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Neither Metacritic nor OpenCritic is automatically the more trustworthy score. Metacritic offers a publication-curated critic consensus built from weighted review scores; OpenCritic adds context such as how many critics recommend a game and where it ranks. Use either to find a broad pattern, then read reviews that explain the praise, criticism, and version-specific caveats before deciding whether a game suits you.
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacritic | A single headline view of critic consensus, with audience reactions shown separately | Metascore: weighted average of publication review scores converted to a 0–100 scale when needed | Oct 2026 |
| OpenCritic | Seeing a critic average alongside recommendation and ranking-style context | Critic average, percentage of reviews recommending the game, and percentile or ranking context | Oct 2026 |
Is Metacritic or OpenCritic more accurate?
Neither service can establish an objective measure of a game’s quality. Each summarizes a selection of published reviews, and each is useful for a somewhat different question: Metacritic emphasizes a weighted critic consensus, while OpenCritic presents recommendation-oriented context alongside its average.
Accuracy depends on what you want the number to tell you. If you want a quick sense of where included critic scores cluster, either average can help. If you want to know whether reviewers tend to recommend the game, OpenCritic’s recommendation share adds a separate signal. If you want to know whether the game will fit your interests, hardware, or tolerance for particular design choices, neither headline score can answer that without the reviews behind it.
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That distinction matters because game criticism is judgment, not a lab measurement. IGN Entertainment has described art criticism as not being a science and has explained that even an outlet’s official review remains the opinion of its chosen reviewer, not a universal verdict for every player. An aggregate can make a large set of opinions easier to scan, but it cannot remove the judgments or differences that produced them.
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What does each service actually measure?
The two services should not be treated as interchangeable calculators. Their review pools and presentation differ, and Metacritic documents a specific weighted-average approach while OpenCritic makes multiple signals visible.
Metacritic: a weighted publication consensus
Metacritic describes its Metascore as a single score representing critical consensus. For games, scores come from publications; if an outlet uses a scale that needs conversion, Metacritic converts it to a 0–100 scale and combines scores into a weighted average. The exact weights assigned to individual publications or critics are not disclosed in its official explanation, so a reader cannot reproduce the result precisely from the displayed reviews alone.
Metacritic keeps critic and audience reactions distinct. Its support documentation says user votes and comments do not feed into the critic Metascore; User Score is presented separately. A reader who sees both numbers should therefore read them as different kinds of response, not as two ingredients in one critic calculation.
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OpenCritic: an average plus recommendation context
OpenCritic presents an average of critics’ reviews as well as the percentage of reviews recommending a game and percentile or ranking-style context. Its publisher-facing portal indicates that participating publications submit review metadata, which becomes visible when a review is published. That gives readers more than one lens on the included criticism: an average and a recommendation signal, with ranking context as another point of reference.
A recommendation is not necessarily the same thing as a high numerical score. A critic might recommend a game with reservations because its audience will understand the trade-offs, while another outlet might assign a respectable number but stop short of a recommendation. Looking at both signals can reveal whether a moderate average reflects broad, qualified approval or a split between enthusiastic and skeptical reviews.
The precise OpenCritic algorithm should not be inferred beyond what the service documents. In particular, the available methodology summary does not establish enough detail to describe every calculation or to claim that its signals are directly comparable to Metacritic’s weighted score. The practical difference is in what the services put in front of the reader, not proof that one has a universally superior formula.
Why can Metacritic and OpenCritic scores differ?
A disagreement does not by itself show that one service is wrong. Differences can arise because the two sites may include different reviews, handle scores differently, or update at different points in a game’s review cycle.
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The publications and review counts may not match
Each aggregate reflects the reviews it includes, not every review that exists. If one service has a broader or simply different set of publications, its average may move in a different direction. A small early sample can also be more sensitive to each new review than a larger body of coverage; treat an early number as a snapshot rather than a settled consensus.
Review count is useful context, but it is not a quality score. More reviews can provide a broader range of perspectives, yet a large pool can still omit a platform or a specialist outlet that matters to you. Conversely, a smaller pool may contain the reviews most relevant to a niche genre or hardware configuration. Ask what is represented, not merely how many entries appear.
Scales and calculations are not identical
Metacritic documents a weighted average and does not disclose the full weighting formula in the official explanation described above. OpenCritic presents an average and separate recommendation and ranking-style signals. In addition, publishers do not all use score scales in the same way: a 7/10 at one outlet may not carry exactly the same editorial meaning as a 70 at another. Converting both to numbers does not erase differences in grading culture.
