Video game visuals are advancing at a rapid rate due to developments in hardware and software. For one, you can play two games on the Xbox Series X at once without any loading times. The PS5 (Not even the PS5 Pro, which is still a rumour) is also in the same boat; Completely cutting out the loading times in its 2023 games.
That said, this article is a compilation of the most graphically impressive 2023 games. We also made it a rule to only include critically acclaimed games. Not 2023 games with dog-water stories that can’t stand up to the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2. To Rockstar Games’ credit, they have the funding and manpower to realise any of their projects.
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7 Gorgeous 2023 Games You Should Play
We made sure that the list was short, only breaking down seven 2023 games and their game engines. Player.com reviewers have personally played these games, enjoyed their huge sandboxes, and noted the extra details that were only possible by crunching. Be prepared to witness some mind-blowing features that won’t be found in lesser games.
#1: The Resident Evil 4 Remake
Resident Evil 4 isn’t just another 2023 game that stars zombies. Rather, it’s a classic that has been remade from the ground up. The game owes its visual upgrades to the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes. However, fans of the series should remember that the game’s setting is a village overrun by the Las Plagas Parasite. So, the villagers aren’t truly zombies in the classic undead fashion.
Rather, they’re still capable of wielding tools like pitchforks to stab Leon, the protagonist. The Resident Evil 4 Remake brings their grunts, moans, pasty flesh, and village to life. It makes the game all the more frightening to shoot their arm off at the elbow and still see some tendons connecting the dismembered limb.
Game Engine: RE Engine.
#2: Hogwarts Legacy
Any avid reader or fan of the Harry Potter books and movies (Respectively) will find Hogwarts Legacy familiar. However, playing the game as a student of the learning institution is a far more intimate affair. The Sorting Hat, mean Professors, and talking portraits are all given life. Let’s not forget the visual effects of the different magic spells that your character is capable of using.
For one, Lord Voldemort’s signature spell, the Avada Kedavra, shines a deadly green that’ll rip the life out of your enemies. The animations of Orcs and other magical foes falling to the ground are satisfying to the extreme. Our favourite spot throughout the game was Hogsmeade and its surrounding forests. Exploring the forests in the morning when the weather is still foggy is a nice detail.
Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4.
#3: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a game with top-notch artistic direction and approach. The whole game is played on platforms and in forests, giving the creators the freedom to dial up the colours’ saturation.
In short, the visuals pop, and you can almost eat them like candy. Dust kicks up when Mario stomps enemies into the ground, his cap shakes as he jumps in the air, and dialogue isn’t boring; At least not with the UI representation. Heck, Mario also walks and then transitions into a sprint, courtesy of the new game engine. Previously, all he did was dash everywhere.
Game Engine: “ModuleSystem” Engine: An In-House Nintendo Engine.
#4: Red Dead Redemption 2
Even among 2023 games, Red Dead Redemption 2 deserves praise and that’s because of its fantastic PC experience. The original version of the game was released for PlayStation and Xbox in 2018, but it took Rockstar Games a year more to create its PC version. Having said that, its visuals are photorealistic, with few games managing to top them. Below are some key visual testaments from the game that we still remember.
- Swamps are brought to life by fog, animal life like alligators, and marshy roads.
- Animations pay mountains due respect by having the protagonists shake when they climb to their ice-cold heights.
- Gunfights lead to realistic ragdoll physics that makes you want more.
Game Engine: Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE).
#5: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a true 2023 game with next-gen graphics that set your mood alight. If you’ve been craving a Christmas or New Year title, it should be at the top of your list. After all, the game is still set in a fictional version of New York City. That makes it more astounding to see a photorealistic version where web-slingers save the people.
Real-life heroes exist, but these are fictional, so web-slinging across landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge, North Mural, and Big Hand are realistically portrayed. Let’s remember that players can also see people inside buildings now, which wasn’t possible in previous Spider-Man games.
Game Engine: Insomniac’s In-House Game Engine
#6: Forza Horizon 5
PC gamers rejoice! Forza Horizon 5 plays like butter on capable Microsoft Windows devices. If your PC rig is powerful enough, select the game’s best visual options. By that, pick the extreme options for the visuals, lighting, textures, and ambient occlusion and watch the race tracks and cars come alive. Heck, Forza Horizon 5 supports ray tracing, which means reflections such as your car being mirrored by a pool are now photorealistic.
Game Engine: Forza Tech
#7: Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is a 2023 game where players rely on a torchlight to eliminate enemies who rely on darkness. It’s a horror survival title, so you can run, hide, or evade enemies. You can expect many levels to be bathed in darkness with little lighting to see your surroundings.
The result is a sombre environment with great shadow details and texture levels. The facial animations of characters are also gorgeous and masterfully rendered by PC rigs. That said, Alan Wake 2 also looks beautiful on the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Game Engine: Northlight Engine
Our Final Say: PC Games Are the Most Beautiful
Sometimes (Super Mario Bros. Wonder), the level design of a game is just fantastic. Other times, it all boils down to the processing speed and power of your gaming console or rig. To that end, PC rigs are simply the best! You can crank up the settings, hear your rig roar to life, and enjoy fantastic visuals on your OLED monitors. However, many games now run on low-end PCs so many gamers aren’t ready to splash $1,264.40 or more on PC gaming parts. However, we expect the playing field to change in 2024 because of the testament, which is Unreal Engine 5.