The new Pokémon spin-off game, Pokémon Pokopia, is receiving rave reviews and has achieved the highest Metacritic score of any game in the Pokémon series.
Pokopia, a new RPG spin-off, was revealed during the Nintendo Direct in September 2025. It’s being developed by Omega Force, the team known for Dragon Quest Builders.
The game blends the Pokémon-collecting experience with the relaxing life simulation of games like Animal Crossing. Players work to restore a deserted island, making it appealing to both Pokémon and people.
Even though the game isn’t out for players yet, reviewers – including us – have given it high praise, resulting in an impressive score of 88 on Metacritic.
As of today, Pokopia shares the top spot as the highest-rated game of 2026 with Resident Evil Requiem and the fantasy role-playing game, Esoteric Ebb.
Even more remarkably, this 88 rating makes Pokopia the highest-rated Pokémon game ever on the site, based on reviews from critics.
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While technically tied with Pokémon Y, Pokémon X’s slightly lower score of 87 allows Pokémon X to be considered the higher-rated game when looking at them individually.
This is a remarkable success! The game has surpassed several other popular Pokémon titles – like Pokémon Sun and Moon, HeartGold and SoulSilver, and Black and White – all of which share a score of 87.
It also represents a significantly higher score than any Pokémon game has had in recent years.
The most recent Pokémon game to receive a score above 80 was Pokémon Legends: Arceus, released in 2022. Before that, Sun and Moon were the last titles to earn a rating over 85, which they achieved in November 2016.
Pokopia is launching as Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary, following recent releases of the classic FireRed and LeafGreen games on modern platforms.
Now that the Pokémon Champions spin-off is on its way and Pokémon Winds and Waves, the next main series game, is confirmed for next year, Nintendo and Game Freak likely hope these releases will improve the series’ reception among critics and fans.
Authors
Alex Raisbeck writes about video games for TopMob, covering both major releases and smaller independent titles. He’s also contributed to well-known gaming publications like VideoGamer, GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, and PCGamesN.
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2026-03-03 17:36