Insights

See games whose reviews and GOTY results differed, games that stayed strong across several years, and lower-ranked games with first-place picks.

High critics, low GOTY share

Games with high Metascores but a low share of the available GOTY points.

#1

Hades II
Original Metascore95

2025

Combined yearly score

2.7%

Review and GOTY score difference

92.3 pts

Sources awarding points

7

Times picked #1

7
#2

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Original Metascore93

2018

Combined yearly score

1.2%

Review and GOTY score difference

91.8 pts

Sources awarding points

4

Times picked #1

4
#3

Demon's Souls Remake
Remake Metascore92

2020

Combined yearly score

0.5%

Review and GOTY score difference

91.5 pts

Sources awarding points

3

Times picked #1

1
#4

Half-Life: Alyx
Original Metascore93

2020

Combined yearly score

2.4%

Review and GOTY score difference

90.6 pts

Sources awarding points

10

Times picked #1

9
#5

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine
Expansion Metascore94

2016

Combined yearly score

3.5%

Review and GOTY score difference

90.5 pts

Sources awarding points

10

Times picked #1

10
#6

Microsoft Flight Simulator
Original Metascore91

2020

Combined yearly score

0.7%

Review and GOTY score difference

90.3 pts

Sources awarding points

5

Times picked #1

2

Stronger GOTY results than reviews

Games that earned a high share of GOTY points without having one of the highest Metascores.

#1

Death Stranding
Original Metascore82

2019

Combined yearly score

26.9%

Review and GOTY score difference

55.1 pts

Sources awarding points

56

Times picked #1

56
#2

Resident Evil Village
Original Metascore84

2021

Combined yearly score

14.3%

Review and GOTY score difference

69.7 pts

Sources awarding points

43

Times picked #1

39
#3

Ghost of Tsushima
Original Metascore83

2020

Combined yearly score

12.3%

Review and GOTY score difference

70.7 pts

Sources awarding points

49

Times picked #1

46
#4

Control
Original Metascore82

2019

Combined yearly score

9.2%

Review and GOTY score difference

72.8 pts

Sources awarding points

19

Times picked #1

19
#5

Black Myth: Wukong
Original Metascore81

2024

Combined yearly score

9.1%

Review and GOTY score difference

71.9 pts

Sources awarding points

30

Times picked #1

22
#6

Alien: Isolation
Original Metascore81

2014

Combined yearly score

5.4%

Review and GOTY score difference

75.6 pts

Sources awarding points

18

Times picked #1

18

Lower-ranked games with first-place picks

Games outside each year's top five that were strongly backed by the sources that selected them.

#1

Far Cry 4
Original Metascore85

2014

Picked as #1

100%

Year rank

#6

Available points earned

5.4%

Sources awarding points

17

Times picked #1

17
#2

Bayonetta 2
Original Metascore91

2014

Picked as #1

100%

Year rank

#7

Available points earned

4.7%

Sources awarding points

16

Times picked #1

16
#3

Dark Souls II
Original Metascore91

2014

Picked as #1

100%

Year rank

#8

Available points earned

4.4%

Sources awarding points

14

Times picked #1

14
#4

Destiny
Original Metascore76

2014

Picked as #1

100%

Year rank

#9

Available points earned

3.8%

Sources awarding points

12

Times picked #1

12
#5

INSIDE
Original Metascore93

2016

Picked as #1

100%

Year rank

#6

Available points earned

3.9%

Sources awarding points

11

Times picked #1

11
#6

Divinity: Original Sin II
Original Metascore93

2017

Picked as #1

100%

Year rank

#6

Available points earned

3.1%

Sources awarding points

11

Times picked #1

11