Summary
- Games like Hi-Fi Rush emphasize aesthetics and gameplay over realism, offering a unique and immersive experience.
- Titles such as Bayonetta 3 prioritize flamboyant visuals and gameplay spectacle over coherent realism, creating a fabulous experience.
- Persona 5 Royal and other stylish games focus on aesthetic excellence and strong vibes, setting them apart from photorealistic titles.
Photorealism might get all the headlines and impressions, but games that prioritize style and substance over eyecandy are truly the ones that tug at your heartstrings. These games aren’t trying to be a replacement for touching grass. Rather, they teleport players to worlds that truly feel like an escape from the norm with their art, animation, gameplay mechanics, and even story.
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From the pop art look of Persona 5 to the Y2K futurism of Jet Set Radio, here are unforgettable games that prefer aesthetics, personality, and creative flair over gritty realism and are all the better for it.
Hi-Fi Rush
Syncing Combos To A Saturday Morning Cartoon
Hi-Fi Rush
- Released
- January 25, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated T: Fantasy Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Tango Gameworks
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PS5
Ever wanted a rhythm game that was also an action brawler? If so, then Hi-Fi Rush is the game for you. Set in a corporate dystopia that feels like an anti-capitalist guitar solo, Hi-Fi Rush features a brightly saturated, cel-shaded art style paired with gameplay where all movement, combat, and animations are synced to the beat of the soundtrack.
It’s not just the elements in the center of the player's screen either; the UI elements, HUD, enemies, and even the cutscenes all pulse to the music, with your own head following suit soon after. The music is just that good. With a protagonist having a music player embedded in his chest, Hi-Fi Rush is a game that eschews realism entirely, prioritizing tight arcade-y gameplay over weighty realism.
Bayonetta 3
Physics? Never Heard Of Her
Bayonetta 3
- Released
- October 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Platform(s)
- Switch
With the titular “witch” fighting angels, demons, and kaiju using hair-based powers and an arsenal of over-the-top weaponry, Bayonetta 3 makes its intentions known right from the get-go. With a visual style favoring baroque flair over coherent realism, environments can shift mid-battle, and consistency in fashion is merely a suggestion, one which is promptly ignored.
Combat features time-slowing dodges, summon attacks that take up the whole screen, and combo finishers that are downright absurd. Spectacle is the name of the game; stylish UI, flamboyant taunts, and costume changes are all expertly woven into the gameplay flow. Bayonetta 3 turns every battle into a dance, where the rules of physics, anatomy, or even coherent storytelling are thrown out the window if they get in the way of being fabulous.
Persona 5 Royal
If Cool Had A Font, This Game Uses It
Persona 5 Royal
- Released
- October 31, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- P Studio, Atlus
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
If an avid gamer is asked to define “Cool” using one game as an example, more likely than not, Persona 5 Royal is the name that would come up. Battles take place in Metaverse dungeons, stylized palaces built from subconscious desires. Each one is a dreamlike manifestation of a villain’s warped reality.
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Even the UI is famously stylized, often used as an example of masterclass HUD design, having snappy animations and vibrant comic book aesthetics. Pair that with a soothing jazz soundtrack, and everything in P5R just flows flawlessly. Even if turn-based JRPGs aren’t your cup of tea, this one is worth it purely for the impeccable aesthetic and vibes.
No More Heroes 3
Otaku Assassin On A Budget Of Pure Vibes
No More Heroes 3
- Released
- August 27, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Grasshopper Manufacture
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
In a game where the main character is named “Travis Touchdown,” any expectations of realism are instantly moot, featuring a chaotic mix of anime and wrestling references, vaporware menus, and purposeful janky transitions. Swapping traditional realism for a low-budget B-movie aesthetic, No More Heroes 3 feels like a fever dream in video game form.
In classic B-movie fashion, it’s janky on purpose. The open-world traversal is clunky by design, simultaneously parodying and celebrating outdated gaming tropes. The combat is fast and flashy, switching genres and camera angles mid-fight. Featuring Interruptions with fake commercials and shifts in genre, No More Heroes 3 successfully treads the line between endearing and annoying, all of which adds to its surreal charm.
Jet Set Radio
Rebellion Looks Best In Cel-Shaded Neon
Jet Set Radio
- Released
- October 31, 2000
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Lyrics, Mild Violence
This cult classic from the year 2000 is like an urban sketchbook in motion. It doesn’t bother with a grand storyline or complex objectives, instead choosing to pull its weight on audio and visuals alone, and it does so masterfully. Jet Set Radio remains the benchmark for how to do a cel-shaded look in video games.
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Set in a futuristic Tokyo, players are tasked with tagging walls with graffiti and evading police. Visuals that prioritize flow and expression, cartoonishly outlandish characters, movement that feels stylishly loose and floaty, accompanied by a soundtrack that’s a mix of funk, hip-hop, and EDM. Jet Set Radio perfectly captures the Y2K culture of rebellious youth and creative anarchy.
The Artful Escape
You Don’t Play Music, You Become It
The Artful Escape
- Released
- September 9, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Music
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Artful Escape is a narrative-driven platformer where players take control of a teenage musician shredding through cosmic dimensions. Featuring levels that feel like a kaleidoscope of moving album covers and psychedelic posters, the gameplay hinges on light platforming and guitar solos. The game has no combat or fail state, instead choosing to focus on narrative and expressiveness.
Yet the narrative here is anything but grounded in reality; rather a metaphorical commentary on identity and self-expression. The environments themselves shift based on musical expression, with planets and stars reacting to the player’s sonic output. Focusing on surreal audiovisual design, The Artful Escape curtails any attempt at realism or traditional challenge.
Brutal Legend
When Metal Is A Place, Not A Genre
Brutal Legend
- Released
- October 13, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
Roadie Eddie Riggs gets transported to a fantasy world inspired by heavy metal, and chaos ensues. The world of Brutal Legend is built entirely from metal album iconography, with rivers of chrome, structures made of bone, and sky-piercing amplifiers scattered across the land.
The pizzzaz isn’t just confined to visuals either; it’s directly tied to the gameplay. Players get to drive around in a hot rod, summon pyrotechnic stage effects, and fight with a flying V axe. With a star-studded voice cast including the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Brutal Legend abandons realism for visual metaphor, with everything being exaggerated, ironic, and lovingly ridiculous.
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