open-world New York, where you can parkour off towers, run up the sides of buildings and swing at insane speeds across the cityscape. Wolverine’s game does not have an open world. Instead, it has a linear style: The game is built level by level, and each mission takes the player along a fairly direct path from start to finish.

But the thing about these different styles is that an open-world environment simply wouldn’t work in a Wolverine game. It works so well in Spider-Man because of how well Spidey’s traversal system translates to video game form. Wolverine just runs from place to place, skewering anything that gets in his way. While it’s fun to run around the cities in his game, it would take a while for him and the player to reach a mission on a large map. In “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” web-swinging might take at most two minutes to get a player to their destination.

Wolverine having a linear game with no open world is disappointing, but it makes sense because of how limited his traversal system would be. Trying to add features like vehicle selection or wall-climbing (which is already in “Marvel’s Wolverine” in a way) would just make the game feel like either a copy of Spidey’s titles or an entirely different game that doesn’t feel like Wolverine.

Another thing to note is that complaints about this game might be coming from a minority of players who are louder than the majority who like it. I say this because many complaints in social media posts or YouTube comments come across as more nitpicky than justified. There’s disdain for the scent trails mentioned earlier (the developers released a patch to make the trails less prominent and have since added an option to turn off certain collectible-related trails), claims that characters like Jean Grey look too “normal” and not attractive enough (yes, really), and commenters just throwing the word “woke” around when describing the game. Statements like these about what are, at the end of the day, inconsequential problems can easily blow things out of proportion. They make it sound like the game is being set up for failure when only minor issues are being highlighted. 

What the Real Issue Probably Is

Potentially, the real answer to why “Marvel’s Wolverine” seems to be catching so much fire from gamers and fans alike could be that it is one of the first major titles to come out after Sony announced that it would stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation game releases in January 2028. Fans were justifiably outraged by this announcement, as it was yet another example of a major company making it harder for people to preserve media for themselves. “Marvel’s Wolverine,” as one of the next major PlayStation exclusives, gave fans a target for their anger and displeasure. If you watch the trailers and gameplay videos PlayStation posted on YouTube to promote the game, you’ll see that a majority of the comments mention being excited to get it on a physical disc, letting Sony know that fans aren’t happy with its decision. 

While I think it’s completely understandable why gamers are upset at Sony, I think there are two big reasons why ripping into “Marvel’s Wolverine” doesn’t make sense. The first is that while Sony owns the game and made it exclusive, it didn’t create it. Insomniac did, and at the end of the day, Insomniac isn’t to blame for Sony’s decision. The studio wasn’t the one that chose to stop disc production for new releases in the next couple of years.

The other reason anger targeted at Wolverine’s game doesn’t make sense to me is that you can still get the game on disc. As mentioned earlier, Sony’s announced change does not begin until January 2028, and “Marvel’s Wolverine” has a physical copy. But some fans have put out lengthy statements about the game’s physical status, even going so far as to say they wouldn’t purchase it if it didn’t have a disc, when it had already been announced that a physical copy would be available. 

People have every right to be angry at the gaming industry, but the aspects of “Marvel’s Wolverine” they are taking issue with are so minor that the uproar seems a bit over-the-top. Plus, gamers’ issues with Sony shouldn’t bring Insomniac into the crossfire, as the studio had nothing to do with the decision made by the company that owns it.

Final Thoughts

After that lengthy analysis of why I believe people are hating the game, here are my final thoughts on “Marvel’s Wolverine”: I love the game. Is it simple? Yes. Can it be repetitious? At times, yes. But does it serve as an amazing love letter to fans of the character while producing overall solid gameplay, stunning graphics and an emotional story that will keep gamers invested if it’s given the chance? I personally think so.

But don’t be swayed by my opinion. If you aren’t interested in the game, that’s completely fine. But don’t lose interest due to the millions of comments ragging on the title online, because I feel like most of those negative comments don’t have much of a leg to stand on in terms of genuine criticism. Get the game for yourself and come to your own conclusion.

“Marvel’s Wolverine” is out now on PlayStation 5 at $69.99 for the Standard Edition or $79.99 for the Deluxe Edition. You can purchase the game as a digital copy or a physical one.