Video games have evolved considerably since their inception. What were once basic sidescrolling adventures with simplistic themes have grown into massive blockbuster productions, meeting or exceeding some of the largest films being created in Hollywood right now. Throughout this evolution, games have gotten bigger, bolder, and, of course, better looking. This advancement has been incredibly noticeable over the course of the past decade, as the PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X, and advancing PC hardware now have enough power to render compelling, realistic graphics. So, just how much has changed since the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era?
The changes in graphics are immediately noticeable, both in their detail and their art styles. In the early 2010s, there was a disappointing trend in games to make them as gritty looking as possible, resulting in a lot of grey and brown textures. This created a muddy look in a lot of instances, relegating a lot of pop and color to indie games, a subset of the industry that was finally beginning to rise to popularity at the time. Meanwhile, mainstream and triple-a games like Gears of War and Fallout 3 were far less visually inventive than what one would find nowadays in a game like Overwatch.
Popping back up this year was Call of Duty's iconic Captain Price in the reboot of Modern Warfare. Debuting back in 2007, Price has come along way since first being introduced to the franchise. The new Modern Warfare uses a technique called photogrammetry to scan in real-world objects into games, making them look far more realistic overall. Plus, there are some advanced modeling and motion capture techniques used to bring characters to life, leading to the modern renderings of Captain Price's superb mustache.
The difference in graphical fidelity has been massive, even for games with lower budgets. Titles like Darksiders have benefitted from a generation of graphical increases in detail, lighting, and so on. While Darksiders III may not be the best looking, or best-reviewed game out there, it's easy to see just how far graphics have come since the series debuted back in 2010. There are better particle effects, shading, and character models present in the current iteration of the franchise, making the comic book style artwork all the better.
Even handheld games have come far. Looking at the graphics of a game like Pokemon Sword and Shield versus 2010's Pokemon Black and White shows off just how much better graphics have gotten on portable devices. It proves just how stellar of a console the Nintendo Switch is, with the Switch Lite possibly even being the best dedicated handheld Nintendo has ever made. While there's no news of any new Nintendo consoles on the horizon, and there likely won't be for some time, it's interesting to wonder how far the company's next console could possibly push things.
One of the best direct comparisons between a game and its end-of-the-decade sequel are Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar's western franchise that has won critical and fan acclaim. Both games looked incredibly sharp for the time they released, with Red Dead Redemption 2 still arguably being the best looking game available now, or at the very least in the top three - except on its lowest settings. Both games have a superb level of detail, with Rockstar sparing no effort to try and make them seem as close to real life as possible within the confines of a video game.
4K graphics steadily rose to popularity during the course of the decade. It can be difficult to show just how much that increase in resolution will enhance an overall experience, though its easiest to see that extra detail in characters' textures, especially if those characters are wearing, say, a super suit. Luckily, fans got a superb Spider-Man game on the PlayStation 4 back in 2018. With a decade of jumbled Spider-Man games also releasing, there are quite a few movie tie-in games to draw comparisons to. However, with Web of Shadows not being based on a film, the 2010 title is arguably the best to compare 2018's game to.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. For video game graphics, that can most accurately be attributed to the Gears of War franchise. While many other franchises have radically changed over the course of the last 10 years, Gears of War has rested firmly in the formula that its fans love. While a new cast of characters has been introduced to draw in a new generation of gamers, the franchise has maintained its brutal nature for as long as it's been around. However, looking at 2019's Gears 5 versus 2011's Gears of War 3, it's easy to see how much brighter and more vibrant games have become in general, not to mention more detailed.
Games, universally, have evolved quite a bit over the past decade. Mechanics and controls that worked in 2010 may have no place in contemporary games today. While the increase of detail in games overall is a good measure of just how far games have come, it's easy to forget how rapidly things change in the industry. Not only is the end of the decade just around the corner, but an all-new generation of consoles will soon mark the beginning of another decade of innovation. It's incredibly fitting, in a way, and it's exciting to wonder what the future holds for video games. Whether the next generation means good changes, bad changes, better graphics, or a retreat back to the muddied textures of the early Xbox 360 days, at least fans of video games can all rally behind enjoying the ride together.