Metal Gear Solid V Is the Best-Reviewed New Game of 2015, According to Metacritic

In their Best of 2015 roundup for video games, Metacritic highlighted Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain for Xbox One as the best-reviewed new game of the year. It joins past winners Super Smash Bros for Wii U (2014), Grand Theft Auto V for PS3/360 (2013), The Walking Dead for 360 (2012), and Batman: Arkham City for PS3 (2011).

Although Grand Theft Auto V for PC was the #1 rated game overall, the top four new games released in 2015 were The Phantom Pain, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Undertale, and Bloodborne.

Here’s the top-scoring games and DLC of 2015, regardless of platform (mobile excluded; at least seven reviews required):

1. Grand Theft Auto V (PC) – 96
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Xbox One) – 95
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC) – 93
4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4) – 93
5. Undertale (PC) – 93
6. Journey (PS4) – 92
7. Bloodborne (PS4) – 92
8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4) – 92
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Xbox One) – 91
10. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PC) – 91
11. Shovel Knight (PS4) – 90
12. Mario Kart 8 ‘DLC Pack 2’ (Wii U) – 90
13. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth (PC) – 90
14. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ‘Hearts of Stone’ (PS4) – 90

Comparing the consoles, 276 PlayStation 4 games in 2015 had an average Metascore of 70.5, followed by 204 Xbox One games averaging 70.4, and 80 Wii U games averaging 67.1. Looking at exclusives, 11 PS4 exclusives scored over 75, compared to seven on Xbox One.

As for handhelds, the 75 scored PS Vita games had an average of 70.7, with the 75 3DS games at 69.0.

Here’s the top-scoring PS Vita/3DS games of 2015:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (3DS) – 89
2. 3D Streets of Rage 2 (3DS) – 89
3. 3D Gunstar Heroes (3DS) – 89
4. 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (3DS) – 87
5. 3D Out Run (3DS) – 87
6. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) – 86
7. SteamWorld Heist (3DS) – 86
8. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D (3DS) – 86
9. OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood (PS Vita) – 85
10. Code:Realize – Guardian of Rebirth (PS Vita) – 85
11. Terraria (PS Vita) – 85

Metacritic also looked at the worst scoring console games of 2015, which include Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume 1 at 21, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 at 32, Giana Sisters: Dream Runners at 32, and Godzilla at 38.

You can see our Best of 2015 awards over here.

What do you think the highest-reviewed game of 2016 will be?

[Source: Metacritic (1), (2)]