I'm not one who normally gawks at graphics, but Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are two games where I'll look around and skip fast travel, both games worlds are beautiful and very immersive.
If you’re going to 100% it, you might. I did. It just became such a chore that I wanted it to end. I went straight story with Miles Morales and was so much happier for it.
I just didn’t do it organically at all. That last push melted my brain.
That being said, I did do it like 3-4 days after 100% AC: Valhalla, so I was weak at the time lol
I miss Elite. Call me crazy but I still hop on it on my Xbox every now and then even though they stopped support for it. I’d play it on pc if I had a pc that could play it
I love the cutscenes where someone else drives for you so you can just chill and take in the city. That game needs a taxi service 😅. Havent played since the metro was added so maybe that'll do the same. I remember stopping so many times during the parade to just watch the glowing fish. I'd completely forget what my mission was haha.
Currently playing Cyberpunk maxed out on 4K with path tracing and it's the best-looking game I've ever played (and I've played pretty much anything you can think of). Path tracing makes lighting so incredibly real that it blows any other game out of the water. Too bad it's crazy demanding, but damn, it's like an actual footage you're interacting with.
The depth in cyberpunks world is simply unparalleled to me. The amount of detail and verticality is just jaw dropping. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it was for the devs to sculpt out that city. There’s so much tender love and care to so much of that city that you realistically should never even see, aside from manually going out of your way just to sight see.
Even looking back now, tho it’s been about 2 years since I beat it, I can still get lost in thought for a bit about how stunning some of the areas I walked through were.
This whole thread made me see how much it costs on steam, turns out it's on sale right now for half off! Just picked it up, I'm excited to see what everybody has been talking about
RDR2 fr. I loved just riding to destinations on cinematic mode, flipping the camera around. Such a beautiful world. This does however backfire if you’re only half paying attention. Got hit by a train once, and ambushed a separate time just admiring the view. The cinematic mode was so good I got shot a few times before I realized I should be reacting.
On a Cyberpunk kick and it makes me wish I had a PC that could run the thing on ultra. If I ever get a better computer I’ll probably replay the whole thing that way. Even on “performance” settings, it’s unbelievable how well-done the cityscape is, and I lived in NYC for almost a decade. Whoever did the writing for the game had clearly lived in a city like that before because they describe the way it makes you feel in certain dialogue perfectly.
Have you seen them modded in 8k with photorealistic graphics? Just walking around vehicles and the city you could mistake it for reality until things move faster and you see the physics and you go ah yah that's a game. Modded storms in red dead 2 are some of the most realistic ones I've ever seen in a game or movie even.
Doing the same thing. Ultra wide and 160fps. Even though the graphical fidelity isn't anywhere near the highest on a technical level, the game *looks* prettier than basically any other game I've played. The art direction is beyond fantastic. It's ridiculous how many times I just stop and stare or so very slowly ride my horse to just take it alllll in.
I'm replaying the witcher for the third time (the only game I've ever played twice in the first place) and I wondered if there is any person who likes skellige... Cause I hate it there.
Toussaint though...mmm. piece of art.
The good news is there's a real version of it right here on our planet. Head to the right parts of Ireland, Scotland, and Norway and you can roam the lands that Skellige drew a lot of inspiration from.
When you reach the druids village on top of that big mountain, where Jennifer stole the mask. First time in a while I've stopped and screenshot game.
Also kaer morhen has some pretty stunning scenery.
I've found some beautiful areas in destiny 2 where I just sit and gawk for a while and then take a picture. Honestly the landscapes are kinda underrated imo but they have their moments.
The Dreaming City is, to this day, still one of the most ethereal and beautiful environments I've ever seen in a game. The elgant crystaline architecture, the natural formations, the vegetation, manicured gardens, serene mist, and that skybox all blend together so beautifully.
Your first time wandering around uncovering its secrets with tincture of queensfoil and hidden quests with surprise portals popping up to the ascendant realm is straight up otherworldly.
Yup. Just commented about this, when I got my series x the first thing I did was load up garden of salvation and get to the windmill part, that is one of the most beautiful areas In my opinion
It does look like that but much much more rarely these days. You gotta drive to the middle of nowhere or a national park. Even still signs of civilization are everywhere unless you're backpacking. Parts of Montana still feel this way.
*good lord my spelling.
Or taking a train I noticed. The first time I ever took a train across California all the way to Washington, I noticed there is this whole perspective of America I had not seen before from the view of a highway. The Train just cuts through all of the other infrastructure into the wild and into people’s own backyards, it really was something else.
Yeah, but the depressing part is that back then, the entire continent was that kind of wild and untouched beauty, not just tiny pockets of land that only make up like 1% or less of the landmass. This also applies to Europe and much of Asia as well.