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Platform, edition, and timing change the comparison
A review of a PC release is not necessarily evaluating the same experience as a review of a PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch version. Performance, features, and review coverage may differ by platform or edition, so compare the version you intend to play with that same version’s reviews. The aggregate can also shift as additional publications post reviews, making two checks taken at different times an imperfect comparison.
Platform labels can matter even when the title is identical. A game may run smoothly on one console but have stuttering, different resolution targets, or control issues on another. Reviews may also be based on a pre-release build, a day-one patch, or a later update. Check the review date and any note about the build tested before treating a small numerical gap as meaningful.
An average can conceal a divided response
Two games can land on similar averages while reviewers disagree sharply about what works. The review count, the recommendation share where available, and the reasoning in unusually positive, mixed, or negative reviews can show whether an apparent consensus is broad or merely an average across contrasting opinions. A score alone hides that spread.
Look for recurring reasons on both sides. If several positive reviews praise exploration but several negative reviews cite repetitive combat, the trade-off is more informative than the average itself. Outliers are worth reading when they identify a concern that is decisive for you, such as accessibility, online stability, monetization, or a missing feature.
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A GamesRadar+ report on Mixtape described different aggregate outcomes on Metacritic and OpenCritic even though both indicated strong critical reception. The example illustrates that the services can frame the same broad reception differently; it does not establish that one service is generally more accurate.
How should you decide when the scores disagree?
Start by making sure you are comparing the same release, then inspect the evidence behind each aggregate. This sequence helps distinguish a meaningful disagreement from a difference caused by coverage or timing.
- Match the platform and edition. Check that the reviews refer to the version you plan to play. Do not assume a score for one platform represents performance or features on another.
- Check how many reviews are included. A score based on a smaller early set has less coverage behind it than one supported by a broad set of reviews. Note the count and whether it is likely to be a preliminary snapshot. There is no universal review-count cutoff that turns an average into a fact; confidence rises when coverage is broad and consistent.
- Look at the publication mix. Consider whether the included outlets review the genres you care about and whether their priorities align with yours. Coverage is not just a quantity; the perspectives represented affect the summary you see.
- Compare recommendation share and the spread of opinions. Where OpenCritic provides recommendation context, use it alongside—not in place of—the average. Look for signs of divided opinion, then investigate what critics at either end say.
- Read reviews with different conclusions. Choose one positive, one mixed, and one negative review, and read the reasoning rather than stopping at their scores. The range helps reveal which trade-offs are driving the aggregate.
- Scan for launch-state issues. Look for reporting about performance, bugs, online stability, monetization, accessibility, and whether the content feels complete. These details may matter more to your decision than a modest difference between two headline scores.
- Apply your own player priorities. Ask whether the reviews’ concerns match your setup and preferences, including genre, hardware, tolerance for grind, or interest in live-service design. A strong consensus cannot guarantee a strong personal fit.
When possible, record the platform, edition, review count, date checked, average, and recommendation share in your notes. That prevents you from comparing a launch-day number with a later, expanded consensus or from mixing a console score with a PC score. It also makes it easier to revisit the decision after patches or additional reviews.
If both sites point in the same direction and the underlying reviews explain why, the shared pattern is useful evidence of broad critical reception. If they diverge, use the difference as a reason to inspect coverage and reasoning—not as a contest in which one number must be declared the winner.
How much should a score change your buying decision?
Use the number to set the depth of your investigation, not to outsource the decision. A very high or very low consensus can quickly identify games that deserve attention, but a narrow gap between two favorable scores usually says less than the specific concerns in the reviews.
For a full-price purchase, pay particular attention to launch-state reliability, expected playtime, online requirements, monetization, and whether the tested version matches your hardware. For a subscription, rental, sale, or free trial, your tolerance for flaws may be different. The same aggregate can support different decisions depending on price, time, and access.
Genre expectations also change the meaning of criticism. A reviewer who dislikes grind may still praise a role-playing game built around long progression, while a player who enjoys that loop may regard the same limitation as a benefit. Translate each criticism into your own priorities instead of counting positive and negative sentences.
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They represent different groups and should be read separately. Metacritic’s critic Metascore is built from publication reviews, while its User Score is a distinct audience response; user votes do not enter the critic calculation.
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Neither perspective directly predicts every player’s experience. Critics’ reviews may explain design, performance, or content in a structured way, while an audience score reflects user responses on that service. For a purchase decision, look for specific explanations that match your concerns rather than treating either group as a single voice.
