Marvel's Wolverine Review: A Masterclass in Hand-Holding

When we first heard about Insomniac Games taking on the mantle of Logan, expectations were sky-high. However, this Marvel's Wolverine review reveals a title that fundamentally misunderstands its audience. While the graphics are undeniably next-gen, the core game design is stuck in the past—or worse, designed for someone who has never touched a controller. With a retail price of $70, the lack of depth is staggering, leading us to a final score of 4.5/10.

Is Marvel's Wolverine open world? The answer is a definitive no, and that is where the trouble begins. Unlike its predecessor in the Spider-Man series, this game is a strictly linear experience that forces you down a narrow corridor from start to finish. To ensure you never stray, Insomniac has coated the entire game in 'white paint'—a visual crutch that highlights every climbable ledge and path. It is insulting to the player's intelligence to be told exactly where to go every single second of the 11-hour campaign.

Perhaps the most baffling design choice is the automation of Quick Time Events. In many sequences, the game prompts you to press a button, but if you simply put your controller down, the action completes itself anyway. This hollows out the combat and navigation, rendering the player a mere spectator in their own hero's journey. For a $70 title, you expect a level of interactivity that respects your time and skill, but this Insomniac Wolverine criticism holds weight because the game essentially plays itself.

When you look at titles like God of War Ragnarök or even Insomniac's own Spider-Man 2, you see how linear design can be handled with grace and purpose. Wolverine fails to achieve that balance, leading to a shallow experience that doesn't feel worthy of the price tag. The 11-hour runtime feels stretched thin, and the lack of agency makes the entire venture feel like a missed opportunity for such an iconic character.

Ultimately, the decision rests on whether you value spectacle over substance. If you are a die-hard fan looking to see Logan rendered in stunning 4K, you might find something to enjoy for a few hours. However, the blatant disregard for player skill and the restrictive, guided nature of the gameplay makes it difficult to justify the full $70 price. It is a cinematic experience, sure, but it isn't much of a game.