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Sektori is the number-one game on Metacritic’s 2026 year page in the snapshot checked on October 16, 2026, with a 94 Metascore. Big Walk follows at 91, while four games share 90 and five share 89. The ranking is a dated critic-score list, not a permanent award: scores can change as more reviews arrive.
The list below preserves each game’s release date and score so you can see exactly what the October 16 snapshot measured. A later platform-specific update for Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is covered separately rather than mixed into this table.
The 2026 Metacritic top 10
Metacritic’s 2026 browse page showed 299 results and excluded games with fewer than seven professional critic reviews. The ranking is ordered by Metascore, with ties sharing the same position. Scores and descriptions below reflect the snapshot researched on October 16, 2026.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Rank | Game | Metascore | Release date | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sektori | 94 | May 14, 2026 | Fast twin-stick shooter built around techno music. |
| 2 | Big Walk | 91 | August 4, 2026 | Cooperative adventure focused on teamwork, communication, puzzles and exploration. |
| 3 (tie) | Forza Horizon 6 | 90 | May 19, 2026 | Open-world racing in Japan, spanning Tokyo and the countryside, with 550 vehicles. |
| 3 (tie) | Mina the Hollower | 90 | May 29, 2026 | Pixel-art gothic horror action-adventure with Zelda-like exploration and Castlevania-style atmosphere. |
| 3 (tie) | and Roger | 90 | June 17, 2026 | Narrative mystery about a girl investigating her missing father and a stranger’s claims. |
| 6 (tie) | Schrödinger’s Call | 89 | May 28, 2026 | Visual novel about final conversations as the world approaches its end. |
| 6 (tie) | Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade | 89 | January 22, 2026 | PS5-enhanced bundle containing Remake and the Yuffie episode. |
| 6 (tie) | Pokémon Pokopia | 89 | March 5, 2026 | Switch 2 life-building game in which Ditto rebuilds a desolate world with Pokémon. |
| 6 (tie) | Resident Evil Requiem | 89 | February 27, 2026 | Survival horror alternating between Grace Ashcroft’s first-person survival and Leon S. Kennedy’s action-focused campaign. |
| 6 (tie) | DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations | 89 | July 7, 2026 | Campaign expansion adding levels, demons, puzzles, mysteries and the Chain Spear. |
Scores are Metascores in the October 16, 2026 snapshot. Metascores may move when additional critic reviews are added.
#1 Best Overall
- DISCOVER JAPAN — Explore Horizon’s largest map ever, set in Japan and packed with dramatic verticality, diverse biomes, and spectacular open‑road driving routes.
- CRUISE ICONIC LOCATIONS — Drive through Tokyo’s city streets, suburbs, docks, and industrial districts in the most expansive urban environment in Horizon history.
- DRIVE 550+ REAL‑WORLD CARS — Collect and customize over 550 licensed vehicles with body kits, Forza Aero, window liveries, and enhanced steering animations.
- BUILD YOUR ESTATE — Purchase beautiful homes across Japan and customize garages to showcase your growing car collection as you rise through the Horizon Festival.
- JOIN THE HORIZON COMMUNITY — Race, cruise, and compete with friends in Time Attack Circuits, Drag Meets, Car Meets, and Horizon multiplayer modes, including Spec Racing Championships.
What the number-one result means
Sektori leads the snapshot
With a 94, Sektori is the highest-rated entry on the year page at the stated date. Its identity is unusually specific: a rapid twin-stick shooter whose techno soundtrack is part of the experience. That score answers “What is number one on Metacritic this year?” only for this dated snapshot; it is not a guarantee that the score will remain 94.
Big Walk is the highest-rated late-summer entry in the table
Big Walk scored 91 after its August 4 release. Its cooperative design emphasizes coordination rather than solo mastery, with communication, shared puzzles and exploration defining the play loop.
Rank #2
- PREMIUM EDITION — Includes the full game, VIP Membership, Welcome Pack, Time Attack Car Pack, Car Pass, Italian Passion Car Pack, and two Premium Expansions (coming post launch).
- DISCOVER JAPAN — Explore Horizon’s largest map ever, set in Japan and packed with dramatic verticality, diverse biomes, and spectacular open‑road driving routes.
- CRUISE ICONIC LOCATIONS — Drive through Tokyo’s city streets, suburbs, docks, and industrial districts in the most expansive urban environment in Horizon history.
- DRIVE 550+ REAL‑WORLD CARS — Collect and customize over 550 licensed vehicles with body kits, Forza Aero, window liveries, and enhanced steering animations.
- BUILD YOUR ESTATE — Purchase beautiful homes across Japan and customize garages to showcase your growing car collection as you rise through the Horizon Festival.
How to interpret the ties at 90 and 89
The 90 group
Forza Horizon 6 is the broadest-format game in the group: an open-world racing game set across Japan, including Tokyo and rural areas, with 550 vehicles. Mina the Hollower takes the opposite route, using pixel art and gothic horror while combining Zelda-like exploration with Castlevania influences. and Roger is a story-led mystery, built around a missing father and a stranger whose statements may change what the protagonist believes.
