Your personal pick for best looking game of the generation?

[QisTopTier]

Dragon Quest 11, Ori, and Dragon Ball Fighterz.

Art direction means far more to me than how real something looks.

You can tell who doesn't have a PC

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I mean I mostly game on PC and I wouldn't pick what most would anyways.

 

[Tyaren]

You can tell who doesn't have a PC

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You also can tell when people don't have a clue that there is more to graphics than just purely the technical side. There's also art and design, and its even more important. You can create a beautiful game with great art and bad tech, but you can't create a beautiful game with great tech but bad art.

 

[jtb]

I don't really care if it's been surpassed technically. The Witcher 3 was the first game this generation to really blow me away, and it still gives my PC a pretty good workout when I crank it up to 1440p/144hz.

Honorable mention to The Division, which has really ugly enemy design but has such gorgeous environments and weather effects that I just enjoy walking around New York.

 

[Stouffers]

BOTW no contest

 

[skeezx]

Honorable mention to The Division, which has really ugly enemy design but has such gorgeous environments and weather effects that I just enjoy walking around New York.

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i wasn't going to contribute because so many games this gen are milestones in their own ways, kinda pointless to even talk about. but then i remembered Division, playing that when i upgraded to a 980 ti was really something else. couldn't believe i was playing an open world online game

 

[Detail]

Hunter - Call Of The Wild has some of the best outdoor environments I have ever seen in a videogame, honestly it's photorealistic at times, I spent the majority of it taking screenshots.

It gets rather boring however as it's a hunting game after all, I got it free so just thought I would check it out for the visuals.

In terms of overall graphics, I have to say that Kingdom Come Deliverance on PC looked incredible and RDR 2 on console is probably the best art direction I have ever seen.

 

[QisTopTier]

Since I said DQ11 with no screenshots. Here are some I took myself *there are a lot*

Spoiler

And while it looks pretty damn nice in pictures. Seeing just how much charm and energy is put into the animations of everything when you play on pc and see them at 60 fps just seals the deal.

 

[sleepnaught]

Purely technical wise, RDR2. But with artstyle, I have to go to Breath of the Wild. My favorite looking game in many years.

 

[Talus]

DQ11 does indeed look gorgeous, especially with TAA and some reshade tweaking. I took quite a few shots while I was playing that game... to say the least. 120h later and I 100%'d it. And yea, the animations are so fluid and nicely done, they look amazing at 60fps.

Spoiler: More screens from various games or tech demos based on games that I've taken

Metro Exodus

Forza Horizon 4

Resident Evil 2 Remake

Lone Echo 2 Experience demo VR

Quantum Break

The Book of the Dead Environment test

Final Fantasy 15

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

 

[Deleted member 18161]

Why are people ignoring Final Fantasy XV? I know shitting on it is considered cool around here, but you can't deny that it's really pretty, especially on PC.

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Agree with this. FFXV is up there with RDR2 in terms of visuals for an open World game when running on PC at max.

AC Origins / Odyssey and GR Wildlands are also phenomenal looking open World games from Ubisoft.

Breath of the Wild running on Cemu at 4k/60 is up there with anything imo. Such a beautiful game when not held back by low resolutions.

 

[Nexus2049]

Horizon Zero Dawn

 

[Sheng Long]

Horizon ZD
RE2
Spider-Man
Uncharted 4
The Last Guardian

 

[medyej]

Battlefield 1
Metro Exodus (PC with RTX)
Hunt Showdown
Dragon Quest XI
Batman Arkham Knight
Shadow of the Tomb Raider

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[SuperFakerBros]

Batman Arkham Knight

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I always forget just how good the game looked. It's definitely one of the best looking open world games this generation, even now

 

[JudgmentJay]

I hadn't really thought about it, but probably Ori and the Blind Forest. Technically impressive games like Uncharted, RDR2, Metro, etc look really nice, but they don't really stand out to me as much as a game with a unique art style/aesthetic. If I had to pick one from a technical standpoint... probably God of War.

 

[Baccus]

BOTW no contest

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There's a contest and it's really packed and it might not even qualify

 

[Perfectsil]

Metro exodus

 

[Stouffers]

There's a contest and it's really packed and it might not even qualify

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I checked and there WAS going to be a contest, but the judges saw BOTW and called it off.

