The Only Games That Are More Perfect Than Elden Ring

"Elden Ring" was set up to be a hit from its first announcement trailer. After seeing that famous fantasy author George R. R. Martin was pairing up with Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of "Dark Souls," people were anticipating a great game. What people didn't expect was for "Elden Ring" to set a series record and to quickly become known as one of the best games in the history of gaming.

People everywhere praised the game, and critics agreed. The game was breathtaking, and it wasn't too difficult, despite being a "Dark Souls"-esque game — in fact, critics called it a great game for newcomers of the genre to jump into. To top things off, the "Elden Ring" cast was gorgeous and added the perfect touches to an already-great story.

For lack of better words, many gamers began to think of "Elden Ring" as a perfect game, despite the PC backlash. However, it's not the only thing people have claimed was perfect. There are quite a few games to earn the title over the decades of gaming. In fact, the 97 Metacritic score that "Elden Ring" acquired has been beaten out quite a few times.

"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" isn't just considered one of the best "Legend of Zelda" games; it can claim to be the best game of all time, based on its Metacritic score of 99. Despite the game's age, it's still held up as one of the most iconic games in the series, and it's still a great entry point for new "Zelda" players.

"Ocarina of Time" tells the story of Link and Ganondorf's grievances with each other, as Link is tricked by the evil king to give the ruler access to the Triforce. As the first 3D game in the series, it set the tone for everything that would come after and was a widespread success when it was released back in 1998. Since then, it's stayed at the top, and Nintendo Switch players can access the game on the Nintendo 64 emulator available with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass membership.

It may come as a surprise, but "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2" is actually one of the best ranked Metacritic games with a score of 98 – beating out the score for "Elden Ring." The game was released on the original PlayStation back in 2000, and it lets players rip around courses on customizable skateboards to get the perfect experience.

While it was a niche sports game, "Pro Skater 2" captured plenty of hearts. According to Metacritic, an IGN critic at the time pointed out that if they were ever stuck on an island and needed to bring a few things, a PlayStation and "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2" would make the cut. Others called it the "best game ever," and it's still known as an amazing and popular game by many in the community.

While the game was originally on PlayStation, it was ported over the Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, and Dreamcast pretty quickly. 

While "Grand Theft Auto 5" has spanned generations of consoles, "Grand Theft Auto 4" achieved greatness first. With a Metacritic score of 98, it's pretty close to perfect, while its successor was right behind it with a score of 97 to match "Elden Ring."

"GTA 4" tells the story of Niko and Roman, two European brothers coming to America chasing after the American Dream. However, things are never as they seem, and the brothers find out quickly that Liberty City runs on money, which they don't have to start with.

In a "GTA" Reddit thread, fans argued that "GTA 4" was so great for a variety of reasons, including fun physics and gameplay that doesn't try too hard to be realistic — a problem that many claimed "GTA 5" had. Despite both games knocking their ratings out of the ballpark, it seemed like players enjoyed the feel of "GTA 4" over "GTA 5."

The "Zelda" franchise isn't the only Nintendo series known for having titles that are arguably the best of all time. "Super Mario Galaxy" and "Super Mario Galaxy 2" are both considered some of the best "Mario" games and games of all time, with matching Metacritic scores of 97. The games, which take place in space, introduced Rosalina and produced some wacky game theories that could turn everything you thought you knew about the plumber and his friends upside down.

Both games are part of the 3D Mario-verse, and they're much more involved than previous titles. Up until this mini-series, "Mario" games existed in a place similar to earth, so physics and certain gameplay mechanics were more realistic. 25 Years Later Site pointed out that the "Galaxy" games didn't have to follow the tried and true formula of the games before them. This created an endless number of possibilities that Nintendo utilized to make great games with an even greater story.

When it comes to groundbreaking open-world games, titles like "Breath of the Wild" and "The Witcher 3" might come to mind. However, "Red Dead Redemption 2" was also considered a near-perfect game, with a Metacritic score of 97. The game, which was also created by Rockstar, the group behind the "Grand Theft Auto" games, was known for its gripping story and side quests along with a highly detailed world that players could adventure around on horseback.

While the game was released in 2018, it continues to stay active years later as "Red Dead Online," the multiplayer side of the game. "Red Dead Online" receives consistent updates and support. One Reddit user explained that the characters in the story were absolutely stellar and some of the best characters of all time, each with motivations and backstories that make them feel realistic. Another fan claimed that they'd been playing games since 1987 and that "Red Dead Redemption 2" was still the best game they'd ever played.