Marvel’s Wolverine launches today on PlayStation 5, and even before its release, Insomniac’s new game drew unusually heavy discussion. Many reviews praised the portrayal of Logan—especially actor Liam McIntyre—yet the overall reception is far more mixed than for the studio’s previous titles. McIntyre himself is unfazed.
On X, he said he’s proud of Marvel’s Wolverine and hopes players enjoy it, adding that strong reactions are nothing new to him.
Liam McIntyre Is Proud of Marvel’s Wolverine
In Marvel’s Wolverine, McIntyre not only lends his voice to Logan but also contributes parts of his appearance and performance.
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He has now responded personally to the discussions surrounding the game. In doing so, the actor referred to his own career and, in particular, his role in the series *Spartacus*. McIntyre took over the lead role there after Andy Whitfield. Whitfield had to leave the series due to his illness and died in 2011. For McIntyre, this meant the difficult task at the time of replacing an already popular lead actor.
He explained on X that he’s read things throughout his career that are hard to believe. His attitude toward Wolverine is correspondingly laid-back. He simply hopes everyone has fun with the game. At the same time, he made it clear how much the project means to him: He’s “proud as hell” of the game and described it as a lot of fun.
Wolverine is receiving significantly more mixed reviews than expected
The reaction isn’t entirely surprising. A few days ago, we already reported on the unusually mixed reviews for Marvel’s Wolverine. When the review embargo lifted, the game was sitting at 77 points on Metacritic. For many other releases, that would be a decent score, but for Insomniac, it stands out.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 scored 90, Marvel’s Spider-Man 87, and Miles Morales 85. Wolverine thus falls well below the studio’s most recent major releases.
At the same time, the reviews are unusually mixed. Some outlets award high scores and praise the direction, story, and Logan’s portrayal, while others criticize the lack of gameplay variety, repetitive combat, and a structure that is sometimes very conventional.
Our own review was positive but not overly enthusiastic.
Our own review of Marvel’s Wolverine echoed this sentiment, scoring the game 8/10. We praised the presentation, Logan’s portrayal, the significantly more brutal tone compared to Spider-Man, and the story.
Liam McIntyre’s performance is also a highlight. The real issue lies less with the character or his portrayal than with the gameplay. Many fights feel powerful at first thanks to Wolverine’s claws, but they don’t evolve enough over the course of the roughly twelve- to fourteen-hour campaign. This same criticism appears in numerous international reviews.
Logan, of all things, is one of the game’s greatest strengths
It’s therefore interesting that Liam McIntyre himself is hardly at the heart of the negative criticism. His portrayal of Logan is even explicitly praised in many reviews. McIntyre doesn’t try to copy Hugh Jackman’s film version of the character, but instead develops his own take on it.
Insomniac’s Logan feels aggressive and dangerous, yet significantly more vulnerable than the brutal combat suggests. As a result, even the quieter scenes work surprisingly well. For McIntyre, the role was no small challenge. For millions of fans, Hugh Jackman has embodied Wolverine for decades.
Any new interpretation of the character will inevitably be compared to existing perceptions.
Today, for the first time, players will decide
With the official release on September 15, the truly interesting phase is now beginning. So far, the discussion surrounding Marvel’s Wolverine has been based mainly on reviews, previews, and players who received the game early. Starting today, many more PS5 owners will be able to judge for themselves whether they agree with the criticisms.
It will therefore be particularly exciting to see how user ratings develop in the coming days. While a Metascore of 77 points shows that Marvel’s Wolverine hasn’t achieved the same near-unanimous success with critics as earlier Insomniac games, this figure doesn’t mean the game is fundamentally poorly received.
Instead, the unusually wide range of individual scores suggests that Wolverine’s reception depends heavily on player expectations. Fans seeking a focused, brutal action game with a strong protagonist may enjoy it more than those who, after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, expected another expansive and versatile adventure.
In any case, Liam McIntyre isn’t letting the debate get him down. For him, what matters most is that players can now experience for themselves what Insomniac and the entire team have been working on. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