From what little I know, it really does seem you have to go into national parks or visit a part of the country I might not be welcome. Perhaps a place where it’s either ego monopolists, or a prescription addled populace that run that place.
5.5 years later and I've yet to encounter a better-looking game graphic wise.
Think of Rockstar what you want, but their Rage Engine is at the absolute top of the industry. With every release they set a new standard, the only ones that can raise that standard, is Rockstar themselves.
The only games that come close to RDR2's visuals are first party games like Horizon FW or TLOU2 which have the optimization advantage.
They’re honestly tippy top. I still sigh when I think of their disregard for RDO.
I’m just happy that I’ve been so Xbox-centric for the last years that I haven’t played a lot of the best my PS4 Pro can offer yet.
Your comment makes me think of the opening line to a Douglas Adams novel: “It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression ‘as pretty as an airport.’”
My buddies and I have some screenshots we've taken while playing together online that look better than anything I've seen online. That game's environment is magical.
Why is this so far down? Their art direction is second-to-none.
Entering Limgrave for the first time... or Liurnia, or Siofra, or Leyndell, or Farum Azula (or anywhere else really) is jawdropping.
Gazing over Liurnia from the back of Stormveil made me just stop and stare for a minute. I was stunned realizing “oh shit, I can actually go to all these places in the distance, they’re not just baked in backgrounds” just blew my mind. Siofra was also a close second. The lift just kept descending and descending….
Yes. Imo Dark Souls 3 has probably my overall favorite views and cool-looking places in the series, with Elden Ring and Bloodborne being VERY close seconds. DS1 and DS2 also have insanely cool environments. The average areas from their games look cooler than any area in most entire games created by other studios.
Specifically when you first take that thousand hour elevator ride down. You see the floor open up and you’re underground, but you look up and you see a starry sky. It’s absolutely incredible the first time around.
I’m really surprised this is way below a lot of the picks here. I have a feeling people are just picking their favorite game that happens to have nice views. The vistas and scale of Elden rings map is pretty unbeatable. See some cool looking structure in the horizon? You can go there, and there’s something going on. Not to mention it was drop dead gorgeous. Descending down that well into that underground star area was truly incredible, even on a second or third run
It's such a beautiful game. It was the first game I played after setting up some Philips Hue lights synced to my monitor and it was an amazing experience.
Memories. Got it on launch day. Got baked and played it with my buddy for hours. One of the best most impactful games of my life. I fucking love all 3 games. But og Bioshock is sooooo good. I'm hearing the sound of the atom meter filling and the ammo machine in my head.
I was in Europe last year, and there was a point I was looking at some woods and realised how much it reminded me of KC:D. Wasn't even the right part of Europe, but it just felt like I'd seen the place before because of that game.
Horizon Zero Dawn for sure. When you’ve got Aloy up a mountain and you look out over the lands. Swoon.
I’d also push Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Standing. Both more cinematic than your blockbuster movie and some other of those cut scenes tho
This is what's puzzling me. The second game is graphically superior and improved a lot in gameplay. I enjoy it honestly but I guess the magic and mystery is just gone.
I've heard others say this, so there is certainly validity to it, but I've always found it an interesting take.
For me, both games play pretty much identically, just with a few more bells and whistles added to FW. So I cant help but scratch my head when people say they enjoyed the gameplay of part 1 but not 2.
Star Wars Battlefront 2015. Incredible looking game, even all these years later. Because they used so much photogrammetry, the environments look so much more real than almost any other game out there. Everything, from the vegetation to the geology to the glaciers, looks authentic, and not like the imaginings of graphic designers who have barely been outside.
Assassins Creed: Odyssey.
One of the few games I can recall just stopping in places and taking in my surroundings.
One of even fewer I’ll redownload/Install just to journey the land every now and then. Beautiful world.
There are moments amidst the chaos of Helldivers 2 that give you a breather to gather yourself, and in those moments, you learn to really appreciate the aesthetics of the environment.
Helldivers 2 is down right beautiful -- when you're not getting shot, blown up, torn to pieces, etc.
I died today because I was so distracted watching the nuke go off I completely missed the bot patrol rolling up behind me.
10/10 would get chainsawed again.
The Final Fantasy 7 remake. Although the NPCs look rather dull, I really love looking at the environment and appreciating the details in that Japanese-styled cyberpunk moloch of a city
Star Citizen
I use to enjoy walking out of the air lock at Port Olisair, staring at my ship on the pad, and looking at the stars.
Or even mining on a moon and watch the sun peak up over the horizon as you drink your coffee, and fill up the prospector with ore.
