- Primary Subject: 2026 Game of the Year Predictions
- Key Update: Analysis of critic scores to predict if GTA 6 or Ocarina of Time Remake will achieve higher ratings.
- Status: Published
- Last Verified: 2026-09-16
- Quick Answer: We predicts whether Grand Theft Auto VI or the Ocarina of Time Remake will be the top-rated game of 2026 based on historical data and critic scores.
2026 may be a stacked year for gaming, but ever since both were announced, the question of which game is taking home GOTY has had only two possible answers: Grand Theft Auto 6 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake.
Two of the most popular, influential gaming IPs in the industry will go toe-to-toe this November. Rockstar is finally releasing the next entry in its flagship franchise after 13 long years of waiting, launching November 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Meanwhile, Nintendo is opting to revitalize a seminal classic with shiny new HD graphics, quality-of-life options, and a modern approach to its mechanics, with Switch 2 users ready for that November 5 launch date.
Like I said, barring major, catastrophic, social media-melting awful launches, both games will likely receive very, very good scores. It’s not crazy to think both will be among the best-rated titles of 2026, if not of all time.
With that in mind, I had to check which games are rated as the cream of the crop across Metacritic and OpenCritic—the two major aggregator sites—and execute a fun exercise: where do I think GTA 6 and OoT Remake will land?
For context, let’s check out the top 10 best-rated titles across both sites.
OpenCritic Top 10 Games of All Time
- Super Mario Odyssey: 97
- Baldur’s Gate 3: 96
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 96
- Red Dead Redemption 2: 95
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: 95
- Grand Theft Auto 4: 95
- Elden Ring: 95
- Astro Bot: 94
- The Last of Us Remastered: 94
- God of War: 94
As a side note, six other games also boast a 94 rating (Hades II, Hades, Persona 5 Royal, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Persona 5, and Metroid Prime Remastered). The top 10 above reflects OpenCritic’s internal tie-breaking system.
Metacritic Top 10 Games of All Time
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - 99
- Soulcalibur: 98
- Super Mario Galaxy 2: 98
- Grand Theft Auto 4: 98
- Super Mario Galaxy: 97
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 97
- Perfect Dark (2000): 97
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3: 97
- Red Dead Redemption 2: 97
- Grand Theft Auto 5: 97
The following games are also tied with a 97 score: Metroid Prime, Grand Theft Auto III, Super Mario Odyssey, Halo: Combat Evolved, and NFL 2K1. Like the OpenCritic ranking, I based this on the exact order displayed on the site.
As you can see, it’s no exaggeration to expect both GTA 6 and Ocarina of Time Remake to crack the top 10 on both lists. Both franchises are heavily represented across each site, with the original OoT remaining the undisputed all-time leader, sitting at a near-flawless 99 on Metacritic.
Over on OpenCritic, a couple of remasters rank among the highest-rated games, including TLOU and Metroid Prime. This gives Ocarina of Time Remake a fair shot at making the list, especially considering the original isn’t listed on OpenCritic. In general, though, Ocarina of Time Remake faces a tougher battle to score quite as high as these titles because it’s fighting the monolithic expectations set by the game it's updating.
I don’t think anyone can look at the original OoT and say it’s aged poorly. Sure, it’s aged graphically—it arrived at a time when 3D spaces were still uncharted territory under massive hardware constraints—but if you boot it up today via NSO, you'll find the core gameplay remains pristine.
On the flip side, Grand Theft Auto titles historically enjoy a massive launch-window honeymoon phase that boosts initial reviews and helps the franchise maintain astronomical scores. I don’t personally think GTA 4 deserves a 98, but if you were around when it launched in 2008, you know how hard it was to escape that cultural hype train.
Out of the two, I think GTA 6 has a stronger chance of breaking into the top 10 with scores hitting 95 or higher. Ocarina of Time Remake will likely land in the low 90s, as direct comparisons to the original may hold it back—especially if it stays closer to a 1:1 remake rather than a full conceptual overhaul.
In any case, there’s no denying both will be absolute powerhouse releases worth your time and money.
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