The best 2026 games in our catalog — by Metacritic score
October 28, 2026 · 10 min read
Eleven 2026 games from the Gamerent catalog with a Metacritic critic score of 84 or higher: what each game is, how many hours, Ukrainian language support and what happens with online play during a rental.
Which 2026 games are really worth a month of rental? We took every game in our catalog that came out on PC in 2026 and sorted them by the Metacritic critic score — specifically for the PC version, because console numbers often differ (Gears of War: E-Day, for example, has 87 on Xbox and 83 on PC). Eleven games scored 84 or higher and made the list.
For each game you will find the hours from HowLongToBeat (where data exists), language support and the things that matter for a rental: whether it needs a constant internet connection and whether it uses Denuvo. A reminder of how our rental works: after the first launch with internet, single-player games can be played in offline mode, and online modes are unavailable in that case.
We left Early Access games (Subnautica 2, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era) out of the ranking: they either have no score yet or the score is not representative.
Table: top 11 by Metacritic (PC)
| # | Game | Metacritic (PC) | Steam reviews | Story, h | Ukrainian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resident Evil Requiem | 92 | 96% | 11 | none |
| 2 | Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter | 92 | 97% | 43 | none |
| 3 | Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | 91 | 95% | 36 | none |
| 4 | Forza Horizon 6 | 90 | 81% | 27 | none |
| 5 | Valheim (version 1.0) | 89 | 94% | — | interface, subtitles |
| 6 | Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve | 87 | 80% | — | none |
| 7 | Star Wars: Galactic Racer | 85 | — | — | none |
| 8 | 007 First Light | 84 | 91% | 16 | none |
| 9 | Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy | 84 | 93% | 12 | interface, subtitles |
| 10 | The Blood of Dawnwalker | 84 | 87% | 24 | none |
| 11 | Star Wars Zero Company | 84 | 83% | — | none |
Metacritic scores are as of 20 October 2026 and may shift a little over time. "Steam reviews" is the share of positive player reviews. A dash in the hours column means we did not find HowLongToBeat data, and we are not going to make it up.
1. Resident Evil Requiem — 92
Account rental · SteamResident Evil Requiemfrom 70 грнRentThe new numbered entry in the series alternates chapters between two heroes: Grace Ashcroft, focused on stealth and fear, and Leon Kennedy, with more shooting. Reviewers praise the tension and pacing, and point to the switch between heroes as the way the game lets you catch your breath. The main complaint is that the story is less original than the previous two entries, and some puzzles and jump scares will feel familiar to fans.
Story — about 11 hours, with extras — 14 (HowLongToBeat), so you could finish it twice in a month. Single-player, with Denuvo (activation limit of up to 5 PCs per day), so the first launch needs internet. More in our beginner's guide.
2. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — 92
Account rental · SteamTrails in the Sky 2nd Chapterfrom 70 грнRentA remake of the second part of Falcom's classic Japanese RPG: Estelle's story continues, with turn-based combat and plenty of dialogue. Game Informer gave it 9.5 out of 10 for the heroine's growth, the writing and the voice acting; on the minus side, some dungeons drag on and feel dated.
This is the longest game on the list: story — about 43 hours, with extras — 77. Over a month of rental that is an hour and a half a day for the main line alone. If you love JRPGs, plan for an extension. Single-player.
3. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — 91
Account rental · SteamDEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACHfrom 70 грнRentThe PC version of Hideo Kojima's sequel: cargo delivery across an open world where the route and gear matter as much as combat. The PC port (by Nixxes) is praised for its visuals and options — ultrawide support, DLSS/FSR/XeSS, frame generation. The downside reviewers admit openly: the plot and dialogue are strange and very much an acquired taste.
Story — 36 hours, with extras — 64. Single-player; shared structures and other players' cargo are asynchronous, and the game works without them.
4. Forza Horizon 6 — 90
Account rental · SteamForza Horizon 6from 70 грнRentOpen-world arcade racing, this time in Japan. Reviews praise the setting and the better-structured progression; they criticise overly generous rewards and the series playing it safe.
Story — 27 hours, with extras — 42. But the key point for a rental: the Steam page states plainly that a persistent internet connection and a Microsoft account are required. In other words, there is no offline mode here — you will have to play online. Recent Steam player reviews over the last month are mixed.
5. Valheim — 89
Account rental · SteamValheimfrom 70 грнRentA Viking survival game: building, exploration, bosses. Valheim spent about five and a half years in Early Access and reached version 1.0 on 9 September 2026, together with a new biome. That is why it counts as a 2026 game in our ranking.
We did not find HowLongToBeat data for version 1.0. The game is built for co-op with up to 10 players, but solo play works too — and solo is what works in offline mode; online co-op is unavailable in an offline rental. Ukrainian interface and subtitles are included.
6. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — 87
Account rental · SteamACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVEfrom 70 грнRentAn arcade flight-combat game with a story campaign. Reviews praise the dogfights and visuals and criticise repetitive missions. The campaign is a prologue plus 30 missions; we did not find HowLongToBeat hours.
Important: the game has Denuvo (up to 5 systems per day) and Easy Anti-Cheat, and multiplayer and co-op only work online. The campaign is single-player — that is what to rent it for.