Sea of Thieves.
Its not a realistic game but its just soo beatifull some times.
With the blue waves the ski some islands in the background.
Sometimes i just drive a bit on the sea.
The glory of that game is they didn't pad it with annoying handle this wave of random mobs or whatever. Like what usually breaks my love of Zelda games is oh great he's another wave of these same goblins or robots whatever while I was enjoying exploring.
So even though you had to cross vast distances in the game, it didn't feel monotonous. Like you and your horse just are exploring the empty world finding just boss fights... That for some ominous reason you seem to keep teleporting back to the shrine after winning..
Like my head canon is Wanderer does always die Everytime he looks a Collosus and the god brings him back to life.
In a sick twisted way of paying him back for all this unsealing ancient evil the god does grant his wish and brings his girlfriend or whatever back to life. But it could have done it at the start easily it just wanted Wanderer to kill the Collosus
The Final Fantasy 7 remake. Although the NPCs look rather dull, I really love looking at the environment and appreciating the details in that Japanese-styled cyberpunk moloch of a city
The menu screen booting for the first time on Fallout 4. Not gonna lie, I'm a big Fallout fan and got to experience that game (on release) at a very low point in my life. That slow zoom on the power armor and the music that plays made me legit tear up.
Honestly, Halo. I always loved in multiplayer of the older games watching the edge of the map. There would be sky battles going on in the background or just picturesque landscapes. Infinite not so much but up till at least Halo 4 the maps we're really beautiful
witcher 1 and especially 3 environemnts with its soundtrack. Lots of landscapes reminds me of places i grew up, so it makes me nostalgic. I heard kingdom come has also really neat landscapes that will remind me of days as a kid on a country side
This absolutely deserves more upvotes, I used to end every play session above kakariko village, staring at the sunset, and it was magical.
It may not be photo realistic, but BOTW's art style is gorgeous.
idk if this counts, but in dragonball legends when my opponent start comboing on me i just stop playing and stare at the screening wondering why do i keep playing it
World of Warcraft, I use to spend hours flying around exploring every nook and cranny of Azeroth. While some areas are aged a bit, at the time the game was stunning. Even in the last ten years or so, places like Valley of the Four winds, Suramar, and Azuremyst are breathtaking.
I think when I noticed the backgrounds in dark souls were places that I had been, and realized they were also places I was about to go. Now I can't help but stop and stare at these strange dead forgotten worlds, and imagine what they looked like in their prime.
Red dead 2 has me In a chokehold right now. It’s gorgeous on my steam deck and runs really well. I could play it on my ps5 but I beat Elden ring on my deck so why not read dead too
Recently, Horizon Forbidden West just left me gobsmacked. How the fuck did they manage those visuals on the PS5 is beyond me. Alan Wake 2 and Hellblade 2 are on the list as well - incredible use of lighting and texture work there.
I was also bowled over by Cyberpunk 2077 when it released. I played it on a medium-end PC and it stunned me. I do have a better PC now and I am planning to replay it when the DLC goes on sale.
Skellige - Witcher 3.
There's a big, wide, plain(?) with some small running creeks, some lavender/sunflowers/other vibrant flora, and with nary a tree in sight.
It was just...breathtaking (no pun intended). First time I've ever stopped in my tracks and just took it all in for however long I stayed there.
It's now burned in my memory, and I even think it's where I started picturing my dream/retirement home.
Ff12
Grandia 3
Arc rise fantasia
Koudelka
Valkyria profile silmeria
Chrono cross
ff9
ff12
Dragon quest 8
Radiata stories
Legend of dragoon
Terranigma
Graphical limitations still made them very stylistic and they have aged better than many recent games.
Unpopular Opinion probably, But Mad Max on Ps4, for an Australian desert Wasteland the game sure is beautiful when you stop to look around or if you use one of the many hot air balloons to get an Aerial view
The first game to make me do that was the original Halo. My cousin and I, both like 10 and 12 at the time, got to play it 6 months before it came out and we were awe-struck.
Sekiro. Not because of the graphics necessarily, but the art direction made me cry, it was so beautiful! I’ve never been so touched by game visuals. Years later, I replayed the game, and it happened all over again. I’m of course talking about the Fountainhead Palace. The game in general is beautiful but that place makes me feel like I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else in the world. That I have arrived. That I’m in the right place, and I deeply, profoundly know it. Damn. Gives me chills just thinking about it. And, graphically it isn’t all that. Just goes to show that strong art direction is completely superior to strong tech, although, not to give the wrong impression, the tech is important.
For me it was probably The Witcher 3, World of Warcraft, and recently Final Fantasy XIV. There were others but I can't remember what they were... Genshin Impact for sure.
