Zelda on Switch 2 Dethrones Clair Obscur on Metacritic 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which had been maintaining the position of the highest-rated game of 2025 on Metacritic, was dethroned by updates to already known titles: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which received enhancements for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. The news raises discussions about classification methodology and the impact of re-releases at the top of annual lists.

Currently, Tears of the Kingdom leads the Metacritic list with a score of 95, while Breath of the Wild is in second place with 93. Surprisingly, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also has a score of 93, but with a significantly higher number of reviews (84) compared to the 13 reviews of the Zelda titles for the Switch 2. This difference in the volume of reviews is a critical point, suggesting that Zelda's leadership may be statistically less representative.

The updates to the Zelda games for the Switch 2 promise substantial improvements: higher resolution, enhanced framerate, and support for HDR. In addition, the Zelda Notes feature via the Nintendo Switch App includes item sharing and a navigation tool to track Korok Seeds and Shrine locations.

Clair Obscur Maintains Relevance Despite "Defeat"

Despite being "dethroned" in the Metacritic ranking, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 maintains its relevance as one of the standout releases of the year. The game, developed by a studio founded by former Ubisoft developers, received consistent praise, even with initial review bombing from some users or the preference for more conservative scores from certain outlets. The number of reviews for Clair Obscur (84) is much higher than any other game released this year, reflecting considerable interest and a more consolidated critical base.

The discussion about the validity of re-releases or updates occupying the top of "best games of the year" rankings is relevant. Although the improvements for Switch 2 are welcome, they do not represent a new title or a fundamental innovation in the original content, as is the case with Clair Obscur. The fact that Baldur's Gate 3 and even Hideo Kojima have publicly expressed support for Clair Obscur demonstrates its impact on the industry, regardless of its current position on Metacritic.

Metacritic is an aggregation tool, but its interpretation requires context, especially when older games with few reviews on new platforms surpass original releases. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has established itself as one of the best original releases of 2025, regardless of fluctuations in rankings dominated by ports or remasters. It is likely that the Metacritic landscape will change again before the end of the year, with new releases potentially altering the current hierarchy.

Do you think Metacritic's methodology needs adjustments to differentiate new releases from ports or updates in their "best games of the year" rankings?