2024 introduced with it a cavalcade of visually gorgeous video games, from long-awaited AAA megatons that took our breath away with their graphical developments to a lot smaller productions that popped up out of nowhere and proved that you simply don’t want big groups and budgets to make video games that look nice. With the 12 months coming to an in depth, right here, we’re going to speak about 20 such titles that got here out this 12 months and made a mark with their visible prowess.
#20. F1 24
We have a tendency to incorporate the F1 video games in our annual lists of video games with the perfect visuals fairly frequently, however that’s as a result of the sequence has this division on lock. Like its predecessors, F1 24 is a good looking sport, touting stellar automobile fashions with a powerful stage of consideration to element, genuine lighting and climate results lending new life to the programs, and extra. 12 months after 12 months, this sequence efficiently delivers a practical and complete recreation of the actual sport, and the presentation and visible constancy play an vital function in that.
#19. BODYCAM
Bodycam has numerous shortcomings in its present state that we’re hoping it can handle over the course of its ongoing early entry interval, however one space the place the sport deserves all of the props on the earth is the way in which it appears to be like. As its identify suggests, its performed from the first-person perspective of a bodycam in your character, and combines that with a hyper-realistic aesthetic that achieves fairly a hanging end result. The sport appears to be like startlingly good at occasions, and we’re curious to see the way it will proceed to enhance on the street to its full launch.
#18. EMPIRE OF THE ANTS
Right here’s one other sport coming from a small time that ended up stunning an incredible many individuals with its graphics. Empire of the Ants is a decidedly small-budget sport, however you wouldn’t be capable of inform from simply it. Sporting a powerful photorealistic type, the sport transports gamers to a lush jungle the place each single blade of grass, each leaf on the bottom, each rock jutting out of the bottom, and each single insect and critter that you simply lay your eyes on appears to be like shockingly lifelike. Clearly, there are some tough edges right here and there, however the general result’s nothing in need of splendid.
#17. GRAY ZONE WARFARE
Indie studio Madfinger Video games launched its multiplayer open world FPS Grey Zone Warfare in early entry this 12 months, and although there’s loads of work for the developer to do to deal with suggestions from the group, the sport’s visuals are just about unanimously favored. There’s an excellent quantity of tough edges that want sanding out, which is to be anticipated from a sport of this dimension coming from a smaller group and nonetheless being in early entry, however its open world map can be full of lovely sights to see.
#16. DRAGON BALL: SPARKING! ZERO
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO introduced the Budokai Tenkaichi sequence again with a bang this 12 months, and although the record of issues within the sport worthy of reward is a protracted one, its graphics are excessive on it. As you’d count on from a Dragon Ball sport, Sparking! ZERO depends extra on its stylized artwork type than on pure visible constancy, however a method or one other, the impact it achieves immediately catches the attention. In movement, the sport appears to be like notably superb, and watching explosive, map-destroying fights between colossally highly effective characters attacking one another with every thing they’ve obtained by no means loses its appeal.
#15. LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH
The Like a Dragon sequence has at all times straddled the road between excessive price range photorealism and mid price range stylization completely, and Infinite Wealth does the identical, producing one more Dragon Engine sport you can’t fairly tear your eyes away from. Given the scope of the sport, it’s not stunning that not every thing appears to be like spectacular- however a variety of issues to do, and every thing else appears to be like not less than a minimal stage of excellent. General, Infinite Wealth brings its vibrant Hawaii setting to the display spectacularly, and simply ranks as one of many 12 months’s better-looking video games.
#14. STELLAR BLADE
Stellar Blade took many without warning for a number of causes, however all of it may very well be boiled right down to it coming from a comparatively unknown studio with little to no AAA console expertise. For it to end up in addition to it did was a pleasing shock, then, as was the truth that it additionally ended up trying as attractive because it did. Stellar Blade touts a few of the most spectacular visuals we’ve seen in a PS5 unique sport up to now (particularly if you happen to play it on a PS5 Professional), with every thing from the dilapidated post-apocalyptic environments and the excellently designed monsters you combat to the Eve’s slick fight animations trying pristine.
#13. DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD
Like just about every thing else in regards to the sport, Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s graphics divided opinion, with many expressing their dislike of the brand new, extra stylized artwork type. And although it’s clearly a break from the extra grimdark type previous video games used, we fall within the group that in the end actually likes what the sport appears to be like like. The Veilguard is a visible stunner in additional methods than one, with a bevy of environments which can be brimming with vistas that can take your breath away, to not point out a few of the most spectacular lighting we’ve seen in a sport this 12 months.
#12. STAR WARS OUTLAWS
Calling Star Wars Outlaws an uneven expertise could be an enormous understatement, however when the sport is at its greatest, it’s actually, actually good- and within the graphics division, it’s positively at its greatest. Sure, the sport has its justifiable share of visible glitches and technical hiccups, however little of it detracts from simply how gorgeous it appears to be like as a rule. Regardless of the place you end up in its open world multiplanetary setting, Outlaws finds methods to take your breath away with its sights and sounds. Coming from the studio behind The Division, that doesn’t come as an enormous shock.
#11. DRAGON’S DOGMA 2
Capcom has an admirable behavior of cranking out a gentle stream of AAA megatons that by some means all look spectacular. Dragon’s Dogma 2 was the corporate’s massive centerpiece in 2024, and although it doesn’t look nearly as good as, say, the best-looking Resident Evil video games on the market, it does look actually, actually good. From the detailed environments of its sprawling open world, to the extremely lifelike (and vastly diversified) roster of monster and creatures that you simply tackle, to, after all, how oppressively spectacular the sport’s darkness feels, there’s a bevy of issues in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that illustrate simply how visually spectacular it’s.