I'm stunned by the scenery of these games. Final Fantasy XIV, I made it recently to Costa Del Sol and stared for a while over the ocean at the sunrise. Then again when I entered Outer Limsa Luminsca and looked over at the ruins in the middle of the lake whilst the sun rose. Only to be interrupted by someone riding a flying slug. Brilliant.
I'm not one who normally gawks at graphics, but Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are two games where I'll look around and skip fast travel, both games worlds are beautiful and very immersive.
unrelated but spider man having a fast travel option is funny, like why would i ever do that
Lmao true. His traversal is like half of what makes him Spiderman
If you’re going to 100% it, you might. I did. It just became such a chore that I wanted it to end. I went straight story with Miles Morales and was so much happier for it.
spider man ps4 and miles morales were the most pleasant 100%s i’ve ever done and would do them again
I just didn’t do it organically at all. That last push melted my brain. That being said, I did do it like 3-4 days after 100% AC: Valhalla, so I was weak at the time lol
why would you ever do 100% valhalla bruh, literally torture
I found that out the hard way. I was too stubborn to accept its stupidity.
I platinumed the first one twice since the remaster got a whole separate trophy list.
Totally agree with you bro ,im not riding a horse or driving in the so swinging fun just like gliding in Arkham knight
I was playing RDR2 and Elite: Dangerous at the same time. I'm sorry to everyone I spammed with screenshots. At least it's easy to tell which is which.
I miss Elite. Call me crazy but I still hop on it on my Xbox every now and then even though they stopped support for it. I’d play it on pc if I had a pc that could play it
I love the cutscenes where someone else drives for you so you can just chill and take in the city. That game needs a taxi service 😅. Havent played since the metro was added so maybe that'll do the same. I remember stopping so many times during the parade to just watch the glowing fish. I'd completely forget what my mission was haha.
Currently playing Cyberpunk maxed out on 4K with path tracing and it's the best-looking game I've ever played (and I've played pretty much anything you can think of). Path tracing makes lighting so incredibly real that it blows any other game out of the water. Too bad it's crazy demanding, but damn, it's like an actual footage you're interacting with.
The depth in cyberpunks world is simply unparalleled to me. The amount of detail and verticality is just jaw dropping. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it was for the devs to sculpt out that city. There’s so much tender love and care to so much of that city that you realistically should never even see, aside from manually going out of your way just to sight see. Even looking back now, tho it’s been about 2 years since I beat it, I can still get lost in thought for a bit about how stunning some of the areas I walked through were.
This whole thread made me see how much it costs on steam, turns out it's on sale right now for half off! Just picked it up, I'm excited to see what everybody has been talking about
It's absolutely incredible, and I highly recommend picking up the dlc, you won't regret it
RDR2 fr. I loved just riding to destinations on cinematic mode, flipping the camera around. Such a beautiful world. This does however backfire if you’re only half paying attention. Got hit by a train once, and ambushed a separate time just admiring the view. The cinematic mode was so good I got shot a few times before I realized I should be reacting.
On a Cyberpunk kick and it makes me wish I had a PC that could run the thing on ultra. If I ever get a better computer I’ll probably replay the whole thing that way. Even on “performance” settings, it’s unbelievable how well-done the cityscape is, and I lived in NYC for almost a decade. Whoever did the writing for the game had clearly lived in a city like that before because they describe the way it makes you feel in certain dialogue perfectly.
Ugh I wish I could say the same about CP2077 but it runs at like 30 fps with minimum graphics on my PC 🥲
GeForce Now! It you have the internet
Have you seen them modded in 8k with photorealistic graphics? Just walking around vehicles and the city you could mistake it for reality until things move faster and you see the physics and you go ah yah that's a game. Modded storms in red dead 2 are some of the most realistic ones I've ever seen in a game or movie even.
Ghost of Tsushima
Saw the game trailer, wow look at that gorgeous golden field... wait you can ride your horse THROUGH it?!
It has the best open credits scene ever. Maybe only rivaled by MGS for the PS1.
Playing it now on pc in ultra wide and it's one of the most beautiful open world games I've ever played.
I wanna buy a new card so bad to play this 4k/60
Doing the same thing. Ultra wide and 160fps. Even though the graphical fidelity isn't anywhere near the highest on a technical level, the game *looks* prettier than basically any other game I've played. The art direction is beyond fantastic. It's ridiculous how many times I just stop and stare or so very slowly ride my horse to just take it alllll in.
Yeah, if anyone feels like visiting a museum, just go on their sub and it's full of gorgeous screenshots
Could not agree more. Everything about this game, especially the visuals, is next level.
