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[Gaiff]

So, what does GAF consider the most stunning-looking games of 2023? We don't have any major title left for the remainder of the year so we might as well do it now.

A few candidates:

Alan Wake II
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty (RT Overdrive)
Rift Apart (PC)
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Dead Space Remake
Robocop Rogue City

TLOU Part I on PC also looks great but it doesn't stand apart much from the PS5 version so it doesn't make the cut for me because it's basically a return of the 2022 game.

Do keep in mind that this is just to discuss what you find the most visually appealing. So games with a great art style that aren't necessarily technical marvels such as Hi-Fi Rush also count. List your top 3 candidates and after about a week, I'll compile the list and make a poll with the "finalists".

Go.

 

[LectureMaster]

Spiderman is a looker in photo mode

 

[M.W.]

Phantom Liberty is amazing.

The rest of those are ok.

 

[AJUMP23]

Tears of the kingdom looks good too. Art style is lovely.

 

[analog_future]

Alan Wake 2 on PC can’t be touched.

As for a top 5, I'd say:

1. Alan Wake 2
2. Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart (PC)
3. Starfield
4. Forza Motorsport
5. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

 

[ADiTAR]

Metroid Prime Remastered. Art still holds up.

 

[Represent.]

Horizon: Burning Shores and Alan Wake II

 

[IFireflyl]

The joke is getting old, but...

Redfall

 

[Laieon]

Spider-Man 2 blew me away. Its gorgeous.

 

[SlimySnake]

Shouldve waited two days for Avatar to come out.

Not going to touch DLCs like Horizon and Cyberpunk because I already counted them in prior years, but this year id say Alan Wake 2, Starfield and Spiderman 2 impressed me the most.

Not sure how to rank them yet because they each have their own strengths and i want to play robocop more, but my top 5 is probably something like this.

- Alan Wake 2
- Spiderman 2
- Starfield
- Robocop
- Forza 8

Avatar will top everything though.

 

[DragoonKain]

I was blown away by The Talos Principle 2. It's absolutely stunning. Just stunning. It was totally unexpected. One of the most gorgeous games I've ever played in my life.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

Cyberpunk once again; It just keeps looking better.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Cyberpunk for the win, with Alan coming in a close second.

 

[MasterDerico]

Alan Wake 2, it's not even a contest imo...

 

[BennyBlanco]

1. Cyberpunk
2. Alan Wake 2
3.

 

[Punished Miku]

 

[Fake]

Cyberpunk with RT I presume.

 

[teokrazia]

1 - Alan Wake II
2 - Phantom Liberty
3 - Atomic Heart
4 - RoboCop
5 - Street Fighter 6

 

[Mister Wolf]

Cyberpunk with Overdrive and Alan Wake 2 with Pathtracing. The rest are several tiers behind.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Forspoken. But it's only really noticeable playing it on a TV, youtube clips doesnt do it justice. The particle effects and texture detail are phenomenal.

 

[Doctor Hades]

Definitely NOT Stafield in my opinion as it is too inconsistent, textures and modelling are nice but character faces look awful, animation is average at best and overall the game just looks dated.

My vote would be Alan Wake 2 on PC but I still think Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which was released on PC this year, still looks absolutely stunning. Both games have consistently high production values and push the boundaries of graphical tech in ways that Starfield definitely doesn't.

 

[nowhat]

Forspoken. But it's only really noticeable playing it on a TV, youtube clips doesnt do it justice. The particle effects and texture detail are phenomenal.

Yeah, that GI is unreal. Not only as in the engine, the lighting is completely unreal.

Edit: you liked my reply, but I meant to imply that it looks completely unrealistic and thus ass.

 

[Zathalus]

Phantom Liberty
Burning Shores
Spider-Man 2
Alan Wake 2
Resident Evil 4
Final Fantasy 16

 

[tommib]

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
Dead Space
Final Fantasy XVI
Alan Wake 2
Super Mario RPG
Metroid Prime Remastered

 

[March Climber]

Metroid Prime Remastered. Art still holds up.

I wouldn't qualify it for this thread, but Nintendo did good lighting, model, and texture work in doing enough to make someone think that's how they remembered the game, but not too much to where it's drastically different. This is one of the best examples of matching the technical term of 'remastering' something.

 

[Dazraell]

Phantom Liberty and Alan Wake 2 were the ones that impressed me the most this year

 

[MidGenRefresh]

Cyberpunk 2077. 4 years in a row now. I guess we need to wait for GTA VI and even then it will most likely not surpass CP in some aspects (things like lighting).

 

[ADiTAR]

I wouldn't qualify it for this thread, but Nintendo did good lighting, model, and texture work in doing enough to make someone think that's how they remembered the game, but not too much to where it's drastically different.

