Marvel’s Wolverine has opened to a much warmer reception from PlayStation players than from professional critics. On its September 15 launch day, the PS5 exclusive was sitting at 4.84 out of five stars on the PlayStation Store from roughly 6,400 player ratings, equivalent to about 96.8 out of 100. That stands well above the game’s current 77 Metascore from 117 critic reviews.
The early user score was highlighted by Insider Gaming after being spotted on the PlayStation Store, where ratings can only be submitted by verified owners of the game or item. A 4.84 average indicates that the overwhelming majority of participating players have awarded Marvel’s Wolverine five stars. The figure is still extremely early, however, and could shift substantially as more players finish the game and submit ratings over the coming days and weeks.
Marvel’s Wolverine officially launched for PlayStation 5 on September 15 after several years in development at Insomniac Games. The single-player action-adventure follows Logan as he rejoins Team X and confronts Bolivar Trask’s campaign against mutants, with the story taking players through Canada, Japan and Madripoor. Its release followed a final marketing push that included a launch trailer highlighting Wolverine’s combat and story shortly before launch.
Critical response has been considerably more mixed. The game currently holds a Metascore of 77, based on 117 reviews, placing it firmly in the generally favorable range but below the level of acclaim associated with some of Insomniac’s earlier Marvel games. Reviews have praised elements including Wolverine’s combat, visual presentation and characterization while being less consistent on aspects such as structure, pacing and repetition.
The difference between critic and player scores is notable because it has appeared almost immediately after release. PlayStation Store ratings are not directly equivalent to Metacritic’s review system, since one uses a five-star owner rating and the other aggregates scored reviews from professional outlets. Converting 4.84 stars into 96.8 out of 100 is therefore useful only as a rough comparison rather than evidence that the two scoring systems measure reception in exactly the same way.
Player enthusiasm also arrives after a turbulent pre-launch period for the game. Marvel’s Wolverine suffered several significant leaks before release, including hundreds of screenshots and other datamined assets appearing online shortly before launch. A reported 42-trophy list also surfaced ahead of release, exposing bosses, objectives and other progression details before most players had access to the game.
Insomniac’s final pre-release messaging focused heavily on the finished game’s combat systems and replayability. Wolverine uses swappable Techniques and Adaptations, Rage mechanics and aggressive close-range attacks, while the launch version also includes New Game Plus, Mission Replay, Nightmare Challenges and Photo Mode. The studio has additionally emphasized accessibility, with more than 100 new, returning and improved options incorporated across the game.
The PlayStation Store score comes from verified owners, but it still represents only a fraction of the game’s eventual audience. Launch-day ratings can skew toward highly engaged fans, particularly for a major character-driven release with years of anticipation behind it. The balance may change as a broader mix of players spends more time with the full campaign and post-game content.
For now, though, the contrast is clear. Critics have placed Marvel’s Wolverine at 77 on Metacritic, while its first several thousand PlayStation Store ratings have produced a 4.84-out-of-five average. The two numbers should not be treated as directly interchangeable, but they show that the earliest group of PS5 players rating the game has responded considerably more positively than the aggregate critical reception.
