Game Development
Sep 12th, 2023Graphics play a crucial role in drawing players into the immersive worlds of video games. From the pixelated classics of the 1980s to today’s photorealistic masterpieces, the evolution of video game graphics has been astounding. Advancements in technology have allowed developers to create visually stunning environments, intricate character designs, and dynamic lighting effects, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
In recent years, with the development of advanced computing and technology, more and more high quality graphic games are being developed by Video game development studios for various gaming platforms including consoles, PCs, tablets, and mobile devices.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the 12 best graphics games, showcasing how cutting-edge visuals captivate players and set new standards for the industry.
Below is a list of 12 popular games with the best in-game graphics gamers have loved and appreciated!
Developer: Rockstar Games
Available Platforms: PC, Console
Genre: Action-Adventure
Metacritic User Rating: 8.7
Red Dead Redemption 2 immerses players in the life of an outlaw on the American frontier. It features an expansive, open world with diverse activities and intricate storylines.
It is one of the best graphics games with stunning visuals, detailed textures, dynamic lighting, and lifelike character models. A realistic weather system enhances its meticulously crafted environments, which range from lush forests to barren deserts. The game was thoroughly recognized and awarded Best Art Direction and Outstanding Technical Achievement, among several other categories.
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation
Genre: Action RPG
Metacritic User Rating: 8.4
Horizon Zero Dawn is another best graphics game. Players control Aloy, a hunter in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by robotic creatures, engaging in exploration, combat, and survival.
The game boasts a unique art style that blends lush, natural environments with futuristic, mechanical designs. The vibrant and detailed landscapes and the intricately designed robotic creatures create a visually striking contrast. Horizon Zero Dawn won Excellence in Visual Achievement at the SXSW Gaming Awards. It was also nominated for several categories related to game art, design, and graphics.
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Available Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4,5
Genre: Action RPG
Metacritic User Rating: 7.9
Horizon Forbidden West is a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. It continues the story of Aloy as she ventures into the uncharted regions of the Forbidden West to uncover the mysteries behind a new threat to the planet.
This sequel elevates visual fidelity to new heights with the best in-game graphics. It features more detailed and expansive landscapes, showcasing diverse environments such as lush forests, sunken cities, and vast deserts. The use of cutting-edge graphics technology enhances realism and immersion, with improvements in textures, lighting, and environmental effects. The game artists continue to blend natural beauty with futuristic elements, but with more intricate and varied robotic creature designs that add to the visual spectacle.
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Available Platforms: PlayStation 4,5
Genre: Action-Adventure
Metacritic User Rating: 9.1
Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world game that focuses on stealth, combat, and exploration. Players take on the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai who defends Tsushima Island during the Mongol invasion.
As one of the best graphics games, Ghost of Tsushima boasts breathtaking visuals. Its powerful recreation of feudal Japan features lush landscapes, detailed textures, and dynamic weather systems. The art style is heavily inspired by Japanese culture and samurai cinema, creating a visually immersive experience. Ghost of Tsushima won multiple awards for its art direction while being nominated in many other categories.
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Available Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4,5
Genre: Action-Adventure
Metacritic User Rating: 8
God of War: Ragnarok continues the Norse saga of Kratos and Atreus from God of War, 2018. Players control Kratos, a formidable warrior with a vast arsenal of weapons and abilities. His son, Atreus, supports him with ranged attacks and magical assistance.
A strong contender for the title of best graphics PC game, Ragnarok is a testament to the power of the PlayStation 5. Each realm is rendered with great detail, featuring dynamic weather systems, realistic lighting, and awe-inspiring vistas. Character models are equally impressive, with lifelike animations and incredibly detailed textures.
Developer: FromSoftware
Available Platforms: Windows, Console
Genre: Action RPG
Metacritic User Rating: 7.8
Elden Ring offers players a vast and unforgiving landscape to explore. As a Tarnished, a character stripped of their grace and exiled from their homeland, you embark on a perilous journey to become Elden Lord and mend the shattered world. The game’s core gameplay revolves around exploration, combat, and character progression.
The game features stunning visuals, detailed environments, dynamic lighting, and atmospheric effects that enhance its immersive experience. The game’s art style blends gothic and fantastical elements, creating a visually captivating world. As one of the best graphics games, Elden Ring won several awards – Best Visual Art and Best Visual Design (2022) and Best Graphics and Best Art Direction (2023).
Developer: Kojima Productions
Available Platforms: Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4,5, iOS, GeForce Now
Genre: Adventure, Shooter
Metacritic User Rating: 7.8
Death Stranding defies easy categorization. It’s a blend of action, adventure, and open-world exploration, but it’s also a deeply cinematic experience that prioritizes atmosphere and storytelling over raw graphical power.