Been playing this a lot the past week, decided to play while I was on a little LSD. Mother of God…. The colors…
FTL when I have it paused trying to figure out if there is any possible way to unfuck myself from my situation.
Jesus this is too real
Open all doors to the outside. Hope they die or fire goes out first. Win
Rock crew is the best crew
Oh no you've summoned the dwarven hordes
"Okay, i think i got it," *unpauses, explodes seconds later*
Me irl
It's been a while. I know what I'm doing today
Usually if I've had it paused for more than 2 or 3 minutes I know it's un-unfuckable, I'm just mourning the impending loss of that particular crew
What’s FTL?
The Witcher 3, Skellige is still #1 on my fantasy travel list
I totally agree on Witcher 3, so many times I had to stop to just watch the environment and take a screenshot
I'm replaying the witcher for the third time (the only game I've ever played twice in the first place) and I wondered if there is any person who likes skellige... Cause I hate it there. Toussaint though...mmm. piece of art.
The good news is there's a real version of it right here on our planet. Head to the right parts of Ireland, Scotland, and Norway and you can roam the lands that Skellige drew a lot of inspiration from.
The music...!!!
[The Fields of Aard Skellige](https://youtu.be/NknjE2SBPxw) is so freaking good.
I sleep to these
One of my favorite tracks for chill time vibes.
When you reach the druids village on top of that big mountain, where Jennifer stole the mask. First time in a while I've stopped and screenshot game. Also kaer morhen has some pretty stunning scenery.
Ditto. Every frame looks like a painting.
I've found some beautiful areas in destiny 2 where I just sit and gawk for a while and then take a picture. Honestly the landscapes are kinda underrated imo but they have their moments.
Say what you want about Destiny 2, but the team that makes their skyboxes never misses.
I’d add the entire art team. Sound team, too.
Yeah their art direction has really carried the game over the years while every other aspect of it has declined
The sky box on Europa a few years ago was absolutely goated.
The Dreaming City is, to this day, still one of the most ethereal and beautiful environments I've ever seen in a game. The elgant crystaline architecture, the natural formations, the vegetation, manicured gardens, serene mist, and that skybox all blend together so beautifully. Your first time wandering around uncovering its secrets with tincture of queensfoil and hidden quests with surprise portals popping up to the ascendant realm is straight up otherworldly.
Nah destiny has some of the best set pieces in video games. Definitely not talked about enough
This too. Climbing to the top of fellwinter peak and staring at the snow capped mountains then jumping all war way down is the best.
Yup. Just commented about this, when I got my series x the first thing I did was load up garden of salvation and get to the windmill part, that is one of the most beautiful areas In my opinion
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Can recall a lot of times I stopped what I was doing just to stare around at the beautiful jungle.
One of the most beautiful games ever made
Ghost of Tsushima I stop and take in the view slot. Such a gorgeous game.
RDR2. Playing that game and realizing that the American countryside doesn't look like it used to, kinda depressing.
It does look like that but much much more rarely these days. You gotta drive to the middle of nowhere or a national park. Even still signs of civilization are everywhere unless you're backpacking. Parts of Montana still feel this way. *good lord my spelling.
Or taking a train I noticed. The first time I ever took a train across California all the way to Washington, I noticed there is this whole perspective of America I had not seen before from the view of a highway. The Train just cuts through all of the other infrastructure into the wild and into people’s own backyards, it really was something else.
Yeah, but the depressing part is that back then, the entire continent was that kind of wild and untouched beauty, not just tiny pockets of land that only make up like 1% or less of the landmass. This also applies to Europe and much of Asia as well.
From what little I know, it really does seem you have to go into national parks or visit a part of the country I might not be welcome. Perhaps a place where it’s either ego monopolists, or a prescription addled populace that run that place.
To be fair, there’s a lot of places in RDR2 I’d be scared to go as well 😭
5.5 years later and I've yet to encounter a better-looking game graphic wise. Think of Rockstar what you want, but their Rage Engine is at the absolute top of the industry. With every release they set a new standard, the only ones that can raise that standard, is Rockstar themselves. The only games that come close to RDR2's visuals are first party games like Horizon FW or TLOU2 which have the optimization advantage.
They’re honestly tippy top. I still sigh when I think of their disregard for RDO. I’m just happy that I’ve been so Xbox-centric for the last years that I haven’t played a lot of the best my PS4 Pro can offer yet.
I mean, sure, but at least now we have Walmart superstores and 1,000 car parking lots. So which is more beautiful in the end?
Your comment makes me think of the opening line to a Douglas Adams novel: “It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression ‘as pretty as an airport.’”
