1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
We knew Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 would be something special just from the first screens. What we didn’t know was just how big of a graphical leap over the developer’s previous games it would be. Thanks to the focus on current gen consoles, physically based rendering for materials is implemented and gives a natural feel to everything. Lighting looks phenomenal, whether it’s in cutscenes or wandering the open world at dusk. And while plenty could be said about the excellent animation, the near-flawless character models and the use of volumetrics, it’s the attention to smaller details that really brings the experience together. In terms of the best-looking games out there, it doesn’t get better than this.