That's why I said the art still holds up. It's like they updated the art without changing it, and like you said how you remember it but not really.

I think art style and environment is more important than RTX and stuff. Tho it does run at 60FPS.

 

[Hohenheim]

Alan Wake 2 with all settings on max in 4K gets my vote. Easily.
Haven't played Cyberpunk with path tracing and everything on max yet though.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Starfield

 

[Hudo]

On a technical level? Probably Cyberpunk 2077 with all the bells and whistles turned on.
Runner up: Alan Wake 2

And Street Fighter 6 for its animations.

 

[nowhat]

Starfield

That is absolutely not how rings look on a planet, looks like a bad photoshop.

 

[rofif]

Easily ff16.
The only game this year that at times made me think of what I am looking at is pre-rendered cgi or real time. Sure it had some low ass lows but highs are amazing.

 

[HL3.exe]

Alan Wake 2 and Phantom Liberty for me. Especially Alan Wake. Those micropoly's are insane.

Robocop's animation are laughably bad sometimes, even though UE5 rendering can be on point.

Dead Space Remake to often recycled 2008 PS360 animation, especially noticable with the wall hanging guys. It felt dated and cheap in those instances.

 

[Zheph]

Has to be Alan Wake 2

 

[Ferdimage]

Finished Lies of P a few days ago, and I have to admit the game was beautiful on PC.

 

[Portugeezer]

Lords of the Fallen

 

[Beer Baelly]

Turok 3

 

[PanzerCute]

These are the games that really impressed me visually this year:

- FF16: some bosses are absolutely jaw dropping with insane lighting and particle effects
- Octopath Traveler 2: A pure aesthetic marvel if you love 16bits style
- Red Matter 2 (PSVR2): being in space, seeing Saturn or Uranus was one of the most insane stuff I have ever seen
- Horizon COTM (PSVR2): almost on par with FW but in fucking VR. Some set pieces were damn impressive too
- AC6: yes its not a technical marvel but the sheer scale of it made me wow a few times.
- Lies of P: such a pleasing and masterful aesthetic. More games "in Paris" please
- Star Ocean 2 remake: absolutely gorgeous game.
- Moss 2 (PSVR2): it basically feels like being in a fairytale, I loved every second of it.

Worst one was Lords of The Fallen, that game looks disgusting in terms of IQ and the aesthetic is dull AF.

 

[Portugeezer]

Lords of the Fallen

Worst one was Lords of The Fallen

 

[Diddy X]

Callisto protocol looks better than Dead Space remake

 

[NanaMiku]

Like a Dragon Gaiden is pretty good, especially the crying scene

Spoiler: spoiler

 

[Reckheim]

Alan wake 2 on pc, on an oled ultrawide with full raytracing. Absolutely incredible.

I've also played cp2077 this year as well, the scale is more impressive with RT implementation. But if we are just going by 'best looking' its Alan wake 2 for me.

 

[Nankatsu]

From the ones I played I would go with RE4 remake.

 

[Hugare]

Cyberpunk 2077. 4 years in a row now. I guess we need to wait for GTA VI and even then it will most likely not surpass CP in some aspects (things like lighting).

I agree, but I would say that tho technically C2077 with Path Tracing may end up looking more "correctly", GTA VI will hold its own

They will bake the f* out of that lighting to give us impressive visuals, just like they did with RDR 2 that still looks like one of the best games out there, and the lighting remains incredible

I cant even imagine how much space GTA VI will require of my SSD. The thing will be absolutely huge. At least 200gb, I presume.


Answering Op's question:

1 - Cyberpunk 2077
2 - Alan Wake II
3 - Callisto Protocol

 

[xrnzaaas]

Cyberpunk and Alan are definitely the top contenders, but in both cases you're gonna need a really good PC to see that. Spiderman 2 would probably get the award of best looking title on affordable hardware.

 

[FunkMiller]

Fidelity or art?

Two very different things, with two very different answers.

 

[ahtlas7]

I love the styling of Harry Potter Legacy. It’s top notch art and engineering.

I know it’s from yesteryear but I finally bought the PS5 upgrade to Ghost of Tsushima and boy-howdy is it purdy.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

In this order for me (fidelity)...

Alan Wake 2 (PC)
Spider-Man 2
Dead Island 2 (PC)

Art?

Spider-Man 2
Dead Island 2 (PC)
Alan Wake 2 (PC)

It's been a good year for visuals overall. Will check out Robocop around Christmas time.

 

[SirTerry-T]

HiFi Rush was a looker, brilliant, consistent art direction, gorgeous animation and not a traced ray in sight ...