The open world, dominated by vast, desolate landscapes and towering mountains, is rendered with incredible detail. The way light interacts with the environment, creating stunning sunrises and sunsets, is a testament to the game’s visual prowess. A distinctive factor that makes it one of the best graphics PC games is its use of rain. It is more than just a weather effect; it’s a core gameplay mechanic contributing to the game’s unique atmosphere.
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Available Platforms: Windows, Console, GeForce Now
Genre: Action RPG
Metacritic User Rating: 7
In Cyberpunk 2077, players take on the role of V, a mercenary with customizable abilities, and dive into a story of ambition and survival. While the game’s narrative and gameplay choices have been subject to debate, there’s no denying its status as a visual powerhouse.
The game is a prime example of pushing the boundaries of visual fidelity. Its dystopian metropolis, Night City, is a breathtaking blend of neon lights, towering skyscrapers, and a dark underworld. The game’s attention to detail is astonishing, from intricate character models to the dynamic weather system. With high-end hardware, Cyberpunk 2077 can deliver a truly mind-blowing experience as one of the best graphics PC games.
Developer: Neon Giant
Available Platforms: Windows, Console, GeForce Now
Genre: Action RPG
Metacritic User Rating: 7.6
The Ascent is a cyberpunk-themed action RPG set in a dystopian world. Players navigate a massive arcology controlled by mega-corporations, engaging in combat and exploration.
Known for having some of the best in-game graphics, The Ascent showcases a detailed cyberpunk environment with rich textures, dynamic lighting, and elaborate designs. The game’s detailed interiors, sprawling cityscapes, and atmospheric effects create a deeply immersive experience. Its visual excellence has earned it recognition and nominations for several awards.
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Available Platforms: Windows, Console, GeForce Now
Genre: Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
Metacritic User Rating: 7.5
Control is an action-adventure game in which players take on the role of Jesse Faden, the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secretive government agency. The game focuses on her quest to uncover the agency’s mysteries while battling supernatural forces and exploring a constantly shifting environment.
Recognized as one of the best high graphics PC games, Control features highly detailed and atmospheric visuals. The game’s brutalist architecture and surreal, ever-changing environments are enhanced by advanced lighting and particle effects. This game bagged the Best Art Direction award at The Game Awards 2019.
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Available Platforms: Windows, Console, GeForce Now
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle, Third-Person Shooter
Metacritic User Rating: 8.6
Alan Wake 2 is a psychological horror game that immerses players in a dark and unsettling world. One of its standout features is its exceptional visual quality, showcasing some of the best-in-game graphics available.
The game features exceptionally realistic character models with lifelike animations and expressive faces. Its environments are meticulously crafted with detailed atmosphere and cityscapes. The use of shadows and contrast adds to the overall horror experience.
Developer: Capcom
Available Platforms: Windows, macOS, Console, Cloud
Genre: Puzzle, Shooter, Adventure
Metacritic User Rating: 8.9
Resident Evil 2 is a survival horror game that immerses players in the zombie-infested Raccoon City. Players play as Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield and must navigate through dark corridors, solve puzzles, and combat terrifying creatures.
This game is often hailed as one of the best graphics games due to its incredibly detailed environments, realistic character models, and advanced lighting effects that enhance the horror atmosphere. The use of the RE Engine allows for high-quality textures and lifelike animations, creating an intense and immersive visual experience.
Through our game art outsourcing services, you get high-quality game visuals from a talented team of game artists, animators, and designers. Our visual artistry ensures that each game is optimized for its platform, providing stunningly detailed environments, lifelike characters on PCs and consoles, and vibrant, immersive experiences on tablets and mobile devices.
These 12 video games with the best graphics showcase the pinnacle of visual artistry and technical prowess in the gaming industry. Each offers a unique visual experience and immersive gameplay and highlights the incredible capabilities of modern gaming hardware and software. As technology advances, we can look forward to even more visually advanced games that will further redefine the expectations of what video games can achieve.
Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Death Stranding are some of the best games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
Graphics enhance the video gaming experience by creating immersive environments and realistic characters. High-quality graphics improve atmosphere, storytelling, and player interaction, making games more enjoyable and memorable.
Some criteria used to rank the best graphics games include visual fidelity, detail and realism of textures, dynamic lighting and shadows, character and environment design, animation quality, and overall artistic style.
Sometimes a large team is involved in making a game whereas some games are developed by one or two developers. Nevertheless, every game is different and so is the time taken for game development. You can build a game in a week or in ten years. The average game development time depends primarily on the […]
If you talk to passionate gamers, they will tell you how much more exciting the new breed of games is – they might report an adrenaline rush, eyes widening, and being on the edge – all thanks to the absolute lifelike visual imagery they see on the screen.
As developers strive to push the boundaries of immersive gameplay, innovative techniques are emerging that offer unprecedented levels of realism, interactivity, and player engagement.
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