15 Games of 2023 with the Best Graphics

2023 has been a year of consistent excellence in video games, with numerous critical hits to remember for a long time. It also delivered some of the best-looking games, from remakes to expansions and brand-new IPs. Developers took significant risks, even if some struggled with performance issues here and there. Here are the 15 video games of 2023 with the best graphics.

Horizon Forbidden West – Burning Shores

Guerrilla Games set several bars for excellent visuals with Horizon and its Decima Engine. Burning Shores offered the same stellar graphics but built on it with innovations in cloud generation, delivering massive frankenclouds that appeared like their own landscapes. Such was the fidelity and scale on display – especially during one encounter – that the expansion was only possible on PS5.

Resident Evil 4

There were some stellar remakes this year, but Capcom still proved it was the king with Resident Evil 4. The differences between the remake and the original are incredible in terms of lighting and color grading, not to mention the environments, which pack significantly more details. You also have the usual upgrades to character models, textures, effects and more. It’s expected from the developer, but it still never ceases to amaze even after all these years.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk 2077 was already a gorgeous-looking game at launch, specifically on PC. CD Projekt RED would make improvements over the years, implementing proper Xbox Series X/S and PS5 support, and it all led to Phantom Liberty. The expansion is a tour de force of incredible lighting, atmospheric environments, realistic animations and a stellar level of detail. That’s not even delving into the facial animations, which are still incredibly well done.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

In a year of incredible technical marvels, no game featured ray tracing across the board like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Regardless of the graphical mode chosen, it remained on and looked phenomenal, bringing the city to life even more realistically than in previous games. The significantly improved texture work and facial animations, not to mention the increased scale and seamless loading times, also didn’t hurt.

Dead Space

Motive Studio’s remake of Dead Space offered more than higher-resolution textures and sharper-looking environments (which were still pivotal in delivering a gorgeous experience). It also significantly enhanced the Ishimura’s mood thanks to new atmospherics and effects. Then there’s the new Peeling system, where Necromorph bodies had layers of skin and bones to destroy, providing more visual feedback on the use of certain weapons.

Hogwarts Legacy

Avalanche Software and Portkey Games went the extra mile to deliver an authentic experience in Hogwarts Legacy, and it shows. From the iconic castle and its classrooms to the surrounding landscape and locations like Hogsmeade, it’s all packed with details for fans. As a whole, the experience is visually rich, especially during combat with all the spells going off, and it’s a joy to wander the world, taking it all in.

Atomic Heart

There’s plenty to say about its writing, characters and gameplay, but no one can deny how incredible Atomic Heart looks. From all the subtleties, like the Polymer Glove’s wiring, to the scenes packed with details and atmospherics, Mundfish delivered visual fidelity while nailing the aesthetic. Doing all this while still offering excellent performance out of the gate is also noteworthy.

Dead Island 2

Over eight years after its initial announcement, Dead Island 2 finally released and honed in on a single aspect – the detailed and absolute destruction of the undead. A new system, FLESH, was implemented, allowing players to realistically break zombie bones, melt their skin and much more in over-the-top ways. Of course, doing so with so many zombies on screen, while offering excellent texture work in the models, environments and more is also worthy of note, especially during the more chaotic moments.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Respawn Entertainment’s long-awaited sequel got flak – and rightfully so – for its launch performance. It’s improved since then (unless you’re on PC, in which case results may vary,) but the fidelity and sheer attention to detail have never been in doubt. Whether you’re admiring the hustle and bustle of Coruscant, the extensive reaches of Koboh, the incredible facial animations or tense fights, Jedi: Survivor is a visual treat.

Mortal Kombat 1

Forget about the Nintendo Switch version for a second (WB Games certainly did at launch) and take some time to appreciate Mortal Kombat 1’s visuals. It’s a strong step up from Mortal Kombat 11, which is already an excellent-looking game, with its environments, character animations, effects and rock-solid performance on current-gen platforms. As much as NetherRealm has eroded goodwill with its monetization practices, Mortal Kombat 1 is still one of the best-looking fighters on the market.

Final Fantasy 16

There’s something to be said about Final Fantasy 16 and its aesthetics. While it can come across as dark and moody, the focus on a more grounded medieval fantasy, interspersed with incredibly detailed environments and cities, works well. It also doesn’t hurt that the animation and cinematics are top-notch, while the Eikon battles are another level in terms of fidelity. Performance could still use some improvements, but the series’ latest is still a sight to behold.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

Following the performance issues of Elden Ring at launch, it was nice to jump into FromSoftware’s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon and enjoy some fast and fluid gameplay without any hangups. Though the scale is nowhere near the same, Rubicon 3’s environments are still brimming with details and gorgeously rendered. Of course, the real stars are the Armored Cores, from their animations to the over-the-top weapon effects, which popped incredibly without overwhelming the experience (most times).

Lies of P

Neowiz’s Lies of P is one of the bigger surprises of the year, not just in terms of how fun it is but also in how well it performs. The Souls-like offers a gorgeous Belle Epoque art style with excellent environmental lighting and detailed animations for its bosses and characters (even down to all the weapon animations). Its effects and texture work are also on point, and it achieves all of this while still scaling well across all platforms, not to mention multiple configurations on PC.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

One of the dark horses of the year in visuals, mainly due to launching at the tail end of everything else, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is simply a delight to observe. The Western Frontier is teeming with unknown flora and fauna, not to mention Na’vi roaming the world and going about their business. Incredible draw distances, stunning skyboxes, detailed foliage – the Snowdrop Engine does it all, and optimization across all platforms is pretty good. It may not get as much recognition as the other titles, but graphically, Frontiers of Pandora is stunning.

Alan Wake 2

It’s almost impossible for Remedy Entertainment to deliver anything less than a stellar visual experience, but it truly upped the ante with Alan Wake 2. The interplay between light and shadows, the meshing of in-game scenes and live action, the art direction and cinematography – it all comes together seamlessly, and that’s before getting into the excellent texture work and animation.

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