User reactions can be useful for spotting issues that emerge after launch, but they can also reflect coordinated campaigns, disputes unrelated to the game’s qualities, or expectations different from yours. Do not treat a low user number as proof that every critic missed a serious flaw, or a high one as proof that technical problems are absent. Check dates, recurring details, and whether comments describe the version you would play.
What does a 90 Metacritic score actually mean?
Metacritic says publications generally treat scores in the upper 70s or higher as unequivocally good, so a 90 sits within a broadly favorable convention. It means the included publication scores combine to a high weighted consensus on the service’s 0–100 scale. It does not mean every reviewer gave the same score, that every platform performs identically, or that the game matches every player’s taste.
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A 90 can contain meaningful reservations. Read the individual reviews to learn whether praise focuses on story, mechanics, technical polish, scope, or innovation, and whether the reservations concern elements you value most. The number is a useful starting point, not a guarantee.
What should you take away from a headline score?
Use the aggregate as a map to the criticism, not a substitute for it. A score can efficiently indicate where published reviews tend to land, but it cannot tell you whether the represented outlets covered your platform, whether their priorities match yours, or why individual reviewers reached their conclusions.
- Metacritic’s critic number is a weighted publication average, separate from User Score.
- OpenCritic places recommendation and ranking-style context beside its critic average.
- The review pool, scoring conventions, platform, edition, and timing can all affect a comparison.
- Reading the reasons in reviews on both sides of a disagreement is more informative than choosing whichever aggregate is higher.
- Scores describe published criticism at a particular time; patches, additional reviews, and changed player priorities can alter how useful the number is.
A practical five-minute review routine
When you need a quick but responsible answer, open both services and verify the platform and edition first. Note the review count and the date, then compare the critic averages and OpenCritic’s recommendation context. Choose three underlying reviews with different conclusions, searching each for performance, bugs, accessibility, monetization, online stability, and content-completeness comments. Finally, write down the one trade-off you are most willing to accept and the one issue that would stop you from buying. This routine turns a headline number into a decision based on evidence and personal fit.
Bottom line
Trust Metacritic and OpenCritic as navigation tools, not final judges. Metacritic’s weighted Metascore offers a compact view of publication consensus, while OpenCritic adds recommendation and ranking-style context. Match platform, edition, review count, publication mix, and timing; then read positive, mixed, and negative reviews for the reasons behind the numbers. The score that deserves your trust is the one you can connect to the version you will play and the trade-offs you are prepared to accept.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a 90 Metacritic score actually mean?
Metacritic says publications generally treat scores in the upper 70s or higher as unequivocally good, so a 90 sits within a broadly favorable convention. It is still a summary of publication scores, not a guarantee that every player will enjoy the game or that every outlet used its scale identically.
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Does Metacritic count user ratings in the Metascore?
No. Metacritic’s support explanation says the critic Metascore is a weighted average of published critic reviews; user votes and comments are represented separately in User Score.
Can a 7/10 review be equivalent to a 70 on another site?
Not necessarily. Outlets can use their scales and grading language differently, so numeric conversion helps aggregate reviews but cannot make editorial meanings perfectly equivalent.
Is OpenCritic better than Metacritic?
Neither is universally better. Metacritic emphasizes a weighted critic consensus, while OpenCritic shows a critic average alongside recommendation and ranking-style context. Choose the view that answers your question, then read the underlying reviews.
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Why are Metacritic and OpenCritic scores different?
They may include different publications or numbers of reviews, use different aggregation and presentation methods, translate outlet scales differently, and update at different times. Platform or edition differences can also change the set of reviews being compared.
Why does a game’s score change by platform?
A PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch version can differ in performance, features, bugs, and review coverage. Compare the aggregate and individual reviews for the exact platform and edition you plan to play.
How many reviews are enough to trust an aggregate?
There is no universal cutoff. A larger, consistent set usually provides broader coverage, while a small early set is more sensitive to each new review. Check the count, publication mix, platform, and timing rather than relying on a single threshold.
Should I use critic scores or user scores when deciding what to buy?
Use them as separate perspectives. Critic scores summarize publication reviews; Metacritic’s User Score reflects audience responses and does not enter the Metascore. Read specific comments and reviews that address your platform, priorities, and concerns.
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Yes. An average can conceal divided opinions or issues that matter more to you than to the overall consensus. Read outlier reviews and scan for performance, bugs, online stability, accessibility, monetization, and content-completeness notes.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Metacritic is a weighted critic-consensus snapshot; OpenCritic adds recommendation and ranking context. Neither replaces the reviews themselves. Match the platform, edition, timing, and review pool, then choose based on the trade-offs described by critics and your own priorities.
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