 

[JudgmentJay]

I checked and there WAS going to be a contest, but the judges saw BOTW and called it off.

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I mean... Breath of the Wild looks pretty great running at 4k on CEMU, but on the WiiU/Switch... nah. The aesthetic is held back by low resolution.

 

[Eolz]

On a technical point of view, I'd say RDR2 on console and Metro Exodus with raytracing enabled on PC.

 

[chandoog]

Despite .. or maybe because of it's smaller scope .. Detroit has had the most 'woah' graphical moments for me in the gen so far.

So that gets my vote.

 

[Equanimity]

Photos taken in Shadow of the Colossus by me. :)

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These are excellent.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

DQ11 does indeed look gorgeous, especially with TAA and some reshade tweaking. I took quite a few shots while I was playing that game... to say the least. 120h later and I 100%'d it. And yea, the animations are so fluid and nicely done, they look amazing at 60fps.

The Book of the Dead Environment test

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DQ Looks way too saturated imo. Holy crap at that environment shot. Is that playable?

 

[Rhaknar]

where the fuck is Shadow of Lara in the OP? Game makes me go "oh, thats why people love these photo modes huh?".

also, games are pretty these days.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

Red Dead Redemption 2 for me, even if it is uneven. At times it looks like a next-generation game.

 

[Deleted member 16908]

Bloodborne.

 

[Talus]

DQ Looks way too saturated imo. Holy crap at that environment shot. Is that playable?

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Yea I actually toned the saturation down a bit since those shots I remember :D Went a little to heavy on the reshade. Moderation is key with that program.

Yep, the environment is explorable... it's not a huge map.. but there's a decent little area to run around in. You can play with it.

https://unity3d.com/book-of-the-dead

Here's a few more pics I took at the time. I had a 1080ti back then and I remember it running at like 30-40fps at 5K.

 

[Orbit]

Cuphead easily, absolutely gorgeous game

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glad i saw this. unfortunately, never played cuphead (do not have xbox) but watched streamers play and it looks incredible. i'm glad that game did well.

for me: God of War. still blown away it looked better on release than it did at E3 presentations.

also, i saw some people mention Detroit: Become Human....i mean, imo, i don't feel like that counts? it is a video game but the entire purpose of the title is presentation and story. i feel like without any dynamic interaction (having to worry about player input on complex animations/gameplay) it is easier to achieve such clarity. i mean, don't get me wrong, props to what they accomplished. just my opinion.

 

[Julab]

Read Dead Redemption 2 with The Witcher 3 a close 2nd.

 

[Technika]

While there were some very nice parts in the Xenoblade Chronicles II /Torna games, the Switch hardware limited its appearance and would benefit from more GPU power. Zelda BotW also falls in this category, though performs admirably better.

So this leaves me to say God of War PS4 has the most impressive graphics of this generation. My backlog consists of Horizon, Bloodborne and Uncharted 4, so im sure they would make their case too.

God of War is technically excellent, performs smoothly and plays great. I did get tired of the art style and for some reason or another, failed to meet my expectations.

Nonetheless, here are a few of my screenshots of God of War for the PS4:

 

[Laughing Banana]

I would actually say, despite all the negative things about it, Anthem looks utterly and unbelievably gorgeous, it's unlike anything I have seen. So, purely from a graphical standpoint alone, it gets my vote.

Edit: Actually, Red Dead Redemption 2 is up there too, no doubt. But I literally said "WOW" at some of the vistas available in Anthem. Too bad the game that supported it isn't very good.

 

[Suede]

There are a lot of stunning looking games this generation so far, but I think the ones that impressed me most are Resident Evil 2 Remake and Doom 2016. The fact they run at 60fps and look that good is very impressive to me (talking primarily playing these on the PS4 Pro).

 

[Hokey]

I'm playing through The Shadow of the Colossus remake at the moment and it would have to be my pick for best graphics ever because the effect the game is having on me. The original is my #1 fave game and the remake has basically just refreshed this notion, wandering around the world is so awe inspiring, huge structures, clifftops, all of it....the scenery is just breaktaking 100% of the time. I've always loved scale and bosses in games and the game is based solely around that idea. You're tasked with exploring a huge atmospheric land looking for massive bosses, there is zero filler content and almost everything except the colossi is optional (yet there are so many hidden POI). I hadn't explored the game world as thoroughly in the Ps2 original but I am not leaving a single stone unturned in the remake which has made me realize the game world is so huge I'm amazed the thing even ran on the original Ps2 at all. The game is a masterpiece through and through and the remake has allowed me to almost relive the original which is a feat I was never expecting as I know this game will never receive a sequel so this is the next best thing.