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The five-way tie covers very different experiences. Schrödinger’s Call is a visual novel structured around last conversations during an apocalyptic crisis. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade packages the main remake with the Yuffie episode in a PS5-enhanced release. Pokémon Pokopia turns rebuilding into a life-building activity, with Ditto restoring a ruined world alongside Pokémon. Resident Evil Requiem switches viewpoints and pacing: Grace Ashcroft’s sections use first-person survival horror, while Leon S. Kennedy’s campaign is more action-oriented. DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations is the outlier because it is a campaign expansion, adding levels, enemies, puzzles, mysteries and the Chain Spear rather than serving as a standalone new game.
Rank #3
- PREMIUM UPGRADE — Includes VIP Membership, Welcome Pack, Time Attack Car Pack, Car Pass, Italian Passion Car Pack, and two Premium Expansions. Requires Forza Horizon 6 base game or Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
- VIP MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS — Enjoy a 2x Credit boost to race rewards, 3 VIP-Exclusive Forza Edition cars, a weekly bonus Super Wheelspin, and special Vanity Items.
- WELCOME PACK — Features 5 special pre-tuned cars and a Car Voucher, which can be used to claim any car available from the Autoshow.
- TIME ATTACK CAR PACK — Receive 8 legendary cars ideal for mastering every turn and corner at the Time Attack Circuits located around Japan.
- ITALIAN PASSION CAR PACK — Introduces 4 great new Italian cars in Forza Horizon 6 post-launch, perfect for cruising, racing, or exploring.
Why the list can differ from a “best games of the year” article
Metacritic’s midyear editorial list used a narrower rule set: releases from January 1 through June 30, scores as of July 1, and at least seven professional critic reviews. It excluded new ports, expansions or downloadable content, mobile games, compilations and definitive or Game of the Year editions. The year browse page has a broader scope, which is why an entry such as the DOOM expansion appears in the October snapshot.
That distinction matters when comparing unlike entries. A 94 for a new game, an 89 for a remake bundle and an 89 for an expansion are all critic averages, but they do not represent the same type of release. Metascore also does not measure accessibility, performance after patches, player sentiment or whether a game fits your tastes.
Rank #4
- DELUXE EDITION — Includes the full game, Welcome Pack, and Car Pass, delivering 30 additional cars to your garage with one new car released each week.
- DISCOVER JAPAN — Explore Horizon’s largest map ever, set in Japan and packed with dramatic verticality, diverse biomes, and spectacular open‑road driving routes.
- CRUISE ICONIC LOCATIONS — Drive through Tokyo’s city streets, suburbs, docks, and industrial districts in the most expansive urban environment in Horizon history.
- DRIVE 550+ REAL‑WORLD CARS — Collect and customize over 550 licensed vehicles with body kits, Forza Aero, window liveries, and enhanced steering animations.
- BUILD YOUR ESTATE — Purchase beautiful homes across Japan and customize garages to showcase your growing car collection as you rise through the Horizon Festival.
Where Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter fits
A September 16, 2026 GamesRadar report gave Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter platform-specific results around launch: 93 on PC from 10 reviews, 92 on PS5 from 13 reviews and 84 on Switch 2. The same report cited a 92 OpenCritic score. Because those figures come from different platforms, review counts and a later date than the year-page snapshot, they should not be silently inserted into the top-ten table.
Its 93 PC score is excellent, but it does not displace Sektori’s 94 in the October 16 Metacritic snapshot. GamesRadar described either the PC or PS5 score as making it the best-rated new release of 2026 in its own comparison, a statement that uses a different timing and comparison set from the year-page ranking.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Discover the breathtaking landscapes of Japan on the largest Horizon map yet full of vertical terrain, varied biomes and spectacular driving experiences.
- Cruise through the suburbs and legendary streets of downtown Tokyo and deliver races in the port and industrial areas.
- Drive over 550 realistic vehicles and upgrade your favourite with new body kits and Forza Aero, the ability to paint designs on windows, and revised steering wheel animations.
- Build your property and buy dreamy, brand new homes with fully personalised garages.
- Meet your friends on time trial routes and drag meetings, show off your tuned vehicles at car meetings across Japan, or compete in Horizon multiplayer modes with new spec racing championships. *
Platform-focused shortlists
PS5
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is explicitly a PS5-enhanced package.
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter recorded a 92 Metacritic score from 13 PS5 reviews in the September 16 update.
Xbox Series X|S
- Forza Horizon 6 is the racing choice identified for Xbox Series X|S in the available listing information, with Japan, Tokyo, the countryside and 550 vehicles as its defining features.
Nintendo Switch 2
- Pokémon Pokopia is identified as a Switch 2 life-building game.
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter had an 84 Metacritic score on Switch 2 in the September 16 report.
PC
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter had a 93 Metacritic score from 10 PC reviews in that later update.
- For the other top-ten entries, the snapshot supplies critic scores and game descriptions but not a complete platform-by-platform availability list, so check the current store listing before buying.
How to use the ranking when choosing a game
- Start with the format. Decide whether you want a shooter, cooperative adventure, racer, horror game, visual novel, mystery or life-building game.
- Check the release type. Separate new games from the remake bundle and the DOOM campaign expansion; content length and prerequisites can differ.
- Verify your platform. The scores for Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter vary sharply by platform, and the top-ten snapshot does not provide a complete platform matrix.
- Read the score as a shortlist signal. Review averages identify strong critical reception, but they cannot predict your preferences, accessibility needs, post-launch performance or player experience.
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