Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now MetaCritic’s #1 sport in 2025, and that simply feels bizarre Players Area

The launch of the Nintendo Swap 2 has brought on a little bit of a disturbance within the rankings of video games launched this yr, so far as the general important rating is worried. The reason being pretty customary, and it has to do with older video games being re-released for the brand new console.

On this case, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a sport initially launched in 2017 – over eight years in the past – is now thought of one in every of 2025’s highest-rated video games.

Breath of the Wild, after all, isn’t only a Swap sport that’s playable on the console’s successor, the Swap 2; it’s additionally amongst choose few video games Nintendo elected to improve to reap the benefits of the ability of the brand new console.

These upgrades apply to Breath of the Wild, in addition to its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom – each of that are paid. These are so known as Swap 2 Editions (or Improve Pack if you happen to already personal it) – which, in Breath of the Wild’s case, doesn’t even embrace all of the DLC! After all, releasing a brand new version means you get one other shot at charting among the many yr’s highest critically-acclaimed video games, which is precisely what simply occurred.

The large MetaCritic record of 2025’s highest-rated video games has “new” entrants. Breath of the Wild now sits at primary, tied with the superb Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – a brand new sport that was truly launched in 2025. Breath of the Wild’s transfer additionally places it forward of Blue Prince, one other critically-acclaimed 2025 launch.

Because it stands, Expedition 33 stays on the prime with a mixed 93MC rating, now tied with Breath of the Wild with 93, Blue Prince with 92, Break up Fiction with 91, and Despelote rounding out the highest 5 with an 89MC rating.

Clearly, new arrivals additionally inevitably knock present video games out of their respective slots. Breath of the Wild has knocked The Hundred Line: Final Protection Academy out of the highest 20, for instance.

Contemplating that growth, we’re very prone to see the identical record get up to date once more quickly with the arrival of the Swap 2 Version of Tears of the Kingdom, which at present sits at a fair higher 94MC. Because of this, quickly, the 2023 sport shall be… 2025’s highest-rated launch on MetaCritic.

When you picked a Swap 2 and located your self shopping for these Zelda upgrades, you might need to bookmark our Breath of the Wilds information, in addition to Tears of the Kingdom information. We’re guessing you’ve in all probability forgot loads – or, even higher, you might be enjoying them for the primary time. Both means, our guides are an amazing useful resource.