Before 2026 even began, the year was looking pretty stacked from start to finish. Just about every genre imaginable had at least a few banger games dropping, and there were even several sequels that were looking to bring back some iconic franchises and go further than ever before. And one of the biggest follow-ups, Control Resonant, was primed to be a heavy-hitter, bringing a different style of gameplay from the original and delivering some mind-blowing melee action that stood out from an already packed crowd of Game of the Year contenders.
However, now that the review scores are coming out, it appears that while it is an entertaining ride that feels true to Remedy’s style, there are still shortcomings and complaints to be had that keep it from pulling too far ahead of the competition. Reviewers of Control Resonant point out the combat becoming tedious later on, some story issues, and a handful of other gripes that have brought the score down to 84/100 on Metacritic. Now that is by no means a poor score, and there have been several 8/10 Game of the Year winners, but what it does do is make the race a lot more complex, given how many other anticipated games are now hanging around that same level, without a clear frontrunner.
Control Resonant Keeps the Game of the Year Spot Wide Open
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Remedy Entertainment has been on quite the hot streak for the last decade or so. Starting with Control, then Alan Wake 2 and now Control Resonant, they are showing that they are among the best game studios around and have really hit their stride with a series of psychological experiences that range from horror to full-blown action. Going into this year, the hype for Resonant was understandably incredibly high, and the trailers pushed a lot of players to the edge of their seats, adding yet another game to the long list of potential GOTY winners for 2026.
Fast-forward to the launch week, where we start seeing reviews and scores come out, and it seems as though those expectations may have been slightly too high for Remedy to ever meet. There have been some near-perfect results and a lot of praise from many outlets, yet whether it’s people finding flaws in the story, combat, or another component of the game, the coveted 10/10 has started to look closer to an 8/10. From the sounds of things, it feels as though it is on the cusp of true greatness, and does bring a lot of new ideas to the table, but isn’t quite special enough to really make anyone feel as though it is going to take the trophy uncontested.
There have been several 8/10 Game of the Year winners, but what it does make the race a lot more complex, given how many other anticipated games are now hanging around that same level, without a clear frontrunner.
Seeing the lower scores got me thinking about all the other recent launches that were hyped up to be top-scorers for the second half of the year. In September alone, we have had: Wolverine, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and now Control Resonant, all very different kinds of games but all carrying huge expectations going into their respective launches. Again, though, we are seeing high 70s to mid-80s, with no clearer winner, which feels rather odd given how, just six months ago, I would have predicted at least a couple of these games being at the top of the list for launches in 2026.
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The Blood of Dawnwalker official trailer
Obviously, all four of these games have plenty of positive points, and I would even go so far as to say that for the most part, they hit the nails they were aiming for, with only a few misses around the edges. At the same time, the sense of disappointment is pretty hard to avoid, especially given how many other games this year have been major letdowns or shut down, so when a big launch comes up, you expect it to really deliver on its promises and blow you away, and if it doesn’t do that, then even a decent score like an 8/10 can feel much lower in the whole grand scheme of things.
Which Game Is Winning GOTY 2026?
If we take stock of the current best-reviewed games of 2026, there is one thing that stands out: almost all of them are indies. This isn’t exactly a new trend in the industry, as last year, three indies found their way into the GOTY nominations list, with Silksong, Hades 2, and Clair Obscur, which ultimately won the whole thing, yet what it does show is that the world of indie games isn’t just competing with larger companies, but it is actively beating them almost universally.
Best reviewed games of 2026:
- Mina the Hollower – 90
- Big Walk – 91
- and Roger – 90
- Sektori – 94
- Trails In The Sky The 2nd Chapter – 91
- Forza Horizon 6 – 90
With that said, some big names deserve to be in the conversation, like Forza Horizon 6 and Resident Evil Requiem, as these games really do feel like a cut above the rest of the AAA releases in 2026. Also, the year is far from over, and if we look at the remaining few months, the GOTY slots may start to fill up very quickly. The most obvious contender is GTA6, which will no doubt be an unreal new high for the franchise, but then there’s Phantom Blade 0, Ocarina of Time Remake, Silent Hill Townfall, Ace Combat 8, and many more games still to come before we say hello to 2027.
The point is that right now, it is very hard to isolate one single game as the winner, whereas in previous years, the competition has felt a lot hotter at the top end. Even last year, every single game on the list deserved to lift the crown, but when you asked people which they thought would win, I would say it was 90% for Clair Obscur with only a smattering of cries for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 or one of the others. For this year, however, in January, I would never have been able to predict which game would be the best, due to the sheer number of insane titles launching all at once, but now that number has gotten a lot smaller and is far more indie-dominated than anyone could have imagined.
Looking back at every game launched since January, it is still safe to say we have had a very good year for gaming. For me personally, it feels like every other week there has been another great game to play, and if I had to pick out the six that I would want to see on the podium, including upcoming games, then it would probably be:
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Mewgenics
- GTA 6
- Phantom Blade 0
- Pokopia
- Pragmata
The big takeaway from all this, though, falls straight onto the developers. It doesn’t matter if you work for Insomniac, Remedy, Capcom, or someone much smaller; people want to play good, interesting, and most importantly, fun video games, and if you really want to steal the spotlight during awards season, then you need to give people something that simply cannot be ignored. And, as the timer ticks down to that final night before GOTY is announced, only time will tell if we have already seen the best this year has to offer, or if the generational hit is still yet to come.
Control Resonant
- Released
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September 24, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