#10. INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE
It might have been some time since MachineGames’ final main full-fledged AAA launch, however as a studio that has at all times delivered visually spectacular video games, it didn’t disappoint with its return to the highlight within the closing days of this 12 months with Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle, a sport that impresses graphically in additional methods than one. It crafts its interval setting with nice alpomb, lets gamers discover an unlimited and diversified assortment of lovely and extremely detailed areas, and naturally, does all of it whereas capturing that traditional Indiana Jones aesthetic. It completely knocks the ball out of the park on this division.
#9. SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a disastrous game- there’s simply no two methods about it. However even essentially the most disastrous video games are likely to have not less than some redeeming qualities, and so, too, did Suicide Squad. Chief among the many few was how good it appeared, an space the place Rocksteady Studios as a developer has by no means dissatisfied prior to now. The sport clearly has crippling points that make it an absolute drag to play even at the perfect of occasions, however visually, there’s lots to be impressed with right here, particularly if it’s the sport’s spectacular cinematics you’re speaking about.
#8. TEKKEN 8
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to name Tekken 8 one of many best-looking combating video games ever made. Coming earlier this 12 months as one of many greatest current-gen unique Unreal Engine 5 video games up to now, Bandai Namco’s acclaimed fighter was promising to be completely astounding to have a look at within the lead as much as launch, and it unquestionably lived as much as that promise. From the levels to the character fashions to the usually explosive results we see on the display, Tekken 8 has no scarcity of methods up its sleeve to make you cease in your tracks and marvel at its magnificence.
#7. WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2
House Marine 2 is unquestionably one of the crucial technically spectacular video games we’ve performed in a protracted, very long time. For starters, it appears to be like glorious, with gorgeously detailed environments, well-crafted character fashions, and glorious enemy designs. However after all, what’s most spectacular about it are the numerous sequences and moments the place you end up going through overwhelmingly large hordes of enemies, when actually tons of upon tons of of foes are on-screen collectively, all barreling in your path whilst you stomp round and mow them down. The truth that the sport accomplishes all of that with none important points with its efficiency simply makes it that rather more spectacular. It’s really one thing of a miracle.
#6. BLACK MYTH: WUKONG
For about 4 years previous to its launch, each time we noticed extra of Black Fantasy: Wukong, one factor that stood out above every thing else was simply how gorgeous it looked- one thing that stood out that rather more given the truth that the sport was coming from a lesser-known Chinese language studio with a nonexistent AAA monitor document. When it launched in August, Black Fantasy was fortunately precisely as attractive because it was touted to be. Different environments, spectacularly designed bosses, and a few of the most breathtaking vistas we’ve seen in video games all 12 months all come collectively in what’s simply one of many best-looking video games of this era (even when it does have the odd technical tough edge).
#5. FINAL FANTASY 7 REBIRTH
There’s no finish to the issues about Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth that we will reward endlessly, and its visible splendour is excessive on that record. Clearly, we will’t ignore the truth that the sport does undergo from some graphical inconsistencies, particularly when performed on Efficiency Mode. Even at its worst, nonetheless, Rebirth has a knack of trying spectacular, whereas at its greatest, it’s drop-dead attractive. Its staggeringly giant world is crawling with stunning sights which can be begging to be sought out and brought in, whereas on a PS5 Professional particularly, it appears to be like completely gorgeous with little to no caveats.
#4. SILENT HILL 2
Silent Hill 2’s remake sparked a great deal of skepticism from many, which, given developer Bloober Group’s spotty monitor document as much as that time, was honest to grasp, however the one space the place even the sport’s greatest skeptics knew it wouldn’t disappoint was its graphics. That’s a division that at all times shines in Bloober video games, and certain sufficient, Silent Hill 2 is an absolute looker. The decrepit eponymous city and the horrors that it disguise are dropped at life in spectacular and terrifying vogue, whereas Silent Hill 2’s acquainted forged of characters are given new life by the stellar constancy that the sport now boasts. And sure, the fog appears to be like superb.
#3. MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2024
Microsoft Flight Simulator took our collective breath away when it launched in 2020, and nonetheless stands as one of many best-looking video games round on any platform. Appropriately sufficient, Microsoft Flight SImulator 2024 turned out to be by some means much more visually spectacular. Marginally good points are positively setting in, which is unavoidable, however on the finish of the day, even essentially the most jaded individual can’t assist however be floored by the gorgeous stage of element, authenticity, and photorealism with which Flight Sim 2024 brings its grand imaginative and prescient to life.
#2. S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYL
Very similar to its predecessors, S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2 is a little bit tough across the edges, and with its slate of technical points and its intentionally punishing nature, it’s positively not a sport for everybody. However boy oh boy is it a visible delight. GSC Sport World’s open world shooter is well among the many best-looking video games to have been launched this era. It boasts a staggering stage of element and constancy throughout a big world with spectacular consistency. The sport deserves all of the reward on the earth for the lengths to which it goes to make its world really feel genuine, and to immerse gamers in its lethal setting.
#1. SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE 2
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 actually has its critics, and there are lots of who argue that it doesn’t maintain a candle to its predecessor in a variety of ways in which actually matter. One space the place it unquestionably makes big strides, nonetheless, is the graphics division. Ninja Idea as a studio has at all times prided itself on pushing the envelope with what it does on the technological aspect of issues, and this time, with the monetary backing of Microsoft, the developer actually went all out. Whether or not it’s its darkish and dirty setting or the extremely lifelike characters and their facial actions, the stellar lighting and the wealthy ambiance it helps create or the spectacular animations that permit even gameplay moments to appear to be gorgeously handcrafted cinematics- from its first second to its final, Hellblade 2 stays a visible delight.
