Metacritic lists the best titles on each platform, taking some licenses as far as the exclusive word is concerned
Metacritic has compiled in a gallery the considered 40 best exclusive games of the generation for PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. It is one of the best known references when reaching a certain consensus on how a game has turned out – its influence is such that some bonuses in the video game are linked to the average they reach, a practice widely criticized by some sectors on the other hand -.
What is an exclusive today?
The list, which covers 40 games, has been created with some “creative licenses”, since the 100% exclusive game, which traditionally can only be played on a single machine, is an endangered species in the current landscape, in which the costs, the engines and the specialized equipment in ports have made it relatively easy to carry games between platforms, especially from PCs to consoles and vice versa. Certain positions of companies also play their role, such as Microsoft, which has taken the strategy of taking Windows and Xbox as part of the same ecosystem, which in practice makes Xbox One share all its great PC exclusives without exceptions with games like Forza Horizon 3 and 4, Forza 6, the two Ori or the first Titanfall.
Then there are other “exclusive” games on Switch and PS4 that have their PC version, such as Into the Breach, Nex Machina, Nioh or Journey. And spinning fine, there are also some games that are ports or remakes of games of the previous generation, so its exclusive status is questionable, such as Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart Deluxe, Tropical Freeze or Shadow of the Colossus.
The 40 Best Console-Exclusive Games of This Generation (PS4, Xbox One, and Switch): https://t.co/LbArIHe7w5 pic.twitter.com/Snccze24yE
– metacritic (@metacritic) June 15, 2020
Technically, of the 40 mentioned exclusive in the strictest term of the word they are, at the moment: Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End, God of War, Persona 5 Royal (Persona 5 has version in PS3, but not Royal), The Last of Us Part 2, Bloodborne, Horizon, Astrobot, Final Fantasy VII Remake (temporary), MLB The Show 19, Dreams, Zelda Breath of the Wild, Siderman, Super Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem Three Houses and Astral Chain.
But beyond the discussion about what is exclusive today, it is a list of some of the best games of the generation and perhaps a photo of the end of the era of single machine exclusives.
The list would be the following, from lowest to highest rating:
- Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze 86
- Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 86
- MLB The Show 19 86
- Titanfall 86
- Astral Chain 87
- Final Fantasy VII Remake 87
- Forza Motorsport 6 87
- Katamary Damacy Reroll 87
- Zelda Links Awakening 87
- Marvels Spiderman 87
- Street Fighter V arcade edition 87
- Nex Machina Death Machine 88
- Nioh 88
- Ori and the Blind Forest 88
- Super Mario Maker 2 88
- Dreams 89
- Fire Emblem Three Houses 89
- Horizon Zero Dawn 89
- Into the Breach 89
- Rez Infinite 89
- Tetris Effect 89
- Xenoblade 89
- Astrobot 90
- Ori and the Will of the Wisp 90
- Animal Crossing New Horizons 91
- Forza Horizon 3 91
- Shadow of the Colossus 91
- Bayonetta 2 92
- Bloodborne 92
- Forza Horizon 4 92
- Journey 92
- Mario Kart deluxe 92
- Smash Bros Ultimate 93
- Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End 93
- God of War 94
- The Last of Us remastered 95
- Persona 5 Royal 95
- The Last of Us part II 96
- Zelda Breath of the Wild 97
- Super Mario Odyssey 97
