2023 has delivered several video games contending for all-time classic status, with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3 receiving magnificent review scores from critics – but where do those modern gems rank among the all-time greats?
We compiled the top-rated video games of each year, starting in 1996 with Nintendo 64 classic Super Mario 64.
First, a few ground rules:
- Most review scores are sourced from GameRankings.com, a now defunct review aggregator that went offline in 2019, but that remains one of the best sources for older review scores. For subsequent years, Metacritic review averages are used.
- Multi-platform games are listed with the platform that attained the highest review score.
- Games are listed according to the year they were released in the United States.
- Minimally changed rereleases on different platforms are excluded. Sorry, Rockstar, you’ll only be getting one entry for Grand Theft Auto V here.
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1996: Super Mario 64
Platform: Nintendo 64
GameRankings score: 96.41%
A mind-blowing launch title for the Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64 changed the game for 3D graphics and remains more playable in 2023 than nearly any other game of this era.
1997: GoldenEye 007
Platform: Nintendo 64
GameRankings score: 94.70%
Modern blockbuster games usually have a simultaneous worldwide release in the modern era, but that wasn’t always the case. So while Gran Turismo was technically the best-reviewed game of 1997 worldwide, it didn’t come out in the U.S. until 1998.
1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Platform: Nintendo 64
GameRankings score: 97.54%
Ocarina of Time remains the top-rated Zelda game of all time, but the scores are incredibly close.
1999: Soulcalibur
Platform: Dreamcast
GameRankings score: 96.56%
The Dreamcast didn’t have a long lifespan, but there were some all-time classics on the platform in 1999 and 2000 like Soulcalibur and NFL 2K1.
2000: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Platform: PlayStation
GameRankings score: 94.75%
Arguably the pinnacle of the Tony Hawk formula, review scores for the series would start to steadily drop after Underground.
2001: Halo: Combat Evolved
Platform: Xbox
GameRankings score: 95.54%
Online and local multiplayer magic that would only get better with Halo 2 and 3.
2002: Metroid Prime
Platform: GameCube
GameRankings score: 96.33%
Nintendo just released a remastered version of this classic for Switch in 2023.
2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Platform: GameCube
GameRankings score: 94.43%
Grand Theft Auto Double Pack on Xbox technically had a slightly higher review score in 2003, but those games had already been previously released on PlayStation 2.
2004: Half-Life 2
Platform: PC
GameRankings score: 95.48%
The first PC game to crack the list, Half-Life 2 remains one of the best single-player FPS games ever.
2005: Resident Evil 4
Platform: PlayStation 2
GameRankings score: 95.85%
Resident Evil left the classic era behind with 4, a game that inspired countless action games to come.
2006: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Platform: GameCube
GameRankings score: 94.58%
Twilight Princess is a bit of a polarizing entry among Zelda fans, but it still finished ahead of Xbox 360’s Gears of War (93.97%) in 2006.
2007: Super Mario Galaxy
Platform: Wii
GameRankings score: 97.64%
The first mainline Mario entry on the Wii, Galaxy remains the highest reviewed game in the GameRankings.com archive, topping both Ocarina of Time and the Switch’s Super Mario Odyssey.
2008: Grand Theft Auto IV
Platform: PlayStation 3
GameRankings score: 97.04%
Niko, it’s Roman! Let’s go bowling.
2009: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Platform: PlayStation 3
GameRankings score: 96.43%
A series that eventually led to a Tom Holland blockbuster, Uncharted 2 was the best-reviewed entry by a comfortable margin.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Platform: Wii
GameRankings score: 97.35%
2011: Batman: Arkham City
Platform: PlayStation 3
GameRankings score: 95.94%
A superhero game managed to finish ahead of Skyrim in 2011, which is the highest praise for the folks at Rocksteady Studios that made Arkham City.
2012: Persona 4: Golden
Platform: PlayStation Vita
GameRankings score: 94.16%
The only handheld game to make this list, Persona 4: Golden is PS2-era RPG perfection.
2013: Grand Theft Auto V
Platform: PlayStation 3
GameRankings score: 97.01%
If we relaxed the rules about ports and re-releases, GTA V would be at the top of the chart in three separate years. The game first released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, the PS4 version was the top-rated release of 2014, and the PC version was the top-rated game of 2015.
2014: The Last of Us Remastered
Platform: PlayStation 4
GameRankings score: 95.70%
With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One having just launched, there simply weren’t that many great games early on in either console’s library. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (92.39%) gets the runner-up spot here.
2015: Journey
Platform: PlayStation 4
GameRankings score: 94.80%
Critics loved Journey enough to rank it well ahead of second-place Witcher 3 in 2015.
2016: Persona 5
Platform: PlayStation 4
GameRankings score: 93.30%
An incredibly stylish reinvention of the Persona formula for modern consoles.
2017: Super Mario Odyssey
Platform: Switch
GameRankings score: 97.42%
Sorry, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fans, Super Mario Odyssey is the best game available on Switch according to the numbers.
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
Platform: PlayStation 4
GameRankings score: 96.45%
Some people have balked at Red Dead Redemption 2‘s slow pace and sometimes awkward controls, but its epic story and lush world are marvels for those willing to be patient.
2019: Resident Evil 2
Platform: PlayStation 4
GameRankings score: 92.39%
The gold standard for remakes, Resident Evil 2 brought a PlayStation classic into the modern era with a bang.
2020: Persona 5 Royal
Platform: PlayStation 4
Metacritic score: 95
Royal added enough to the game to warrant a second placing on this list, and was also the only game to reach a review average of 95 in 2020. The Last of Us Part II, at 93, was the next closest game.
2021: Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
Platform: PC
Metacritic score: 97
A story-heavy, text-based detective RPG, Disco Elysium beat out Tetris Effect and Hades in 2021.
2022: Elden Ring
Platform: PlayStation 5
Metacritic score: 96
Elden Ring took some bold swings to differentiate itself from the typical Souls formula and swept up a ton of Game of the Year awards in 2022.
2023: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Platform: Switch
Metacritic score: 96*
Recently released RPG epic Baldur’s Gate 3 has also scored a 96 on Metacritic, though that score is subject to change as further reviews roll in.
