The competition to be the highest-rated game of 2025 has been an interesting one so far in 2025. The lead has already changed hands multiple times, and as we prepare to turn the corner into the second half of the year, the game topping the pile has changed once again.
With a Metacritic score of 93,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has been the highest-rated game of the year for almost two months, but its reign has now come to an end thanks to theNintendo Switch 2. Not because ofMario Kart World,which has settled on 87, norNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which isway down the list on 54. It’sThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 edition that has broken Clair fans' hearts.
Nintendodidn’t give anyone Switch 2 consoles or games before release day, which means reviews for the hardware and its launch titles have been gradually filtering in during the system’s first two weeks. Tears of the Kingdom’s review score has taken even longer to reveal itself since not many sites have opted to re-review the game on Switch 2. However, enough have now done so thatit has a score on Metacritic, and that score is an incredible 95.
Somehow, Tears Of The Kingdom Returned
Step Aside, Clair Obscur
Despite all of the extra stuff added to Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2, the new edition’s score is a point lower than the original’s 96. A tricky game to review, as even though it’s technically better than the original version, since it’s the same game that runs better and with more stuff, it is still just the same game.
That might be enough of a caveat for Clair fans to put their fingers in their ears while yelling “that doesn’t count”. Don’t worry, it won’t be considered for Game of the Year. Probably.
Just to rub salt in Expedition 33’s wounds, Sandfall’s debut game has technically been knocked down to third position. The reviews are in for Breath of the Wild on Switch 2, too, andthat has settled on a 93. The same score as Clair, but Metacritic has it placed higher than Expedition 33, which likely means it has a higher score when you drill down into the decimal places.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2set the pace at the start of February with a score of 88, and thenMonster Hunter Wildssnatched its crown away at the end of the month. Capcom’s hit new Monster Hunter game was only in first place for a week thanks toSplit Fiction, and then that was beaten byBlue Prince’s 92.Clair Obscur set a new pace with 93 a few weeks later, and now 95 is the score to beat. Let’s see whatDonkey Kong Banazacan do next month.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
WHERE TO PLAY
Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission - Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again.We are Expedition 33.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to the Nintendo Switch hit Breath of the Wild. In it, Link must team up with Princess Zelda to rid Hyrule of another threat to its existence.
