What should have been a slam dunk for Sony’s big fall exclusive now feels like a lecture dressed up as a claw fight.
The game launches September 15. Early previews praise the gore. Logan slashes, heals, and growls like the old comic books. Then the praise stops. Players say the campaign is a straight line. You run where the game tells you. You follow a glowing red trail. You tap buttons during set pieces. It looks less like a wild mutant brawler and more like an expensive movie you can barely steer.
A Movie You Can Barely Control
That movie tone is the real problem for a lot of fans. Wolverine used to be the angry loner who solved problems with claws. In the new footage, he kneels, gets saved, and talks through his feelings. One viral clip shows him pinned while Mystique pulls him out of trouble. Another stretch asks players to hunt “nightmare doors” and unpack his trauma. Critics online are already asking why a berserker needs a therapy sidemission.
Character Looks Fuel the Backlash
Character looks have not helped. Jean Grey and Mystique have drawn the loudest groans. Fans say the women look tired, plain, and far from the comic versions people grew up with. Some posts call it the same “ugly heroines” trend that has hit other big Western games. Sweet Baby Inc. keeps getting named in the comments, fair or not. Once that label sticks, every quiet scene starts to feel like a message.
The romance angle is another flashpoint. The story leans on Jean Grey and a messy triangle with Cyclops. For a solo Wolverine game, that choice feels off to people who just wanted metal, blood, and revenge. Even Sabretooth’s voice and the Sentinel boss fight have been mocked. One clip compared the giant robot fight to a cheap old handheld game. The joke spread fast.
Studio Pushback Meets Fan Doubt
Insomniac staff have called the online pile-on a “relentless onslaught.” That may be true. Algorithms love anger. But the anger did not come from nowhere. After years of open-world Spider-Man games, this one feels smaller, safer, and more interested in speeches than chaos.
Pre-orders are still strong. Some players will love the brutal combat and ignore the rest. Others already smell another prestige project that forgot why people liked the character. Wolverine was supposed to be the best at what he does. Right now, a lot of fans think the game is best at turning a savage mutant into another sad, cinematic hero.
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