7. Star Wars: Galactic Racer — 85
Account rental · SteamSTAR WARS: Galactic Racerfrom 70 грнRentRacing in the Star Wars universe with a single-player campaign (with roguelike elements), on-foot story segments and multiplayer. Reviewers praise the meaty modes and PC performance; they criticise flat levels and repetitive on-foot sections. The game came out on 6 October, so there are only 25 reviews so far.
Online races will not work in a rental, the campaign will. Denuvo is included.
8. 007 First Light — 84
Account rental · Steam007 First Lightfrom 70 грнRentThe story of a young James Bond at MI6 from the makers of Hitman: stealth missions with several approaches plus scripted action. Praised for the cast and stealth freedom; criticised for clunky cover, average gunplay and on-rails chases. Story — about 16 hours — the most compact game in the top after RE Requiem. Single-player. See our beginner's guide.
9. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy — 84
Account rental · SteamResonance: A Plague Tale Legacyfrom 70 грнRentA standalone prequel to A Plague Tale: a new heroine, Sophia, Crete and the myth of the Minotaur. Reviews highlight the Mediterranean atmosphere, the music and how friendly it is to newcomers; on the minus side, small technical issues such as getting stuck in animations. Story — about 12 hours. Single-player, with Ukrainian interface and subtitles.
10. The Blood of Dawnwalker — 84
Account rental · SteamThe Blood of Dawnwalkerfrom 70 грнRentOpen-world dark fantasy in 14th-century Europe: Coen is a human by day and a vampire by night, and he has 30 in-game days to save his family. Reviewers praise how the timer gives decisions weight and how the day/night switch changes both gameplay and how characters react. Criticism goes to bugs and repetitive NPCs. Story — about 24 hours. Single-player. More in the beginner's guide.
11. Star Wars Zero Company — 84
Account rental · SteamSTAR WARS Zero Companyfrom 70 грнRentXCOM-style turn-based tactics in the Star Wars universe, with a squad and companion relationships. Praised for tactical depth; criticised for weak writing and a forgettable villain. We did not find HowLongToBeat data (one outlet reports a campaign of about 40 hours).
Rental warning: the game is single-player, but the Steam page says an internet connection and an EA account linked to Steam are required. Steam does not specify whether the connection is needed the whole time, so plan to play online.
Just below: 83 points
Four more catalog games score 83 on PC: CONTROL Resonant (story ~24 h, Ukrainian subtitles), Onimusha: Way of the Sword (~22 h), Gears of War: E-Day and Transport Fever 3. After them come Mortal Shell 2 (82), Silent Hill: Townfall (80) and Palworld 1.0 (79).
How to choose for a rental
- Want to finish within a month without rushing — RE Requiem, 007 First Light, Resonance: up to 16 hours of story.
- Ready for a big game — Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter and Death Stranding 2 will take most of the month or may need a rental extension.
- Need Ukrainian — Valheim and Resonance, plus CONTROL Resonant from the "just below" list. A fuller list is in our pick of games with Ukrainian.
- No way without internet — Forza Horizon 6 and, most likely, Star Wars Zero Company. The rest are single-player games that need internet only for the first launch.
Sources
- Metacritic, PC critic scores: Resident Evil Requiem, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, Death Stranding 2, Forza Horizon 6, Valheim, Ace Combat 8, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, 007 First Light, Resonance, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Star Wars Zero Company, Gears of War: E-Day
- HowLongToBeat: Resident Evil Requiem, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, Death Stranding 2, Forza Horizon 6, 007 First Light, Resonance, The Blood of Dawnwalker, CONTROL Resonant, Onimusha (data via IsThereAnyDeal)
- Reviews: FutureFive — Resident Evil Requiem, Game Informer — Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, FutureFive — Death Stranding 2, Insider Gaming — Forza Horizon 6, Icy Veins — Forza Horizon 6 review roundup, TheSixthAxis — Ace Combat 8, Game Tyrant — Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Kotaku — Star Wars: Galactic Racer, 1UpVault — 007 First Light, Gaming Trend — Resonance, Insider Gaming — The Blood of Dawnwalker, Checkpoint Gaming — Star Wars Zero Company, Shacknews — Star Wars Zero Company
- Valheim 1.0 — Massively Overpowered
- Steam store pages (languages, modes, DRM, internet requirements): Resident Evil Requiem, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, Death Stranding 2, Forza Horizon 6, Valheim, Ace Combat 8, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, 007 First Light, Resonance, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Star Wars Zero Company
Read next
- Valheim 1.0 beginner guide: what the release changed, how long to beat, tips, solo play
What the Valheim 1.0 release and the Deep North biome add, how long the game takes, how to set up a world for solo play, what to do about food, rest, death and portals — and whether a month of rental is enough.
- STAR WARS Zero Company beginner guide: how long to beat, difficulty, tips, PC specs
How long STAR WARS Zero Company takes, which difficulty to pick and whether to keep permadeath on, how action points, Advantage and injuries work, what your PC needs — and whether you can finish it in a month of rental.
- Death Stranding 2 PC review — Kojima's trek across Australia: is it worth a month of rental
What Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is, how critics and Steam players rated it, how many hours it takes, whether you need the first game, whether it has Ukrainian — and whether a month of rental is enough.