Top-Rated Video Games for PC and Console
Review scores aren’t perfect, but they solve a real problem: when hundreds of games release every month, critic consensus is the fastest way to separate the genuinely exceptional from the merely decent. A game sitting at 90+ on Metacritic across dozens of professional reviews has cleared a bar that most releases never reach.
This list pulls together the highest-rated games currently available across PC and console, organized by what actually earned them those scores rather than just repeating a number. If you’re trying to decide what’s worth your time and money right now, this is where to start.
The Current Highest-Rated Game of the Year
Topping every major aggregator right now is a release that surprised even genre veterans by how far it climbed.
Mina the Hollower currently holds the highest Metascore of the year at 93, two full points above the previous frontrunner. Developed by Yacht Club Games, the team behind Shovel Knight, it puts players in control of a Hollower on a mission to rescue a cursed island, combining pixel-perfect visuals with burrowing mechanics, whip combat, and a wide arsenal of sidearms and trinkets. It’s not a AAA production, and many players hadn’t heard of it before release, which makes its climb to the top spot even more notable.
Forza Horizon 6 held the top spot for most of the year before being passed, earning a 92 Metascore based on 63 reviews and a 91 on OpenCritic. Reviewers praised its progression system, its open world based on real-life Japan, and the sheer amount of content packed into the game, with more than 550 customizable vehicles and a fan-requested setting that took years to materialize.
| Game | Metascore | Developer | What Critics Praised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mina the Hollower | 93 | Yacht Club Games | Pixel-perfect design, tight combat, level design |
| Forza Horizon 6 | 92 | Playground Games | Open world scope, vehicle roster, progression |
Survival Horror Sets the Bar This Year
Horror has had an unusually strong year for critical reception, with one title in particular setting a new standard for the genre.
Resident Evil Requiem held the top spot earlier in the year with an 89 Metascore, and on some platforms scores ran even higher, with an average of 93 on Xbox specifically. The game follows dual protagonists FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and longtime series veteran Leon S. Kennedy, marking a return to pure survival horror after the more action-leaning Resident Evil Village, and it lets players switch between first and third-person perspective at any point during play.
This kind of platform-specific score variance is worth knowing about if you’re comparing review aggregates: Metacritic calculates each game’s headline score using whichever platform received the most reviews, which can mean the number you see isn’t necessarily the highest score the game earned anywhere.
Strong Contenders Just Below the Top Tier
A cluster of games sit just below the year’s frontrunners, each excelling in a specific area that makes them worth serious consideration depending on your taste.
Pokémon Pokopia matched Resident Evil Requiem’s early-year 89 Metascore, holding the top spot alongside it before Forza Horizon 6 arrived.
Saros scored an 87, while Capcom delivered two more strong 2026 releases in Monster Hunter Stories 3 at 86 and Pragmata at 85.
007 First Light, IO Interactive’s James Bond origin story, landed an 88 Metascore at launch, tying for third place in the year’s rankings despite initial skepticism about an action-set-piece-heavy approach from a studio known for slower, methodical Hitman-style stealth.
OPUS: Prism Peak rounds out several mid-year top-ten lists with an 86, continuing the series’ tradition of emotionally affecting narrative built around photography and spiritual journeys.
| Game | Metascore | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Pokopia | 89 | Adventure/Life sim |
| 007 First Light | 88 | Action/Spy thriller |
| Saros | 87 | Action |
| Monster Hunter Stories 3 | 86 | RPG |
| OPUS: Prism Peak | 86 | Narrative adventure |
| Pragmata | 85 | Sci-fi action |
What the Top-Rated Pattern Reveals About 2026
Industry observers have noted something specific about this year’s review landscape that’s worth understanding before you build a backlog.
The number of games crossing the 90+ threshold has been comparatively low this year, but the 80-to-90 range has been unusually deep and diverse, spanning blockbuster releases and innovative indie titles alike. That pattern points to a broader trend: a return to tightly paced, polished single-player experiences that respect a player’s time, rather than the bloated open-world checklist design that dominated previous years.
What’s driving this shift:
- Players increasingly reward focused scope over padded content
- Critics are weighting pacing and polish more heavily in review criteria
- Smaller studios are landing top scores by avoiding the production risk of massive open worlds
- Established franchises are seeing diminishing returns when they repeat previous formulas without meaningful innovation
OpenCritic’s Slightly Different Picture
Metacritic isn’t the only aggregator worth checking, and the two don’t always agree on rankings.
