A new PlayStation 5 game released this week is already receiving top scores, currently sharing the title of highest-rated game of 2026 on Metacritic. While big titles like Marvel’s Wolverine, Saros, and Phantom Blade Zero are expected later this year, this smaller PS5 exclusive seems to be a surprisingly strong contender and could be worth playing.
Currently, the top-rated release of 2026 is Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven, scoring an 86 on Metacritic. However, since this is downloadable content for an existing game, it doesn’t qualify as a new release. Therefore, the highest-rated new games of 2026 are tied with a score of 84 on Metacritic. These are The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon, which launched on January 15th for multiple platforms, and Cairn, a PlayStation 5 exclusive that was just released on January 29th.
84-Rated PS5 Console Exclusive
If you’re unfamiliar, Cairn is a new climbing simulation game developed by The Game Bakers. This French studio gained recognition with their 2016 title, Furi, and followed it up with Haven in 2020. Now, they’ve released Cairn, which is receiving the best reviews of any game they’ve made so far. It’s being praised by both critics and players, earning a 4.67 out of 5-star rating on the PlayStation Store based on over 4,400 user reviews.
In Cairn, a game for PlayStation 5 and PC, your goal is to be the first to climb Mount Kami. It requires careful planning and smart resource management to reach the summit.
You can find Cairn on the PlayStation Store for $29.99. PlayStation Plus members get a 10% discount, bringing the price down to $26.99 – this offer is valid until February 13th. Keep in mind that the game doesn’t have any special improvements for the PS5 Pro. Players new to the PS5 can expect to spend around 10 to 15 hours completing the game.
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a comment below, or join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum. What game has been your favorite of 2026 so far?
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2026-02-01 20:18