As much as gamers have come to accept that graphics aren’t everything when it comes to a video game, especially when there are suchgreat indie titlesout there that prove this, there’s still something about a graphically-intensive game that stands out and grabs the player’s attention. And when the game is good-looking on top of being fun, it’s just a cherry on top.
Why Gamers Need to Be Reminded That Graphics are Secondary
Much of this graphical fidelity is only possible on a jacked-out PC and these ten games are so realistic that they push the hardware on these systems to their limits.
10Forza Horizon 5
A Stunning Playground for Car Enthusiasts
Forza Horizon 5
A visual treat for racing fans,Forza Horizon 5continues the franchise’s trend of creating a beautifulopen worldfor the players to roam around in, and this time, Playground Games bring Mexico to life thanks to the breathtaking visuals. The game is a marvel to behold, from the dense jungles and sun-drenched beaches to the bustling cities and volcanic peaks. Dynamic weather effects, such as torrential rainstorms and dust clouds, further enhance the sense of immersion.
Each car in the massive roster of around 820 different vehicles is crafted with sharp attention to detail, with every curve, material and light reflection rendered with photorealistic precision. Whether players are cruising along highways or tearing through off-road trails, Forza Horizon 5 offers one of the most visually-striking racing experiences in gaming.
9Horizon Forbidden West
Aloy’s Next Adventure
Horizon Forbidden: West
Ported from PS5,Horizon: Forbidden Westdelivers a visually-stunning world that feels alive and untamed. Its lush forests, arid deserts and underwater environments are teeming with detail and vibrant colors. Guerilla Games have outdone themselves with this sequel, and everything from the lighting and textures to the dynamic weather system makes way for spectacular feats of graphical fidelity.
The mechanical creatures, with their intricate designs and lifelike animations, stand out as technical marvels. Combined with nuanced character models and expressive facial animations, Horizon: Forbidden West is a graphical showcase that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in open-world gaming.
8Final Fantasy XVI
Beautiful From Start to Finish
Final Fantasy 16
Once again, Square Enix has set a new benchmark for RPG visuals withFinal Fantasy XVI. The game’s rich environments blend medieval aesthetics with fantastical elements, resulting in a world that feels both grounded and otherworldly. The detailed character model of every character, including the protagonist, Clive Rosfield, reflects incredible attention to detail, from their armor to their expressions and animations.
But what truly stands out are the cinematic battles, particularly the Eikon fights, which are spectacles of light, fire and destruction on a grand scale. The game isn’t easy on the system, though, and players will need beefy specs to experience Valisthea in all its glory.
7Black Myth: Wukong
A Chinese Myth Brought to Life
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong, one of the most hyped games of 2024, is a visual masterpiece on top of being an actuallygood soulslike, drawing inspiration from Chinese mythology. The environments are lush and varied, ranging from misty mountain ranges to eerie forests filled with supernatural creatures. Its use of Unreal Engine 5 brings unprecedented levels of detail to both the landscapes and the fantastical enemies.
The lighting effects, particle animations and fluid combat mechanics create visual eye candy that blurs the line between gameplay and cinematic spectacle.
6Cyberpunk 2077
A Neon-Drenched Urban Masterpiece
While it was a mess on release, especially on 8th-gen consoles, after the Phantom Liberty update,Cyberpunk 2077has finally lived up to its promise of being a visual spectacle like no other. The game’s depiction of Night City, a futuristic, dystopian haven for the corrupt and the greedy, is unparalleled, with its neon-lit streets, towering skyscrapers and bustling crowds creating an immersive cyberpunk atmosphere.
Review: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the best PC and Stadia titles to come out this year and lives up to the developer’s legacy.
The addition of ray tracing furthers the visuals with stunning reflections and lighting effects, bringing the city to life during day and night. Even with high-end hardware, Cyberpunk 2077 can bring a system to its knees, especially after applying the photorealistic mods.
5Last Of Us Part 1
Joel and Ellie in Even Higher Graphical Fidelity
The Last of Us Part I
The remake of The Last of Us Part 1, which wasreleased on PCa few months after its release on Sony’s own console, elevates the already iconic game to new visual heights. Joel, Ellie and all the other characters are more lifelike than ever, with nuanced facial expressions and fluid animations that enhance the emotional weight of the story. Thankfully, Naughty Dogs didn’t change the character’s face models in this port like Insomniac did with 2018’s Spider-man, which was something not every fan appreciated.
Environments in Last of Use Part 1 are meticulously detailed, from the overgrown ruins of civilization to the haunting interiors of abandoned buildings. Improved lighting and texture work bring this post-apocalyptic version of America to life, making the game feel almost like a live-action movie.
4Stalker 2: Heart Of Chernobyl
Not Even a 4090 Will Be Enough
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Stalker 2 became an instant talk of the town when it came out on PC, with it being so graphically intensive that even the highest-end GPU couldn’t run the game at 60fps on ultra settings in 4K resolution. While much of this was because the game was unoptimized at launch, with the developers relying too much on upscaling tech like DLSS, it can’t be denied that the game captures the eerie beauty of the Zone with stunning detail. The desolate landscapes are both haunting and mesmerizing, featuring dense forests, decaying structures and dynamic weather systems that further the realism.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game creates photorealistic textures and lighting that manage to make it seem all the more haunting and captivating.
3Alan Wake 2
A Breathtaking Sequel to a Thirteen-Year-Old Masterpiece
Alan Wake 2
Probably one of thebest horror gamesof all time, Alan Wake 2 was the bane of graphic cards when it came out, and for good reason.
The game brings the Pacific Northwest setting to life with stunning realism, from dense forests and rundown cabins to eerie urban areas. Every character deserves proper attention; the models are lifelike, and the haunting visual effects during supernatural encounters just make it all the more scarier. Remedy’s dedication to creating a visually striking yet unsettling atmosphere shines through in every frame of Alan Wake 2.
2Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
From Bing Maps Into a Video Game
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Microsoft Flight Simulator2024 is the pinnacle of realism in gaming, offering a one-to-one recreation of the Earth. The game uses Microsoft’s own Azure AI to generate 3D topology from flat Bing Maps imagery to deliver breathtakingly-accurate landscapes, from sprawling cities to remote mountain ranges.
The dynamic weather system is particularly impressive, with clouds, storms and sunlight interacting in real time. Aircraft models are meticulously detailed, both inside and out, offering an authentic piloting experience. But that’s just forplayers who are enthusiastic about flying planes; those who are more interested in the visuals better bring the biggest GPU they got, because MFS 24 is extremely resource-hungry.
I remember downloading MFS 2020 just to experience the sheer spectacle of a game that lets players go anywhere in the world, and fly a plane over my hometown too. But the game was so graphically demanding that I had to put it on low settings just to run it at 10 fps on my GTX 1060 3GB.
A Window into Another World
Red Dead Redemption 2
Of course, it’sRed Dead Redemption2 that secures the position of the best-looking PC game, because despite not using ray tracing, the game manages to create some of the realest-looking environments, and images taken in-game could probably be passed off as pictures captured using a camera.
Sure, the character faces are a bit on the weaker side, but everything else is top-notch. From the majestic mountains and rolling plains to the bustling town of Blackwater and the murky swamps of Bayou Nwa, every single location in the game is an homage to Rockstar’s excellence when it comes to photorealism. Despite being a title from 2018, RDR 2 is the pinnacle of visual fidelity that every developer should strive to achieve, provided they have the time and budget.
7 Tips We Wish We Knew Before Playing Red Dead Redemption 2
By doing these 7 things, you’re able to make things more streamlined and easier for you in your playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2.
