Games With The Best Graphics

As video games have continued to grow and evolve as both entertainment and art, the games just keep looking better and better. If someone is playing on a high-end PC or the average console, it's hard not to notice when a game stands out a bit more than the rest.

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Whether it is the highest fidelity graphics or just a gorgeous art style (or both), games that look good usually also play well. If that much time gets spent in the graphics department they must have something good elsewhere. Here are the games with the best graphics out there.

Updated on January 14, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The year is underway, and quite a few good-looking are set to debut over the coming months. Dynasty Warriors: Origins should be a big upgrade over the franchise's previous entries, while Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 looks set to be a gorgeous and realistic open-world adventure. Avowed, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Assassin's Creed Shadows should also be attractive games. While waiting for these titles to drop, a few more older games have been added to this discussion.

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

Just Like The Movies

MachineGames has generally only produced good-looking games, with Wolfenstein 2 being particularly gorgeous. Still, the developer had to bring its absolute A-game to do justice by the Indiana Jones name, especially since they had the tough task of creating a project that respected the source material while not coming across as a copycat of Tomb Raider or Uncharted. The result was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person adventure game that captures the magic of the original movie trilogy.

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While the decision to move away from third-person gameplay was originally met with quite a bit of negativity, first-person proved to be the right choice as it played to MachineGames' strengths. Furthermore, the game is stuffed with top-notch cutscenes, so players will see Indy's face a lot. Bringing to life the 1930s, The Great Circle is a historical epic with a fantastical edge and a willingness to explore an array of unique locations in the world, allowing for quite a lot of variety.

Infinity Nikki

A Free Game That Looks Like A Million Bucks

With Genshin Impact, Lego Fortnite, Throne and Liberty, Once Human, and Warframe, free-to-play games tend to have quality visuals nowadays. Many of these titles have AAA production value, and Infinity Nikki is arguably the best-looking free game ever released. Set in a stunning and large open-world, the 2024 release features some of the prettiest outfits and character designs of the 2020s, which makes sense since the game's main hook is Nikki's vast wardrobe.

Built using Unreal Engine 5, Infinity Nikki showcases the technology's capacity for realistic settings and stylish anime-style characters, blending the two in a way that complements both. Beyond just the graphics, the game also has a well-defined art style and detailed environments.

Gris

A Watercolored Journey

Regardless of anything else, Gris is stunning. Using a watercolor art style, the game's visuals are unique, a compliment that is becoming harder to give with each new console generation. Even if the rest of the experience is fairly traditional for a puzzle-platformer, Gris' presentation sets it apart from the crowd, ensuring its legacy. Graphics are nearly never a good enough solo reason to play a game, but this title is an exception.

Beyond just the watercolor aesthetic, Gris uses its stylish visuals to change the world, bringing it to life in the process. The art style directly enhances and impacts the gameplay, rather than just being surface-level choice.

Bright Memory: Infinite

A One-Person Team

Games and their visuals cannot be analyzed in a vacuum. Context and expectations shape somebody's reaction to an experience, and that is certainly the case with Bright Memory: Infinite. Developed by a single developer, Zeng Xiancheng, this first-person shooter originally debuted in 2020 as Bright Memory, a concept that was expanded for a full release in July 2022. While the overall game has plenty of issues, its graphics are undeniably impressive, comparing favorably with higher-budget titles.

There are plenty of gorgeous indie titles, but the vast majority succeed because they do not try to emulate AAA projects. They strive to do their own thing. Bright Memory: Infinite does the exact opposite, proving that it can be done well.

Hi-Fi Rush

Burst Of Color

Announced and released out of nowhere, Hi-Fi Rush was perhaps 2023's greatest surprise. Tango Gameworks' action game blends hack and slash combat with rhythm-based mechanics, rewarding players for adhering to the beat. Set in a corporate city run by Vandelay Technologies, the title brings to life a vibrant and bustling metropolis filled with unique buildings and NPCs.

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As the campaign is linear, Hi-Fi Rush focuses on creating cool environments and backdrops, two things the game absolutely nails. Quite a few stages are predominantly set within samey corridors and indoor areas, but whenever the action heads outside, Hi-Fi Rush really comes alive.

Okami HD

An Animated Painting

Okami

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Action

Adventure

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Released

September 19, 2006

Developer(s)

Capcom, Clover Studio

Platform(s)

PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox One, Switch, Wii, PC

Genre(s)

Action, Adventure

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There aren't many games that have been able to graphically stand the test of time as well as Okami has. Originally released in 2006 on consoles like the PlayStation 2 and Wii, Okami was able to take advantage of its timeless style to make the most out of the hardware it was on.

However, playing Okami on those consoles today shows just how much the original systems were holding it back, which is where the HD version comes in. On the PS4 and Switch, Okami's classical Japanese art style looks absolutely stunning in just about every area of the game.

Heavenly Sword

Motion Capture Showcase

Most of Ninja Theory's bigger games boast stellar visuals and character designs, however, Heavenly Sword gets the nod because it was the studio's first proper graphical showcase. More impressively, the early PS3 game still looks beautiful today, an achievement that should be largely credited to the project's use of motion capture technology.

The cut-scenes steal the show and could easily pass for a mid-budget animated flick, with Andy Serkis' performance as King Bohan ranking among the best in any era of gaming. During gameplay, Heavenly Sword is also a treat for the eyes and senses, particularly in its lavish environments.

Killzone: Mercenary

Console Quality On A Handheld System

Regardless of their quality, all the Killzone games are graphical showcases. Despite being a launch title, 2013's Shadow Fall is still among the most visually impressive games on the PS4. As stunning as Guerrilla's mainline entries are, Killzone: Mercenary deserves a special mention due to its hardware.

The PS Vita was and still is a reasonably powerful handheld device, one that could replicate home console visuals to a certain extent. No other title highlighted the console's graphical potential better than Killzone: Mercenary, an FPS that would not have looked out of place on the PS3 or even as a budget PS4 project. The fact it is also a decent game does not hurt either.

Super Mario Odyssey

It Is Not Always About Realism Or Processing Power

While combining "Nintendo Switch game" with "best graphics" might seem weird, it's hard to argue that Super Mario Odyssey doesn't make the most of the console's limited processing power. With a combination of stylized art and impressive HD, Mario explores several gorgeous landscapes that might inspire players to sit back and think about how far things have come.

Nintendo has always used fantastical art styles to produce charming and timeless games that don't break the bank on processing. Mario has never looked this good, and sequences like the New Donk City music festival allow the game to shine.

Halo: Reach

A Series That Always Pushed Console Graphics To Their Limits

In truth, Reach could be regarded as a stand-in for Halo in general as Microsoft's franchise is consistently pushing console visuals to their limits. In terms of art style, Halo 4 certainly has its fans; when it comes to graphical prowess, Halo 5 and Infinite are unsurprisingly a step above their predecessors. However, Halo: Reach perfected the series' iconic aesthetic of Bungie's era, ensuring the latter's time with the license ended on a high note.

Nowadays, Reach looks its best in The Master Chief Collection, which enhances the visuals in a few subtle but notable ways. That said, the Xbox 360 version holds up well after all these years.