A close second would be Resident Evil 2 Remake.

3rd choice would be Horizon Zero Dawn - Although I didn't like the actual game it was the first game I played on my new Oled TV and surround sound setup and the graphics and sound quite literally blew me away.

 

[Faiyaz]

Dragon Quest XI and BOTW in terms of artstyle and cartoon/anime visuals. (Seriously, DQ XI may very well be the best looking jRPG ever made).

From a technical standpoint, I'm still mesmerized by Horizon Zero Dawn.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

I must be the only person who wasn't feeling DQ11 apart from the character and creature models which are the clear standout in the game.

The world felt very static with next to nothing dynamic about it.
The overworld sailing parts did not look good at all.
A few of the towns looked nice but again they felt largely static and lifeless, with a few npcs just kind of standing around with nothing much really happening at all and I think movement is a big part of what makes a game good looking. Most of the spells didn't look particularly good either, and are shared by enemies and main characters. (played on PC with 120hz, which im pretty sure is the best looking version)

 

[Aggie CMD]

 

[CannedSoup]

RDR2 for me. I've taken more screenshots in that game than any other and it's not even close.

Uncharted 4, Cuphead, Bloodborne,The Witcher 3, GoW, Battlefront all look great too. Haven't played Sea of Thieves but I love the art style.

 

[Heartimecia]

Horizon: Zero Dawn.

The Witcher 3 is the runner-up, and Gris is still one of the most beautiful things I will ever play. The art direction of that game is nothing short of phenomenal and that's just as important as seeing a character's pores in high definition or whatever.

 

[Dragoon]

Just started playing RE2, don't see what people are seeing to make that as one of the best looking this generation. It does look great overall, but it's nowhere near that tier.

For me, it's probably GOW since it has the graphics and the style to push it while games like BOTW/BB fall on style and games like RDR2 fall under graphics.

 

[Fawz]

Red Dead Redemption 2 by far, but that's when looking at it from a complete experience standpoint and not so much a screenshot/technical analysis.

 

[JaseMath]

Horizon for a AAA title.
Hollow Knight for indie.

 

[Kaz Mk II]

Personally I find Horizon: Zero Dawn and Zelda Breath of the Wild to be the most beautiful games I've experienced this generation.

We're reaching a point where all major games look great so it mostly comes down to art design/aesthetics now.

I was absolutely blown away by the look of horizon Zero Dawn when I played it at a friends house. The desert area at sunset was absolutely gorgeous then I was in a somewhat dense forest and it was EVEN MORE beautiful. I dont exactly have the words to explain why I find it better looking than other titles, even recently released ones like God of War and Red Dead 2. I think Horizon does something with color saturation as well as realism/detail that just hooked into my brain. Despite that I will admit I actually dont like a lot of the character design. Kinda tribal with mecha parts on people, it just kinda looks odd and lacks any real sort of artistic flair to me that other games capture. This has little bearing on me calling it one of the best looking games this generation. Also the facial animations werent that impressive either.

PS4 | Photomode

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I was also similarly blown away by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Personally this is probably my top pick for artstyle/aesthetics in a video game of the last few years. The artists clearly took inspiration from Ghibli movies and just the feeling of nature. Despite other titles taking place outdoors BotW captures it better to me than any other. The way the grass sways in the wind, puddles forming and evaporating in realistic locations, an excellent use of blur in certain situations. It's really hard for me to explain why I think BotW looks so amazing. I've seen it in a multitude of resolutions too. Handheld 720p, TV 900p, seen PC 1080p and PC 4K and it looks amazing in all of them.

Red Dead 2 would probably be my next pick after these but it just doesn't make me FEEL as much as these 2.

Final attempt to revive this thread...

(pics are from around the web)

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[KCsoLucky]

Personally I find Horizon: Zero Dawn and Zelda Breath of the Wild to be the most beautiful games I've experienced this generation.

