It’s always an interesting thing talking about the review scores of video games. After all, while they can be an indicator of success by certain metrics, they’re not the “end all be all,” as various games can prove. Just recently, Nintendo dropped a title that was just below an 80 with its score, but it sold about six million software units in just a couple of days. That’s a huge success. However, for games like GTA 6, some people are wondering just how high the review score will be. After all, Rockstar Games is known for putting out high-quality titles, so could this become the highest-rated game in the company’s history?
One Redditor asked that very question:
“GTA IV has 98 and it’s currently the highest rated Rockstar game followed by GTA V and RDR2 at 97. As time passes it becomes more difficult for a game to reach high scores because the reviews are increasing with each year. For example it’s harder for a game to reach 97 score with 100+ reviews today than a game with 99 score like in the past and only a couple of reviews like Ocarina of Time. But do you believe it’s possible for GTA 6 to reach 98 or 99 Metascore in the year 2026 with that many reviews outlets? I believe yes. For 98 at least it’s highly possible.”
First, we appreciate the extensive breakdown of the question. Second, they’re not wrong that it can be difficult for games to reach a certain score in modern times due to all the reviewers that can find themselves on a place like Metacritic.
Is it possible to reach 98 or even 99? Of course! There are titles, including some from recent years, that have reached the near-perfect scores that Metacritic offers. Then, there are those that you feel “should’ve gotten a higher score,” but didn’t. That’s the tricky thing here: all it takes is for a few reviewers to give either a bad score or a “lower than expected” score, and the entire thing is skewed.
Bias is also something that sadly happens with game reviews. A recently released title had that happen, where reviewers honestly judged the game not only by its quality, but the fact it was part of a genre they weren’t a fan of, basically saying “it was all the same thing.”
In the end, though, it will depend on Rockstar Games to put out the highest quality possible, which is why many feel its upcoming game was delayed until next November. Yet, it will also be on the reviewers to be open to what the game offers and truly honest about how much it “resonates” with them.
