Over the past few years, the graphics in games have hardly changed. We have become accustomed to high detail, high-quality textures, and realistic faces of characters. Perhaps the situation will change after the release of new video cards, but in 2024, the graphics remained at about the same level as before.
That is why, when compiling this article, we primarily paid attention not to the number of pixels in the hero's boot, but to the artistic component. Combined with advanced technologies, it is able to impress even today.
Note that the selection includes only those games that were released last year. The PC versions of Horizon: Forbidden West, God of War: Ragnarok and Final Fantasy 16 were not included in the article, because they appeared on PlayStation 5 much earlier.
This game makes the most of modern PCs. The detailing of every bush and house, as well as the phenomenal draw distance, makes Microsoft Flight Simulator almost photorealistic. An excellent choice for those who want to feel the romance of piloting an airplane without leaving home. However, the wow effect only occurs at high settings, and this will require a very powerful computer.
Beautiful locations, spectacular special effects during battles, well-designed characters' faces — every element of the Final Fantasy remake is made at an incredible level. However, the image quality is limited by the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 5. Therefore, we recommend launching the PC version of the game, which will go on sale on January 23.
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Take the pollThe second Hellblade turned out to be one of the main disappointments of the year. It did not bring anything new compared to the first part, and its story mode is drawn out and filled with boring puzzles. However, the graphics in the game are truly outstanding. The emotions of the main character, which are reflected on her face, are especially impressive. But is it worth playing Hellblade 2 for the sake of beautiful graphics — a big question.
The new game about Indiana Jones can impress not only with its appearance, but also with its gameplay. The developers from MachineGames, known for the latest parts of the Wolfenstein series, have created a kind of analogue of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but in the setting of the late 30s. The signature atmosphere of an adventurous adventure is created, among other things, due to the bright and contrasting picture with the elaboration of details, high-quality models and advanced lighting. Even the latest films about Indy look mediocre against the background of The Great Circle. It was this project that was noted bya team at Digital Foundry that analyzes graphics in video games.
In 1999, the life cycle of the first PlayStation was coming to an end. The console couldn't provide a high draw distance, so the developers from Team Silent "flooded" the streets of Silent Hill with thick fog. This feature has become a signature feature of the series. What's surprising is that even today, the city, which is hidden behind a translucent haze, seems incredibly realistic. In addition, the game skillfully uses the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. The scenery, the interior of the premises, the faces of the characters and the appearance of the creepy monsters — every element of the Silent Hill 2 remake looks impeccable. Especially if you play on PC.
The game based on the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" became one of the most successful in 2024. A good plot is combined with high-quality gameplay in the best traditions of the Dark Souls series, but with its own peculiarities. Black Myth takes place in beautiful scenery with dense forests and ancient temples, and each character looks colorful and is etched in the memory. The wow effect of the picture is achieved due to the large-scale world, high-quality 3D models and ray tracing.
Real-time strategy, which is dedicated to ants. Each of them is worked out to the smallest detail — you can see every hair and joint on its body. In combination with detailed scenery, the effect of photorealism is achieved. Moreover, several hundred insects can be in the frame at the same time. They forage for food, build anthills and fight aggressive termites. If you like this concept or just miss RTS, you can try it.
The best fighting game of 2024 pleased fans of the genre. In Tekken 8 we saw a number of new mechanics that allow access to enhanced attacks and restore lost health. And thanks to the transition to Unreal Engine 5, the fights look incredibly impressive. We can see every muscle on the characters' bodies, which look great both in static frames and in dynamics. The battles now look as authentic and realistic as possible, even despite the fact that we are talking about a fantasy work.
Like a Dragon is a spin-off of the Yakuza series, in whichreal-time fights have been replaced by turn-based battles. At the same time, the game offers a truly crazy plot. For example, you will fight a gang of homeless people, look for a lover for a living crayfish, and cooperate with a bandit who wears diapers.
The main action of the game takes place in Hawaii. Colorful graphics create the right mood. Thanks to the warm color scheme, bright sunlight, detailed palm trees and grains of sand on the beaches, you can feel that we are at a resort. We can also praise the faces of the main characters and their facial expressions, which are worked out to the smallest detail.
The second "Stalker" turned out to be a very controversial game. It has obvious advantages in the form of atmosphere, well-implemented shooting and an open world that is interesting to explore. But the experience is spoiled by strange artificial intelligence, an overly simple plot and numerous bugs.
However, here we evaluate not the quality of the project as a whole, but the graphics. And in fact, everything is fine with the graphics in "Heart of Chernobyl". We see the Exclusion Zone in all its glory — rusty carcasses, abandoned houses and factories, as well as anomalies with unusual special effects. And the mutant opponents in the form of bloodsuckers, controllers and pseudo-giants look really creepy. However, as in the case of the new version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the game's graphics will impress only owners of powerful PCs, for whom the quality of the graphics is more important than the frame rate per second.
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Do you agree with our choice? Or were you impressed by the graphics in other games? Share your opinions in the comments!
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