Marvel’s Wolverine for PS5 has debuted with a Metacritic score of 77 following the release of reviews, making it one of the lowest-rated first-party Sony games of the current console generation.
Reviews for Marvel’s Wolverine have dropped, revealing that Insomniac Games’ major-budget action title sits at a score of 77 on Metacritic based on just over 100 evaluations. While Metacritic classifies a score of 77 as generally favourable
, the number surprised industry observers given the consistent track record of PlayStation Studios.
Metacritic Scores and First-Party Comparisons for PlayStation 5
The 77 rating places Wolverine among the lowest-rated first-party games released by major Sony-owned development outfits during this console generation, according to reporting by Push Square. Major internal studios like Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studio, Sucker Punch, and Insomniac Games have typically maintained higher critical averages. If we’re talking PS5 exclusives published by Sony, then games such as Destruction AllStars and God of War: Sons of Sparta all rank lower than Wolverine.
When compared across the generation, the title marks a steep drop-off for Insomniac Games. The Burbank-based studio previously released Spider-Man 2 in 2023 to a 90 rating, and had not crafted any game with a Metacritic score lower than 85 across the entire console generation prior to this release. Furthermore, Insomniac’s been busy over the last seven years or so, delivering more titles than any other Sony-owned developer in that time.
Insomniac Games Response and Developer Pressure
Addressing the reception, And Daly acknowledged the heavy expectations surrounding the project after the studio’s previous superhero success, stating that there was a “monumental” amount of pressure that came with making the game following the success of Spider-Man – but as to whether the gamble paid off, he took a Zen view.
“I measure success when I hear people talk to me about the game, who are Wolverine fans, and they say ‘thank you for making this, you nailed it’. If I hear that, it’s like, yes, we did it. That’s what we set out to do.”
And Daly, via BBC News
Gameplay Mechanics and Narrative Structure
Reviewers point out that while the title delivers tight combat and strong performances, it does not reinvent the genre in the way Insomniac’s earlier superhero project did. In fact, perhaps the biggest issue for Wolverine is that it doesn’t reinvent the wheel like Spider-Man did. Critics note that pacing occasionally leans heavily into narrative cinematic sequences, with the developers clearly inspired by narrative adventures like Uncharted for this kind of storytelling, and the gameplay even feels similar at times with chase and climbing sequences. And while that game was genre-defining, it came out almost 20 years ago, so it’s hardly a favourable comparison.
User polling on enthusiast platforms reflects a split sentiment among players regarding where the scores should land, with responses showing varying expectations for the studio’s latest project as broader audience reviews continue to accumulate. Among 2,355 total votes cast by readers regarding where they expected Wolverine to land in terms of review scores, 7% voted for 91 and over, 28% voted between 86 and 90, 36% voted between 81 and 85, and 29% voted 80 and under.
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