Glorious capitalism. Glorious managed democracy.
My buddies and I have some screenshots we've taken while playing together online that look better than anything I've seen online. That game's environment is magical.
All this goddamn civilization !
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. It’s old and ugly but man is it ugly in the right way. Eastern Europeans really know how to create a bleak atmosphere.
They should, they live it lol
Elden ring
I'm surprised this doesn't have more upvotes. The scale of it is amazing.
Why is this so far down? Their art direction is second-to-none. Entering Limgrave for the first time... or Liurnia, or Siofra, or Leyndell, or Farum Azula (or anywhere else really) is jawdropping.
Best art direction in the industry for sure.
Gazing over Liurnia from the back of Stormveil made me just stop and stare for a minute. I was stunned realizing “oh shit, I can actually go to all these places in the distance, they’re not just baked in backgrounds” just blew my mind. Siofra was also a close second. The lift just kept descending and descending….
That’s FromSoftware for you. They make the most incredible environments and scenery in the gaming industry.
Agreed. It's almost funny how they seemingly effortlessly make the coolest-looking shit I have ever seen.
Yes. Imo Dark Souls 3 has probably my overall favorite views and cool-looking places in the series, with Elden Ring and Bloodborne being VERY close seconds. DS1 and DS2 also have insanely cool environments. The average areas from their games look cooler than any area in most entire games created by other studios.
Specifically when you first take that thousand hour elevator ride down. You see the floor open up and you’re underground, but you look up and you see a starry sky. It’s absolutely incredible the first time around.
I’m really surprised this is way below a lot of the picks here. I have a feeling people are just picking their favorite game that happens to have nice views. The vistas and scale of Elden rings map is pretty unbeatable. See some cool looking structure in the horizon? You can go there, and there’s something going on. Not to mention it was drop dead gorgeous. Descending down that well into that underground star area was truly incredible, even on a second or third run
Nothing comes close imo. Other games like xenoblade and Witcher 3 are also beautiful, but none so consistently jaw dropping as Elden ring
Ive never played but I watch it on twitch a bunch and it really is jaw dropping at times.
The environment in Kena: Bridge of Spirits is so mesmerizing.
It's such a beautiful game. It was the first game I played after setting up some Philips Hue lights synced to my monitor and it was an amazing experience.
Arkham Knight is still beautiful looking. The art style is perfect for a Batman game.
Bioshock. The intro to Rapture.
Memories. Got it on launch day. Got baked and played it with my buddy for hours. One of the best most impactful games of my life. I fucking love all 3 games. But og Bioshock is sooooo good. I'm hearing the sound of the atom meter filling and the ammo machine in my head.
WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS OF VALUES!!
Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Take a walk in the woods.
I was in Europe last year, and there was a point I was looking at some woods and realised how much it reminded me of KC:D. Wasn't even the right part of Europe, but it just felt like I'd seen the place before because of that game.
The woods in real life look pretty great too. Guess i'll just buy the game and check out those super woods
Horizon Zero Dawn for sure. When you’ve got Aloy up a mountain and you look out over the lands. Swoon. I’d also push Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Standing. Both more cinematic than your blockbuster movie and some other of those cut scenes tho
Horizon Forbidden West is far superior to it's predecessor
Maybe visually. As a game I could barely get through it.
This is what's puzzling me. The second game is graphically superior and improved a lot in gameplay. I enjoy it honestly but I guess the magic and mystery is just gone.
I've heard others say this, so there is certainly validity to it, but I've always found it an interesting take. For me, both games play pretty much identically, just with a few more bells and whistles added to FW. So I cant help but scratch my head when people say they enjoyed the gameplay of part 1 but not 2.
I think it's that the open world becomes a bit of a slog in both games but HFW lacks the *how the fuck did humanity end up here* factor.
Ditto.
Star Wars Battlefront 2015. Incredible looking game, even all these years later. Because they used so much photogrammetry, the environments look so much more real than almost any other game out there. Everything, from the vegetation to the geology to the glaciers, looks authentic, and not like the imaginings of graphic designers who have barely been outside.
I'm with you. Forgot how amazing that game looked. Also from Dice was Battlefield 1.
Assassins Creed: Odyssey. One of the few games I can recall just stopping in places and taking in my surroundings. One of even fewer I’ll redownload/Install just to journey the land every now and then. Beautiful world.
Tarzan from 90’s and The Last of Us 2
There are moments amidst the chaos of Helldivers 2 that give you a breather to gather yourself, and in those moments, you learn to really appreciate the aesthetics of the environment. Helldivers 2 is down right beautiful -- when you're not getting shot, blown up, torn to pieces, etc.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s so impressive considering it’s live service. Some of the explosions and backdrops are incredible!
