Giving us their annual look back at what reviewers thought of all the games released in 2013, Metacritic has revealed that Grand Theft Auto V was the highest-rated title of the year. Going further, only 11 console games (7 of them unique) scored a 90 or higher, “by far the lowest number of “great” games in a single year since the arrival of the last generation of consoles.” When you add in handheld games (non-iOS) and PC games though, the number rises to 18, which is the same as last year, but is still “far lower than in previous years.”
Looking at specific systems, almost 47% of PS3 releases had positive ratings in 2013, up from 40.7% in 2012, with 8 “good” PS3 exclusives this year, as opposed to 6 last year. In terms of the top 3 PS3 games, those were Grand Theft Auto V at 97, The Last of Us at 95, and BioShock Infinite at 94. On the other side of things, the worst 3 PS3 games were Girl Fight and Painkiller: Hell and Damnation tied at 40, Farming Simulator 2013 at 38, and The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct at 34.
Although the PlayStation 4 games in 2013 averaged a score of 74.7, “well above the early average for the Xbox One,” the top of the list was dominated by ports or re-releases with Flower at #1 with 91, followed by FIFA 14 at 87, and Battlefield 4 at 86 (Resogun was 6th and had an 84), with NBA Live bringing in the rear with a 43.
Finally, the PS Vita’s average Metacritic score was up from 2012 and had a nearly 49% tally of positive reviews for its 2013 games, both of which beat the Nintendo 3DS. While the 3DS managed some games over 90+ though, the Vita’s top games were Spelunky and Tearaway tied for first at 88, followed by Guacamelee!, Rayman Legends, and Velocity Ultra at 87. For games scoring below 50, that honor belongs to Chronovolt at 44 and Let’s Fish! Hooked On at 41.
Are you surprised to see Grand Theft Auto V as the highest-rated game of 2013, according to critics? Let us know in the comments below.
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