Marvel’s Wolverine Is Winning Over PS5 Players Despite Mixed Critic Reviews
Marvel’s Wolverine may not have received the sky-high critic scores many fans expected, but early player reactions tell a very different story. The PS5 exclusive launched with an average Metacritic score of 77, placing it below Insomniac Games’ previous Marvel titles. However, on the PlayStation Store, the game is currently earning strong praise from players, holding an impressive 4.84 out of 5 rating.
That score puts Marvel’s Wolverine ahead of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games in terms of PlayStation Store user ratings. For comparison, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 holds a 4.72 player rating, while the earlier Spider-Man titles were also received warmly by fans and critics alike. Although critic reviews suggest Wolverine is not quite on the same level as Insomniac’s web-slinging adventures, players appear to be embracing Logan’s darker, more aggressive style.
Critics and players are seeing different strengths
When reviews went live ahead of the game’s September 15 release, many critics noted that Marvel’s Wolverine delivers intense action but can feel repetitive over time. The game’s combat is fast, brutal, and heavily focused on close-range attacks, which fits Wolverine’s character well. However, some reviewers felt that the experience lacks variety because of its more linear structure.
That is one of the biggest differences between Marvel’s Wolverine and Insomniac’s Spider-Man series. The Spider-Man games feature large open-world environments, giving players room to swing through the city, explore side activities, complete challenges, and take breaks from the main story. Wolverine, by contrast, appears to offer a more focused, story-driven campaign that keeps players moving from one violent encounter to the next.
For some critics, that tighter design made the gameplay feel less dynamic. For many fans, though, it may be exactly what they wanted. Wolverine is not Spider-Man, and players may be responding positively to a game that understands the character’s raw intensity. Instead of trying to copy the open-world formula, Marvel’s Wolverine leans into brutal combat, cinematic action, and Logan’s savage personality.
PlayStation Store ratings show strong early fan support
The current PlayStation Store score suggests that buyers are enjoying the game more than the average critic score might imply. A 4.84 out of 5 rating is a strong early result, especially for a high-profile superhero release with major expectations behind it.
Still, it is important to remember that the game is very new. The PlayStation Store rating is based on roughly 20,000 user reviews so far, which is a much smaller sample than older Insomniac releases have built up over time. Ratings can shift as more players finish the campaign and spend additional time with the game.
There is also the question of longevity. Some reviewers have suggested that Marvel’s Wolverine may not have the same long-term staying power as the Spider-Man games. If the campaign is relatively short or lacks replay value, player enthusiasm could cool in the weeks ahead. For now, though, early PS5 owners seem highly satisfied.
Wolverine sales are off to a promising start
Beyond review scores, Sony will be paying close attention to sales performance. Reports tied to internal studio projections suggest the goal was to sell at least 6 million copies in the first year and eventually reach 10 million total sales. That would still place Wolverine behind the commercial success of the Spider-Man franchise, but it would represent a strong result for a more mature, combat-heavy superhero game.
Early digital sales signs look encouraging. As of September 16, Marvel’s Wolverine was reportedly the second-best-selling game on the PlayStation Store in the United States. In markets such as the United Kingdom and Mexico, it had already climbed to the number one spot.
Those numbers only tell part of the story, since digital rankings do not include physical PS5 disc sales. Even with physical game sales declining in recent years, boxed copies could still add meaningfully to Wolverine’s total launch performance.
A different kind of Marvel success
Marvel’s Wolverine may not match the critical dominance of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games, but it appears to be connecting with its target audience. The lower Metacritic score suggests reviewers had reservations about repetition and linear level design, yet the high PlayStation Store rating shows that many players are enjoying the focused, violent, character-driven experience.
For fans of Logan, that may be enough. Marvel’s Wolverine delivers a darker superhero adventure built around rage, claws, and relentless combat. While its long-term reputation will depend on sales, player retention, and post-launch discussion, its early reception proves one thing clearly: critics may be divided, but PS5 players are showing up for Wolverine.
