Insomniac Games’ rendition of Wolverine has travelled a tumultuous path before reaching gamers. First announced in 2021, the title became entangled in a massive 2023 data breach that exposed 1.67 terabytes of internal files. The leak spilled early footage, level concepts, plot points, and character details, giving the public a rare glimpse into the project’s infancy.
Three years after that exposure, Marvel’s Wolverine finally arrived as a PlayStation‑first exclusive. Its launch followed a series of contentious corporate moves, including the 2018 cessation of physical disc production and the company’s split from Hideo Kojima and the Physint collaboration. The game’s debut was met with a mixed reception, reflected in a Metacritic average of 78. Reviewers praised the narrative and voice work but repeatedly criticized the combat system for feeling dated, overly repetitive, and too reminiscent of Insomniac’s earlier Spider‑Man entries.
The Guardian’s Keith Stuart awarded the game three out of five stars, likening the experience to "an unreconstructed brawler," much like the titular hero himself. He singled out the rage‑meter mechanic, which temporarily boosts Wolverine’s attack and defence, noting that it transforms the player into an almost indestructible force of carnage—a sensation he described as "immensely liberating." However, Stuart argued that the fights, while smooth and empowering, rarely demand creative tactics or experimentation.
He contrasted Wolverine’s combat with the fluid, web‑slinging grace of Insomniac’s Spider‑Man games, stating that Wolverine feels more akin to an 80s beat‑’em‑up or a PS3‑era brawler, delivering a "bludgeoning production line of identical fights" against increasingly familiar enemy types. Eurogamer’s Chris Tapsell, also scoring the game three out of five, echoed similar concerns. He claimed the gameplay offers "little to no invention," especially in combat, which should serve as the backbone of a linear action title centered on a character like Wolverine.
Tapsell praised the satisfaction of a well‑timed parry or a leap‑around attack but warned that after the fourth or fifth wave of identical enemies, the experience becomes "one‑note" and "one‑pace," leading to a sense of glazing over as the same cadence repeats. Jordan Middler of VGC was even harsher, describing the combat as "highly repetitive and monotonous." He noted that despite the promise of six abilities, players are limited to four, and even those feel underwhelming compared to the basic moveset. Enemies, he observed, fall into a narrow set of archetypes; even when their outfits change, their behavior does not. Large foes are described as "spongy" and turn fights into chores.
Middler lamented that by the game’s end, he was more eager to see the story progress than to face another wave of foes. Boss encounters, in his view, become predictable parry sequences mastered long before the enemy’s health is depleted. He summed up his frustration: "The biggest issue with Marvel’s Wolverine is that it’s just rather boring to fight as Wolverine, which should be the absolute top priority. I don’t feel like Wolverine is using claws; it feels like he’s got blunt kitchen knives on the ends of his fists." IGN’s Simon Cardy, giving the game a 6/10, shared Middler’s disappointment.
While he acknowledged that wielding the claws feels "slick, punchy, and wonderfully bloody," he argued that the novelty wears off halfway through the roughly 15‑hour campaign. Cardy pointed out that the core systems are solid, yet the combat lacks a sense of progression.
Unlockable skills and special abilities appear early and are few in number, resulting in a stagnant toolbox that forces the game to rely heavily on enemy variety and encounter design—areas where the title only partially succeeds. The linear structure of Marvel’s Wolverine, a departure from the open‑world freedom of Insomniac’s Spider‑Man games, drew criticism for its monotony. Tapsell called the experience "a repetitive, overlong, and overfamiliar slog," noting that while a linear format makes sense for a focused narrative, the lack of inventive design makes the game feel more like a relic than a nostalgic throwback. Stuart highlighted the restrictive level design, describing cities such as Madripoor and Tokyo as "closed off and invisible walls directing us back to the action," turning vibrant locales into theatrical backdrops rather than explorable environments.
Cardy observed that missions often reduce to corridor‑to‑arena transitions where ambushes become predictable. Despite these shortcomings, several reviewers praised the character work. Critics agreed that the cast is Wolverine’s "strongest asset." Middler emphasized the challenge of introducing numerous personalities while maintaining a cohesive story, noting that Logan’s relationship with Jean Grey and Troy Baker’s performance as Nathaniel Essex stand out.
However, Cardy felt that most supporting characters receive only fleeting moments, serving either as obstacles or brief sources of wisdom. Their limited development, he argued, prevents deeper emotional resonance. Both Tapsell and Stuart remarked on Logan’s underutilized character arc. Tapsell described Wolverine as "something of a passenger in his own story," suggesting that the game missed an opportunity to explore his quest for identity and redemption—a core element of the comic book hero.
Stuart criticized the reliance on unlockable lore through timed parkour runs and horde battles to convey Wolverine’s trauma, calling the method an "insensitive way to portray and process PTSD." Cardy also lamented the lack of interactivity in the narrative. While cinematic cutscenes are well‑crafted and hold attention, the connective tissue—walking through environments to discover photo frames and audio logs—feels like unnecessary filler in a game that is not overly long. Overall, the consensus is that Marvel’s Wolverine is not a bad game, but its deficiencies outweigh its strengths. Middler summed it up succinctly: "It takes a character that should be tailor‑made for video‑game fun and muzzles him with repetitive, basic combat and a game that feels like it’s from a decade ago.
While playing the game, I was having fun, but the second I stopped, I felt absolutely nothing." The title’s salvation lies in the performances of Logan and the supporting mutants. As Tapsell concluded, "Were it not for the lovability of Logan himself, the animalistic warmth that Insomniac summons through its cast—and the sheer and genuine humanity that can be accessed through that—it could've been a bloodbath. Instead, it's just fine."