Baldur's Gate 3 didn't just hit a peak player count of 800,000 in a week, it dethroned Tears of the Kingdom as 2023's highest-rated game with a Metacritic score of 97.
Even more impressive is that this score makes it the second-best PC game of all time. It's on the same level as Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, one spot above Half-Life 2, and in the same top-ten bracket as Grand Theft Auto 5, the original Half-Life, BioShock, Baldur's Gate 2, Persona 5 Royal, and Portal 2.
In fact, if Baldur's Gate 3 sticks to that 97 score, or even just in the top ten list, it will have pushed Skyrim into 11th place. However, reviews are still pouring in, as very little lede time was given to critics. Playing a giant RPG in only a couple of days isn't feasible, so we'll see new scores added to the aggregate over the coming weeks. This could knock Baldur's Gate 3 down a few pegs, it could stay the exact same, or it might even go up. Time will tell.
At the time of writing, Baldur's Gate 3 has four perfect scores from Gfinity, TRG, The Guardian, and IGN Portugal, with the rest being nine out of ten or above. Its Metacritic score of 97 is based on 14 reviews, with 27 currently in progress (meaning they are not scored yet). Baldur's Gate 3 is shaping up to be an all-timer, coming hot off the heels of... another all-timer. The Game Awards are going to be brutal.
As it stands, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a Metacritic score of 96 based on 145 critic reviews, deemed a "must-play" by the site. Given that there's only a one-point difference between the two, further critic scores could see Baldur's Gate 3 dropping to second place. But for the time being, it gets to wear the crown.
As for what else it has taken over, this is the full top ten list of the highest-rated games of 2023 on Metacritic right now, not including DLC or repeats;
- Baldur's Gate 3 - 97
- Tears of the Kingdom - 96
- Metroid Prime Remastered - 94
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition - 94
- Resident Evil 4 - 93
- Street Fighter 6 - 92
- Diablo 4 - 91
- Rogue Legacy 2 - 90
- Jack Jeanne - 90
- Moss: Book 2 - 90
Of course, we still have the busy back half of the year to come, which could shake things up further--there's Starfield, Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Mortal Kombat 1, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and so many more.