OpenCritic currently has Dave the Diver: In the Jungle and Schrödinger’s Call tied at the top with 92 each, while Mina the Hollower sits at 91 on that platform specifically. The methodology differs slightly between aggregators, since OpenCritic and Metacritic don’t always pull from identical review pools, which is why checking both before committing to a purchase gives a more complete picture than relying on a single number.
What’s Still Coming That Could Reshape This List
The back half of the year carries enough anticipated releases that the current rankings should be treated as a snapshot, not a final verdict.
Grand Theft Auto 6, slated for a November 19 release, is widely expected to become the year’s highest-rated game almost automatically if it ships on schedule, with some predictions suggesting a score approaching the high 90s given the franchise’s track record and the scale of anticipation surrounding it.
Other titles with serious potential to climb into the year’s top tier include Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Phantom Blade Zero, and Marvel’s Wolverine, each carrying enough pre-release buzz to be considered legitimate threats to the current standings.
How to Use Review Scores Without Over-Relying on Them
A high Metascore tells you critics broadly approved of a game, but it doesn’t tell you whether that specific game fits what you personally enjoy.
A practical approach to using aggregate scores:
- Treat anything above 85 as a strong signal worth investigating further, not an automatic purchase
- Read a handful of the actual reviews behind the number, since two games with identical scores can have very different strengths
- Weigh user scores alongside critic scores, since the two occasionally diverge significantly on contentious design choices
- Remember that genre fit matters more than score for your personal enjoyment; a 75-rated game in a genre you love often beats a 90-rated game in one you don’t
Find Your Next Favorite with Jornaicas
The top-rated games right now span horror, racing, action-adventure, and genres you might not expect to see this high on a critics’ list. Jornaicas covers the releases, the review data, and the trends shaping what’s actually worth playing across PC and console. Explore our latest coverage and find the game that earns its place in your library.
Frequently Asked Questions About Top-Rated Video Games
What is currently the highest-rated video game of the year?
Mina the Hollower holds that position with a 93 Metascore, ahead of Forza Horizon 6 at 92. It’s a notable result because Mina the Hollower is a smaller-scale release from Yacht Club Games rather than a major studio production, which shows that critical consensus doesn’t always favor the biggest budgets.
Why do Metacritic and OpenCritic sometimes show different scores for the same game?
The two aggregators pull from overlapping but not identical pools of professional reviews, and they calculate their averages slightly differently. Metacritic also bases a game’s headline score on whichever platform received the most reviews, which means the number you see for a multiplatform release isn’t necessarily its highest score on every platform. Checking both sites gives a more complete picture than relying on either alone.
Does a high review score guarantee I’ll enjoy a game?
No. Review scores reflect broad critical consensus, but they can’t account for your personal genre preferences, play style, or what you’re specifically looking for in that moment. A well-reviewed strategy game won’t necessarily appeal to someone who only enjoys fast-paced shooters. Use scores to identify games worth investigating further, then read specific reviews or watch gameplay to confirm genre fit before buying.
Why has 2026 seen fewer games cross the 90+ Metascore threshold?
Industry analysts have noted this year features a comparatively low number of 90+ scores relative to recent years, even though the overall quality in the 80-to-90 range has been unusually strong and diverse. This doesn’t necessarily indicate declining quality; it may instead reflect critics applying tighter scrutiny or a particularly competitive year where exceptional games are being held to a higher bar relative to each other.
Which upcoming 2026 release is most likely to become the year’s highest-rated game?
Grand Theft Auto 6, scheduled for November 19, carries the strongest expectations given Rockstar’s track record with previous entries and the unprecedented anticipation surrounding the sequel. Industry predictions suggest a score approaching the high 90s if the game meets expectations, though actual review scores won’t be confirmed until critics have hands-on access closer to release.
Should I buy a game immediately after it gets a high review score, or wait?
It depends on your priorities. Day-one purchases get you into the conversation immediately and avoid spoilers, but waiting a few weeks often reveals whether initial review scores hold up against broader player sentiment, particularly for games with significant post-launch patches or balance changes. For single-player narrative games like Mina the Hollower or OPUS: Prism Peak, initial critic scores tend to be more stable than for live-service or multiplayer-focused titles, which can shift significantly after launch.