Video games have come a long way since their inception. What was once a few dots that move on a screen have become a sweeping landscape beyond imagination as graphics cards have improved. Graphics are an important part of any game whether that be in high detail, quality, or simply uniqueness. They are the first thing a player experiences in a game.
As such, they are a developer's first line of defense when trying to capture the attention of the consumer and make a first impression. In the upcoming years, video games promise to look better than ever. Players will be able to experience these worlds in their best possible form.
10 Black Myth: Wukong
The first game took the internet by storm after its first trailer was released. It showcased great Shadow of the Colussus-like monsters, DBZ-like abilities, and of course, beautiful vistas. What largely shocked people was that the game was developed entirely by a small, relatively unknown Chinese developer.
With so few resources, the developers were able to push the limits. Not only did they deliver stunningly realistic graphic; they also utilized those graphics within a distinct art style. The game's visuals captured people's attention almost immediately.
9 Battlefield 2042
There are some games in the industry that players expect to be at the forefront of video game graphics. First-person shooters are among them, and there are few games in this genre as big as the Battlefield franchise.
The upcoming entry to the series, Battlefield 2042, promises to uphold that tradition, pushing system requirements. The Frostbite engine has always been a workhorse in terms of graphical quality, but DICE is showing that they are eager to push it even further than before. The destruction and storms will no doubt look immaculate in the usual realistic style.
8 Deathloop
In conversations on graphics, most people only think about the games that pushed the envelope in terms of realism. However, much can be said for games that use the increasing power of technology to develop a fun and unique art style. The developers at Arcane Studios have a knack for this approach.
Set on a dreary island with a retro 60's aesthetic, the game will carry players through luxury cannibal parties, rocky scientific outposts, and much more. Get ready for a gorgeous, action-packed adventure.
7 Ghostwire: Tokyo
There are few other cities whose nightlife is more difficult to capture than Tokyo. However, Ghostwire: Tokyo does so with ease, and is all the better for it. With a trailer that borders on photorealistic, the game promises to not only carry the player through a neon-soaked night in Tokyo, but to do so with the strangeness of the occult.
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The leanings toward horror will no doubt benefit from this approach. Regardless of genre, though, it proves to be a feast for the eyes.
6 Sable
One of the standout indie games of the last E3, Sable caught the players' attention through its interesting animation and art style resembling the work of French artist, Moebius. The game's solid color palette and borderline cell-shaded approach lend well to the game's vast desert landscapes and mysterious ruins.
Players will be able to explore this world on a hoverbike that spews dense clouds of smoke and dust behind it. As the player speeds through the desert dunes, curving alongside vast stone cliffs under a piercing blue sky, they'll experience incredible visuals.
5 Forza Horizon 5
If any genre pushes the envelope of graphics more than first-person shooters, it's simulated driving games. Out of all the games that came out of the last E3, this game blurred the line between reality and video games the hardest.
Forza Horizon 5 boasts a dedication to realism so apparent that the developers even mentioned how realistically the cacti and their needles were being rendered. This game will impress a great many people based on graphical quality alone.
4 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
Within the bounds of photorealism, not much is usually done to make a game distinct beyond that realism. The long-awaited next entry in the STALKER franchise shows that a game can produce its own unique atmosphere within the confines of what is normally a restrictive art style.
The STALKER games have always proven to be dense in the atmosphere of soviet-era depression. With limited resources and a vision, the developers have shown that they are fully capable of capturing that atmosphere. Now, they're doing so in a game whose visuals are on par with the heaviest hitters in the industry.
3 Replaced
Indie games are a bastion of creative ideas within the video games industry. In a world where most AAA developers wouldn't touch pixel art with a 10-foot pole, Replaced can show how they wrong they are ignore it. This game pulls out all the stops to make its pixel art as gorgeous as it can get.
Similar games have dubbed this style HD-2D, because it goes beyond most 2D games from a graphical standpoint. It boasts all the pillars of good pixel art, while retaining new advancements such as lighting and shadows to make for a one-of-a-kind game.
2 Crimson Desert
This spiritual successor to the developer's previous game Black Desert, will give Red Dead Redemption 2 a run for its money. As a fantasy open-world action game that follows the adventures of a band of mercenaries, this title includes a large variety of locations for the player to explore.
It can be difficult to nail down one single vista and do it so well, but Crimson Desert takes a great many locales, from deserts, dense forests, to snow-capped mountains, and executes every one of them with exceptionally. The only real worry is whether or not the game will be able to handle that level of detail.
1 Kena: Bridge Of Spirits
Many games try to replicate the look and feel of animated films. That said, this game takes the cake. With an art style that puts some Pixar films to shame, Kena: Bridge of Spirits will have players making their way through a mystical world of spirits and nature never before seen.
From the trees to the grass, from the water to the stone, this game comes to life. Its impeccable use of lighting gives everything a wondrous aura of splendor. With enough attention, it will no doubt become a classic loved by many.