As video games have continued to grow and evolve as both entertainment and art, the games just keep looking better and better. If you’re playing on a high-end PC or the average console, it’s hard not to notice when a game stands out a bit more than the rest.
Whether it is the highest fidelity graphics or just a gorgeous art style (or both) games that look good usually also play good. If that much time gets spent in the graphics department they must have something good elsewhere. Here are the most impressive looking games out there.
Updated by Michael Connor Smith on August 22nd, 2020: We’ve moved on from being able to easily count the number of bits in a console’s processor on two hands, with modern technology allowing for stunningly artistic graphics that will blow you away, or games that look about as close to photo-realism as possible. While a game’s graphics certainly shouldn’t be looked at as its main selling point, a beautiful game certainly sticks out more than others.
We’ve updated this list to include games that we either felt deserved to be on this list alongside the other games we deemed as graphically impressive or to add games that were not released at the time of its first publication. Since video game graphics are advancing day by day, we felt it necessary to keep this list up to date.
15 Okami HD
There aren’t many games that have been able to graphically stand the test of time as well as Okami has. Originally released in 2006 on consoles like the PlayStation 2 and Wii, Okami was able to take advantage of its timeless style to make the most out of the hardware it was on.
Although, playing Okami on those consoles today shows just how much they were holding it back, which is where Okami HD comes in. On the PS4 and Switch, Okami‘s classical Japanese art style looks absolutely stunning in just about every area of the game.
14 Super Mario Odyssey
While putting any Nintendo Switch game on a list of best graphics probably seems weird, it’s hard to argue that Super Mario Odyssey doesn’t absolutely make the most of the Switch’s lower processing power.
A combination of stylized art and impressive HD, seeing Mario explore several gorgeous landscapes makes you sit back and think about how far things have come. Nintendo has always used unrealistic art styles to make good looking games that don’t break the bank on processing. Mario has never looked this good and sequences like the New Donk City music festival make the game shine.
13 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
It wasn’t until fairly recently that video games hit the graphical fidelity necessary to be able to fully translate animated shows and films into live gameplay, with recent Dragon Ball games being the most shining examples. 2018’s Dragon Ball FighterZ was able to take a page out of Guilty Gear‘s book to make a stunning 2.5D experience, but gorgeous, fully 3D anime games were still a rarity.
Until Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot released, that is. Taking the Toriyama characters and landscapes that we all know and love, Kakarot turns them into stunning 3D models with some of the most impressive animations and visual effects around.
12 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
Dragon Quest is considered to be the grandfather of modern JRPGs, dating all the way back to 1986. Because of its age, Dragon Quest XI isn’t the first instance where the series has produced a visually stunning game for its console generation, but this is certainly the most impressive.
Dragon Quest XI‘s gameplay and cutscenes are some of the most well-animated in the industry, and this stays consistent throughout DQXI‘s 60+ hour main story, which only makes it all the more impressive.
11 Gears 5
The newly titled Gears 5 takes a series that has always looked good and elevates it to the next level. The game’s campaign takes place across a wide variety of environments, from a jungle early on, to a snowy tundra and red desert landscape.
The snowy tundra and red desert are also the locations for the games more open exploration sections, giving a chance to explore and take in all the scenery. The game’s cutscenes are also gorgeous and the high fidelity extends into all of the games other modes.
10 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
A game that truly earns its subtitle, over the 60 plus hours it takes to mainline the game, you get to appreciate and take in the beauty of ancient Greece. While the environments don’t vary a ton from Assassin’s Creed Origins the extra trees and seas make for some spectacular views.
With the viewpoints, the game never hesitates to point out just how magnificent it looks. Most of the main characters and side characters also look great, which is impressive based on the quantity.
9 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
A new Wolfenstein game being good surprised a ton of people, so the sequel taking the foundation and knocking it out of the park is just as surprising. While there are tons to love about this game, the graphics are spectacular.
The game looks great, both the cutscenes and the gameplay. Every environment you explore and Nazi you kill look sharp and move fluidly. The game explores Nazi-occupied America, which allows for a range of environments, from bombed-out New York to the swampy south. If you’re going to kill nazis, you want to make sure you can see every detail.
8 Star Wars Battlefront II
While its considered blasphemy to say anything positive about the most recent iteration of Star Wars Battlefront due to its attempts at skeevy microtransactions and a glaring lack of content that couldn’t be monetized, there is no arguing that the game looks phenomenal.
Dice knows how to make a good looking shooter and this game brings Star Wars into video games visually in a way that has never been achieved. The heroes, maps and environments all nail the Star Wars aesthetic while looking crisp. If you love Star Wars and haven’t played this game, picking up a cheap copy is worth your time.
7 *Ghost Of Tsushima
Gazing across Ghost of Tsushima‘s rendition of the Japanese archipelago is quite the sight to behold, as this highly anticipated title has some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of gaming. Tsushima‘s main graphical focus is on its world, which ends up feeling just as alive as the characters that inhabit it.
The way cherry blossom petals flow in the highly stylized wind, how the sunset illuminates the beautiful countryside, and the many vibrant colors that contrast the violent gameplay make for one beautiful game.
6 Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Years of remasters and rereleases have cemented the idea that old games can look better than they did, but not as good as modern ones. Capcom rebuilding Resident Evil 2 from the ground up makes it a modern video game, a fantastic one at that. Leon and Claire have never looked this good and neither have the zombies and monsters terrorizing Raccoon City.
The police station and underground lab look nearly life-like and every scare in the game is extra terrifying with how detailed the monsters are. Even Tyrant looks awesome, in his own terrifying way.
5 *Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII has done it once again. When it first released in 1997, its stunning pre-rendered backgrounds, cutscenes, and battles were the most advanced that a video game had ever looked. Needless to say, the Remake had a lot to live up to.
Comparing the two games is night and day, but not simply due to the 23-year difference in age. The Final Fantasy VII Remake is a fantastically beautiful game with some of the most immersive lighting and environments in all of gaming, and the character models for the main cast look a hundred times better than the already good-looking FFVII movie, Advent Children.
4 God of War (2018)
Nothing against the previous installments of God of War but the soft reboot of the 2018 sequel is not only a vastly different game but a gorgeous one at that. Exploring the Norse lands and experiencing its mythology through this game is truly spectacular because of how great it looks.
This game capture Kratos and Atreus is a way that gives real-life and depth to these characters not experienced in previous installments, at least for Kratos. This is the most pristine dad simulator on the market.
3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Known for being one of the greatest games ever made, this CD Projekt title is phenomenal for numerous reasons. Not all of the monsters or gruff characters are a joy to look at because they aren’t meant to be but the sprawling landscapes are killer.
While the consoles versions still look great (not including the switch) the PC version can hit graphically levels that are almost beyond understanding. The game is worth playing for a ton of reasons besides graphics, but looking good is always a plus. The bathtub scene is worth the price of entry alone.
2 Forza Horizon 4
As long as Forza games continue to be made they will continue to be the best looking games on the market. Forza Horizon 4 isn’t just one of the best racing games ever made, but one of the best looking games to ever be released for Xbox.
The vast British landscapes and ever-changing seasons provide a wide variety of environments and look for them. Not surprising beyond that is that any of the cars are enough to get a car-lover to get hot and bothered. Watching them speed through rain, snow or sunshine is an absolute delight.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best looking video game of all time and that fact should surprise no one who has played it. The game is practically a movie with how detailed and impressive all of the characters and landscapes look on consoles and PC.
Not only does every single frame of this adventure look like a painting, but the game is also incredibly long and you will never get tired of looking at it. Arthur Morgan looks like and feels like a real human being. This game is nothing short of art.
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