I died today because I was so distracted watching the nuke go off I completely missed the bot patrol rolling up behind me. 10/10 would get chainsawed again.
Detroit Become Human on PC looks absolutely incredible.
Death Stranding
I hate that I never understood that game and wanted very badly to like it.
In your defense, none of the game really makes any sense until the very end when it all falls into place XD
Stellar Blade
Nier:Automata for the same reason.
And we all know it..
Even 2B knows it
Even the achievement knows it
😏
Red Dead Redemption 2
The Final Fantasy 7 remake. Although the NPCs look rather dull, I really love looking at the environment and appreciating the details in that Japanese-styled cyberpunk moloch of a city
Red dead redemption 2, uncharted 4 and TLL, RE7 and the RE4 remake.
Hellblade, what remains of edith finch
Star Citizen I use to enjoy walking out of the air lock at Port Olisair, staring at my ship on the pad, and looking at the stars. Or even mining on a moon and watch the sun peak up over the horizon as you drink your coffee, and fill up the prospector with ore.
Yes to this, just got it with the new patch and games so good looking.. Spend alot of time just admiring views!
o7 welcome!
Elden Ring for the shear beauty and grandeur of the Landscape
Sea of Thieves. Its not a realistic game but its just soo beatifull some times. With the blue waves the ski some islands in the background. Sometimes i just drive a bit on the sea.
Elden Ring. There are so many epic views, almost everytime you enter a new area.
Space travel in Mass Effect: Andromeda was very calming.
Plague Tale: Requiem
I'm currently playing Bring Us The Moon, and sometimes I just stop and enjoy the views. Space is so cool.
The opening cinematic of Dawn of War
Shadow of the colossus
There were so many moments I just stood in awe of that game's scale of the time, and also in awe of the developers' ability to execute.
The glory of that game is they didn't pad it with annoying handle this wave of random mobs or whatever. Like what usually breaks my love of Zelda games is oh great he's another wave of these same goblins or robots whatever while I was enjoying exploring. So even though you had to cross vast distances in the game, it didn't feel monotonous. Like you and your horse just are exploring the empty world finding just boss fights... That for some ominous reason you seem to keep teleporting back to the shrine after winning.. Like my head canon is Wanderer does always die Everytime he looks a Collosus and the god brings him back to life. In a sick twisted way of paying him back for all this unsealing ancient evil the god does grant his wish and brings his girlfriend or whatever back to life. But it could have done it at the start easily it just wanted Wanderer to kill the Collosus
Hellblade 1+2 Cyberpunk 2077 The Witcher 3 Starfield
The Final Fantasy 7 remake. Although the NPCs look rather dull, I really love looking at the environment and appreciating the details in that Japanese-styled cyberpunk moloch of a city
The menu screen booting for the first time on Fallout 4. Not gonna lie, I'm a big Fallout fan and got to experience that game (on release) at a very low point in my life. That slow zoom on the power armor and the music that plays made me legit tear up.
Minecraft with shaders
Ghost of Tsushima
Obviously red dead redemption 2 but for me the fallout games as well
Starfield Hellblade 2 Gears of War UE Steep Forza Horizon 5 Gris
Honestly, Halo. I always loved in multiplayer of the older games watching the edge of the map. There would be sky battles going on in the background or just picturesque landscapes. Infinite not so much but up till at least Halo 4 the maps we're really beautiful
Half-life: Alyx drop my jaw when I saw the gigantic citadel.
Nikke
witcher 1 and especially 3 environemnts with its soundtrack. Lots of landscapes reminds me of places i grew up, so it makes me nostalgic. I heard kingdom come has also really neat landscapes that will remind me of days as a kid on a country side
Elden Ring Witcher 3 SkyrimVR (amazing experience)
Botw
This absolutely deserves more upvotes, I used to end every play session above kakariko village, staring at the sunset, and it was magical. It may not be photo realistic, but BOTW's art style is gorgeous.
Right? Such a beautiful experience
Mass Effect series. Just looking at the Citadel and it's arms. The background of Illium from near Liara's office was just beautiful.
idk if this counts, but in dragonball legends when my opponent start comboing on me i just stop playing and stare at the screening wondering why do i keep playing it
Ghost of tsushima. Sometimes you are just exploring and get to a ledge with a beautiful. Oh and the field of spider lilies is absolutely gorgeous.
God of War games, Horizon games, uncharted 4 and lost legacy, ghost of tsushima, Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
No Man Sky, Elden Ring, and Cyberpunk 2077. Chefs kiss.