We're reaching a point where all major games look great so it mostly comes down to art design/aesthetics now.

I was absolutely blown away by the look of horizon Zero Dawn when I played it at a friends house. The desert area at sunset was absolutely gorgeous then I was in a somewhat dense forest and it was EVEN MORE beautiful. I dont exactly have the words to explain why I find it better looking than other titles, even recently released ones like God of War and Red Dead 2. I think Horizon does something with color saturation as well as realism/detail that just hooked into my brain. Despite that I will admit I actually dont like a lot of the character design. Kinda tribal with mecha parts on people, it just kinda looks odd and lacks any real sort of artistic flair to me that other games capture. This has little bearing on me calling it one of the best looking games this generation. Also the facial animations werent that impressive either.



I was also similarly blown away by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Personally this is probably my top pick for artstyle/aesthetics in a video game of the last few years. The artists clearly took inspiration from Ghibli movies and just the feeling of nature. Despite other titles taking place outdoors BotW captures it better to me than any other. The way the grass sways in the wind, puddles forming and evaporating in realistic locations, an excellent use of blur in certain situations. It's really hard for me to explain why I think BotW looks so amazing. I've seen it in a multitude of resolutions too. Handheld 720p, TV 900p, seen PC 1080p and PC 4K and it looks amazing in all of them.

Red Dead 2 would probably be my next pick after these but it just doesn't make me FEEL as much as these 2.

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The facial animations got a BIG step up in The Frozen Wilds.

For me personally, it's up in the air between Horizon and God of War. GoW has better HDR and more impressive models, but Horizon's scenery especially with the dynamic time of day and weather is amazing. Metro Exodus with Ray Tracing on looks fucking phenomenal, and on a technical level that would win easily(seriously, 4A have been under appreciated for their prowess with that whole series. I remember Last Light looking bananas when it released.) but I prefer the art direction of the aforementioned titles better. Breath of the Wild has a gorgeous art style that comes close to Horizon's for me but too many absolutely awful textures and terrible pop inm/performance kinda ruin it.

 

[trockentoast]

I throw in Far Cry 5

 

[Kaz Mk II]

The facial animations got a BIG step up in The Frozen Wilds.

For me personally, it's up in the air between Horizon and God of War. GoW has better HDR and more impressive models, but Horizon's scenery especially with the dynamic time of day and weather is amazing. Metro Exodus with Ray Tracing on looks fucking phenomenal, and on a technical level that would win easily(seriously, 4A have been under appreciated for their prowess with that whole series. I remember Last Light looking bananas when it released.) but I prefer the art direction of the aforementioned titles better. Breath of the Wild has a gorgeous art style that comes close to Horizon's for me but too many absolutely awful textures and terrible pop inm/performance kinda ruin it.

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Oh yeah, I havent even experienced Horizon's HDR (or really any HDR for that matter). That might be a tipping point for me preferring it over Zelda. I know I'm kinda cheating a bit already since I find all of the design elements like sound and the chemistry system to be apart of the aesthetic which is why I'm so enamored with it, but the title of this thread is simply "best looking" so I may rethink my stance.

 

[Deleted member 4413]

RDR2 on my X, followed very closely by Horizon Zero Dawn on my Pro. Both these games took my breath away on multiple occasions when they came out.

Honorable mention to BOTW on Switch. The art, ambience, everything melds together perfectly in that game.

 

[Putty]

I should add honourable mentions for Division, SOTC, and Detroit, all of which have high points as high as my initial list.

 

[Iztok]

UC4 and RDR2 were the highpoints I guess, but I've been wowed plenty along the way (starting with Infamous, then stuff like Division, Battlefront 1 - that first solo mission :O, Battlefield 1 also... )

 

[Brinbe]

By all accounts Metro with RTX is a gamechanger. But I doubt the majority won't truly be able to see/experience till those prices come down a bit and raytracing becomes more of a thing.
Red Dead 2 on my X1Xis a technical marvel. Lots of small detail that only a team with the time/scope/budget of Rockstar could deliver.
Horizon ZD is a a fucking marvel and definitely does the most with the least. It's incredible
BOTW also deserves a lot of plaudits for what it manages to crank out of the Switch and its art/design is top-notch. Being able to play that uprezzed on PC must be a treat.

 

[Thorrgal]

Horizon Zero Dawn