Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Judging a book by its cover is frowned upon when that’s the sole measurement of a piece of entertainment media, and yet for a video game it is commonly a huge consideration regarding whether one game might appeal to someone and not others. With so many unique and novel visuals, there’s a high likelihood that players were introduced to immersive and interactive experiences they might not have been attentive to otherwise.
Indeed, this year saw a world-class celebration of art direction, especially in terms of the variety of striking art styles that were implemented and iterated on in the most beautiful games of 2024, presented in alphabetical order.
The 15 Most Beautiful Games of 2023
2023 has had a superb year for video games in general with the art direction and graphical fidelity of many games deserving of commendation.
Animal Well
Check Out Animal Well on OpenCritic
Easily one of the most visually distinct games of 2024, Animal Well is a lucid fever dream of eerie, surrealist pixel art and warped animal illustrations. How Animal Well illuminates darkness is dazzling as the 2D Metroidvania indulges in a sensory overload of mesmerizing effects to stimulate every environment.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- May 9, 2024
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Shared Memory
- Publisher(s)
- Bigmode
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania, Puzzle
- How Long To Beat
- 7 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Astro Bot
Read The Best War Games’s Astro Bot Review
Astro Bot took home The Game Awards’ coveted ‘Game of the Year’ award, and while it didn’t win for ‘Best Art Direction’ its nomination wasn’t misplaced. Essentially a colossal advertisement for the PlayStation 5 and its DualSense pad, Astro Bot endearingly represents iconic PlayStation mascots as adorable bots amid vivid colors and a minimalist black, blue, and white theme.
Astro Bot
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- September 6, 2024
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Asobi
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- Astro Bot
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Black Myth: Wukong
Read The Best War Games’s Black Myth: Wukong Review
Black Myth: Wukong is a pillar in cinematic fantasy and carves out an untapped niche for ancient Chinese mythology. That said, it initially garnered curiosity due to its ingenious character design and epic sense of scale as depicted in its earliest teaser trailers, cementing Black Myth: Wukong as a grand journey with boss fights galore.
Black Myth: Wukong
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 80%
- Released
- August 20, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Game Science
- Publisher(s)
- Game Science
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 39 hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Read The Best War Games’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review
Dragon Age: The Veilguard takes a much more stylized and colorful approach to its art direction as opposed to previous games in the franchise and it’s clear how massive of a step forward in graphics it is for BioWare. Punctuated by a purple hue, BioWare’s chosen art style allows Dragon Age: The Veilguard to look picture-esque while being illustrative enough to denote its pocket of whimsical fantasy.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 71%
- Released
- October 31, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Franchise
- Dragon Age
- PC Release Date
- October 31, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 31, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 31, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Check Out Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on OpenCritic
FromSoftware’s indelible and sublime art direction has been proven time and time again since it basically rewrote the book on dark fantasy with Dark Souls. Elden Ring behaves as somewhat of an extension of that vision, now incorporating high fantasy into its atmosphere, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is only further evidence that FromSoftware is a master in the industry when it comes to level, character, and boss design, milking every ounce out of rich fantasy tropes and imaginative lore it can.
- Released
- June 21, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Base Game
- Elden Ring
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Read The Best War Games’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review
Final Fantasy 7’s remake and its recent sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, evoke the series’ prevailing art direction: scenic realism and astonishing lighting married with stylized character design. Blurring the lines between remake, sequel, and reinterpretation, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth excels in its responsibility of portraying nostalgic elements of the original Final Fantasy 7, let alone settings such as the Nibel, Junon, and Corel regions.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- PC Release Date
- January 23, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- February 29, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 40 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Read The Best War Games’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle sells the cinematic adaptation of its movie source material, taking place not long after Raiders of the Lost Ark, and its hyperrealistic graphical fidelity would’ve been impressive enough if it was solely implemented into beautifully rendering Harrison Ford’s likeness as the swashbuckling archaeology professor. However, this tremendous fidelity extends to every corner of the game to capture wonderful vistas and indulge in the rich real-world history that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle embeds itself into between Peru, the Vatican, Gizeh, the Himalayas, Shanghai, Sukhothai, and Ur in 1937.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 9, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- MachineGames
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- id Tech 7
- Franchise
- Indiana Jones
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- December 9, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- December 9, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- April 17, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 14 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 134 GB (December 2024)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Check Out The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on OpenCritic
The Legend of Zelda is as artistically dynamic and unpredictable as any decades-long series, and Echoes of Wisdom is an odd case of an entry dipping back into its recent past to recycle a beloved art style. Indeed, Echoes of Wisdom doubles down on Link’s Awakening’s approach of cherubic characters and miniature-like environments in its isometric camera angles. The Legend of Zelda has always balanced whimsical, child-like wonder with demonstrably dark undertones, but Echoes of Wisdom is proof that the former’s aesthetic and atmosphere continue to predominantly be where the franchise’s heart lies.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- September 26, 2024
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Grezzo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Havok
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Read The Best War Games’s Metaphor: ReFantazio Review
Atlus is no stranger to fantasy and yet to see Studio Zero transplant Persona and Shin Megami Tensei’s bones into an immersive fantasy world is fantastic with poignant art direction throughout the Kingdom of Euchronia’s broad paint strokes. Not unlike the games that reinforce and influence it, Metaphor: ReFantazio’s artistic UX and menu presentation are unmatched, with even Metaphor’s director Katsura Hashino admitting how herculean of a feat it is to achieve.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- October 11, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Studio Zero
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- GFD
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 65 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 81.15 GB
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Neva
Check Out Neva on OpenCritic
Descending from an experience as gorgeous as Gris, Nomada’s Neva basks in stunningly colorful, warm gradients. Neva’s emotional storytelling is reflected in its progression of seasons and each visual tone is wielded as a means to amplify every nuanced beat.
Neva
- Released
- October 15, 2024
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nomada Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Devolver Digital
- Engine
- Unity
WHERE TO PLAY
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Platformer, Puzzle
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 5 GB (approx)