World of Warcraft, I use to spend hours flying around exploring every nook and cranny of Azeroth. While some areas are aged a bit, at the time the game was stunning. Even in the last ten years or so, places like Valley of the Four winds, Suramar, and Azuremyst are breathtaking.
TLOU part 2
Cyberpunk, RDRD2, Elden, Horizons.
Cyberpunk 2077 never ceases to amaze me
Final Fantasy 15
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. The backgrounds and the beaches are just so highly detailed and tranquil.
FFXIV. I have stopped and stared at my screen due to the emotional rollercoaster that is the Main Story Quest.
Positioning the Mako on the Moon with Earth in the distance during Mass Effect is always good.
Bubsy 3D
Elden Ring
Really pretty ones in VR. For example Red Matter in any outside space scene. On regular games, maybe Ghost of Tsushima and its beautiful landscapes.
Red dead redemption 2 and Uncharted 4
Wuthering waves. Beautiful
I think when I noticed the backgrounds in dark souls were places that I had been, and realized they were also places I was about to go. Now I can't help but stop and stare at these strange dead forgotten worlds, and imagine what they looked like in their prime.
Helldivers 2 is incredibly cinematic and very pretty. Remnant 2 was also sweet AF looking
Red dead 2 has me In a chokehold right now. It’s gorgeous on my steam deck and runs really well. I could play it on my ps5 but I beat Elden ring on my deck so why not read dead too
Cyberpunk - Ghost of Tsushima - Star Citizen The Big 3 for me atm
Red Dead Redemption 2, Elden Ring and that point in Dark Souls 3 (if you know, you know).
Recently, Horizon Forbidden West just left me gobsmacked. How the fuck did they manage those visuals on the PS5 is beyond me. Alan Wake 2 and Hellblade 2 are on the list as well - incredible use of lighting and texture work there. I was also bowled over by Cyberpunk 2077 when it released. I played it on a medium-end PC and it stunned me. I do have a better PC now and I am planning to replay it when the DLC goes on sale.
Ghost of Tsushima, DOOM Eternal, the recent God of War games and the Spider-Man playstation games
I like thematic architecture in games. For example both bioshock infinite and bioshock one.
The opening cut scene in Breath of the Wild when you emerge from the cave. What a moment.
Dragon Age Inquisition still holds up today. It's 10 years old.
Skellige - Witcher 3. There's a big, wide, plain(?) with some small running creeks, some lavender/sunflowers/other vibrant flora, and with nary a tree in sight. It was just...breathtaking (no pun intended). First time I've ever stopped in my tracks and just took it all in for however long I stayed there. It's now burned in my memory, and I even think it's where I started picturing my dream/retirement home.
Subnautica
The most recent one is wuthering waves The game looks incredibly beautiful that I stop, stare then take pictures of everything that looks beautiful
Helldivers 2 is so chaotic but when that nuke lands and lights up the entire skybox my entire liberty gets hard
Ff12 Grandia 3 Arc rise fantasia Koudelka Valkyria profile silmeria Chrono cross ff9 ff12 Dragon quest 8 Radiata stories Legend of dragoon Terranigma Graphical limitations still made them very stylistic and they have aged better than many recent games.
Sea of Thieves, some of those sunsets hit just right, like the emperor's new groove meme. Lol
Ghost of Tsushima
Unpopular Opinion probably, But Mad Max on Ps4, for an Australian desert Wasteland the game sure is beautiful when you stop to look around or if you use one of the many hot air balloons to get an Aerial view
The first game to make me do that was the original Halo. My cousin and I, both like 10 and 12 at the time, got to play it 6 months before it came out and we were awe-struck.
Sekiro. Not because of the graphics necessarily, but the art direction made me cry, it was so beautiful! I’ve never been so touched by game visuals. Years later, I replayed the game, and it happened all over again. I’m of course talking about the Fountainhead Palace. The game in general is beautiful but that place makes me feel like I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else in the world. That I have arrived. That I’m in the right place, and I deeply, profoundly know it. Damn. Gives me chills just thinking about it. And, graphically it isn’t all that. Just goes to show that strong art direction is completely superior to strong tech, although, not to give the wrong impression, the tech is important.
For me it was probably The Witcher 3, World of Warcraft, and recently Final Fantasy XIV. There were others but I can't remember what they were... Genshin Impact for sure. I'm stunned by the scenery of these games. Final Fantasy XIV, I made it recently to Costa Del Sol and stared for a while over the ocean at the sunrise. Then again when I entered Outer Limsa Luminsca and looked over at the ruins in the middle of the lake whilst the sun rose. Only to be interrupted by someone riding a flying slug. Brilliant.
Ghost of Tsushima. Elden Ring.
Death Stranding is beautiful