The Reviews Are Brutal

Sony/PlayStation Backlash and Expectations for Marvel’s Wolverine

Sony/PlayStation are reportedly facing continued heavy backlash—both for business decisions (including plans to end physical disc support in January 2028, along with other controversies) and for broader game-industry missteps (including issues tied to Bungie and attempts to cancel or pressure around a game project).

Against that PR backdrop, the new PlayStation release Marvel’s Wolverine—from Insomniac (makers of Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank)—was expected to serve as a much-needed “reprieve.” However, critics say it lands instead as another disappointment.

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Marvel’s Wolverine Review Score and Overall Reception

• The video cites Metacritic, where Marvel’s Wolverine is reportedly around 78% from 113 critic reviews.
• While 78% isn’t framed as catastrophic, it’s treated as below Insomniac’s usual standard, with the game described as among their lowest-rated recent releases.
• Public sentiment across outlets and social media is broadly lukewarm to negative: the game isn’t portrayed as “broken,” but rather not special, forgettable, and falling short of expectations for a flagship Wolverine title.

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What Critics Say Is Wrong (Main Complaints)

Despite “pros” (notably strong actor performances, some spectacle/visuals, and a generally polished presentation), the core criticisms focus on design and gameplay.

• Combat lacks depth and meaningful evolution Critics say combat is mostly one-note, with limited meaningful progression. Powerful abilities supposedly arrive late—after the combat loop has already become repetitive.

• Quick-time events are largely pointless They’re described as nearly automatic—successful completion happening regardless of timing, and possibly even with incorrect inputs.

• Story is mixed and not impactful Reviewers reportedly find it not very substantive or riveting, lacking the emotional or narrative punch needed to offset gameplay issues.

• Traversal isn’t compelling The video reportedly contrasts Wolverine’s traversal unfavorably with Spider-Man’s: Wolverine mostly “walks around,” with limited, underdeveloped mechanics. While side challenges depend on traversal, the mechanics aren’t engaging.

• Side missions/challenges feel bland or unfairly trivial “Nightmare challenge”/portal-style sections are called out for shallow combat challenges—especially easy/egregious traversal challenges.

• Handholding and “over-indication” dominate level design A major theme is excessive guidance: constant on-screen indicators, pings, and even audio cues pointing to paths, treasures, and objectives—even in largely linear settings. This reportedly sparked mockery online (the video references “scent trails”/“fart trail” jokes going viral).

• Repetitive, on-rails gameplay loop Players frequently repeat a cycle of moving point-to-point, fighting, and watching story/cutscenes. Enemy variety is said to be insufficient to sustain a 15–20 hour runtime.

• Bosses feel underwhelming Even moments like boss fights are criticized as lacking spectacle and design “punch.”

• Some design choices feel arbitrary or immersion-breaking One example: earning XP by breaking barrels is described as old-school, unexplained, and tacked on.

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Release/PR Context and Expectations

The video suggests Insomniac/Sony appeared confident—review copies arrived early, and the embargo was lifted five days before launch—implying they expected a strong reception.

Instead, the game is framed as “by the numbers,” failing to deliver the sort of marquee experience that could counter Sony’s ongoing negative narrative.

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Likely Impact

• The video predicts Marvel’s Wolverine may still sell to mainstream audiences who want a straightforward Wolverine action experience.
• For more gaming-savvy players, however, the consensus is that it doesn’t deliver the best possible version of Wolverine, and that sales could be affected by both the gameplay criticism and existing Sony/PlayStation PR troubles.

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Presenters or Contributors

• No additional presenters are explicitly named.
• The video references reviewers/outlets and a person mentioned as “Skillup,” but the speaker/presenter of the video itself is not identified in the provided subtitles.