The technology is steadily improving; performance is still hampered mind, but developers can utilise the tech more efficiently than other techniques like rasterization during the game creation process, with spectacular results now more commonplace than they were a few years ago. This is the fourth feature we’ve published centring on ray tracing, so if your chosen pinnacle of real-time lighting isn’t featured here it’s likely on another (like arguably the most impressive ray traced game around, Metro Exodus).

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2’s evocative atmosphere and surreal art design is made altogether more unsettling by ray tracing. Of course, enjoying all of ray tracing’s benefits plus DLSS 3.5 is computationally taxing even on PCs with high end GPUs. That said, Remedy Entertainment have done a decent job implementing ray tracing on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X that the step towards ultra-realism looks good on console. PC is where it’s at though; tweaking your GPU settings to the same as PS5 yields almost double the gameplay performance. Surfaces are glossier, of course, but it’s those additional reflections – an outside window reflecting in an internal picture frame, for example – that demonstrate Alan Wake 2’s exceptional graphics.

#15. GRAND THEFT AUTO 5

Rockstar is known for always pushing the technical envelope with its games, and back in 2013, when Grand Theft Auto 5 first released, it was nothing short of a revelation. Even now, in fact, ten years on from its release, it stands as one of the most visually impressive and detailed worlds we’ve ever seen, especially if you’re playing it on a PC or current-gen consoles.

#14. ELDEN RING

From a purely technical perspective, Elden Ring (like most other FromSoftware titles) perhaps isn’t at the level that many would hope, but it more than makes up for it with its astounding art design. There’s an abundance of breathtaking sights and vistas scattered throughout its world, all of it brought to life in spectacular fashion. The fact that it does that so consistently in spite of how mind-bogglingly large its world is also deserves a great deal of credit.

#13. INFAMOUS: SECOND SON

Back in the early days of the PS4, inFamous: Second Sons was a proper showcase for the console, and though it has of course been outdone by many open world titles in the years since then, it still looks really damn good. Second Son brings the city of Seattle to life in excellent fashion, and crams its world full of brilliant little visual flourishes that help it stand out even now, nearly a decade since it came out.

#12. FAR CRY 6

Say what you will about Ubisoft’s open world formula, but the one thing where the company’s open world titles never fail to impress is with their visuals. Far Cry 6 is an excellent example of that. Yara is a vast map, but every inch and pixel of it is rendered in stunning detail. From its dense forests to its more urban locations to how explosive the combat looks, the game deserves a lot of credit for its technical accomplishments.

#11. MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s incredible utilization of the PS5’s SSD might be its biggest technical highlight, but even if you’re looking at the pure and simple quality of its graphics, there’s so much to be impressed by. The fact that the city of New York feels as dense and alive as it does is praiseworthy in and of itself, but add to that the fact that it maintains that level of quality without having to make cutbacks in crucial areas like the speed of traversal, and those strengths become even more impressive.

#11. DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT

A game coming from Kojima Productions (both pre- and post-Konami split) is always bound to be a graphical showcase, and that’s very much the case for Death Stranding as well. And though it is, of course, a technically impressive and visually sharp game, what really stands out about it is its artistic sensibilities. From the gorgeous natural beauty of its world to the striking visual imagery the entire game is teeming with, Death Stranding never runs out of ways to leave you absolutely floored.

#9. THE DIVISION 2

Massive Entertainment is probably one of the most technically gifted teams in the entire industry, and just as its predecessor did, The Division 2 exhibits that perfectly. On top of recreating Washington D.C. in thoroughly convincing and authentic fashion, the game also proudly boasts a level of obsessive attention to detail that’s very rare to see. On paper, The Division 2’s post-apocalyptic setting might not seem too unique, but the dedication with which the game brings it to life is truly commendable.

#8. DAYS GONE

Days Gone may have been a diamond in the rough, but where its visuals are concerned, the game deserves unequivocal praise. A lot of the heavy lifting is obviously done by its Pacific Northwest setting, which naturally lends itself to a smattering of visual splendour in the environments in the open world, but make no mistake- even viewed purely on its technical merits, Days Gone is an absolute beast. Experiencing even a single Freaker horde encounter should be enough to sell you on that fact.

#7. THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

When The Witcher 3 launched in 2015, it was easily one of the best-looking games ever made, and somehow, more than eight years since its release, it still merits that sort of praise. The entirety of its vast world is stunning to behold, no matter where in the map you find yourselves, and little details like the way the light shines through a forest’s canopy, or the way the blood squirts out of someone’s arm after you chop it off in combat, only sell its technical vision that much more convincingly.

#6. BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT

Speaking of older games that have aged with surprising grace, calling Batman: Arkham Knight one of the best-looking games of all time, even now, more than eight years since its release, wouldn’t be an exaggeration in the slightest. The fact that it still looks better than the overwhelming majority of open world games out there probably doesn’t get recognized as much as it should. It helps, of course, that it’s also one of the most authentic and atmospheric takes on the Batman universe we’ve ever seen.

#5. CYBERPUNK 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 may have been an absolute mess when it first came out (especially on last-gen consoles), but even then, you could see it had the makings of a graphical showpiece. In its current form, that’s exactly what it is. Night City is a dense, vibrant, and intricately designed map, and every area you visit just visually pops in a way that sears itself into you memory. When played on the right hardware, this is easily one of the most impressive open world experiences out there.

#4. FORZA HORIZON 5

The Forza franchise has never failed to amaze and wow the masses with how it pushes visual and technical boundaries with each new entry, but even in the might company of its many predecessors, Forza Horizon 5 stands out. Even on an Xbox One, this is an absolutely gorgeous game, but played on an Xbox Series X or suitably powerful PC, it’s nothing short of mind-bogglingly gorgeous.

#3. GHOST OF TSUSHIMA DIRECTOR’S CUT

There was absolutely no way we weren’t going to give Ghost of Tsushima the recognition it deserves in a list such as this one, and it deserves truckloads of it. It’s no secret that Sucker Punch’s samurai epic is as gorgeous as it is for its stellar art design (though it’s no technical slouch either), but no matter how much you praise that aspect of the game, it never quite seems like it’s enough. The stunning natural beauty of its environments and the way the game brings them to life make it easily one of the best-looking gaming experiences of all time.

#2. HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST

Pushing the limits of what games can achieve in a technical sense is something that Guerrilla has been doing for pretty much as long as it’s been around, but with Horizon Forbidden West, the developer touched entirely new heights. We cannot speak highly enough for how stunning this game looks (especially on a PS5, but even on a PS4), with a strong technical foundation and boundless artistic creativity coming together in perfect harmony. In fact, its expansion, the PS5-exclusive Burning Shores, somehow manages to be even more of an impressive accomplishment.

#1. RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is not only the best-looking open world game ever made, it may even be the best-looking game of all time, period. Even by Rockstar’s ridiculously high standards, the things that it achieves on a technical front can leave you gobsmacked, even five years on from the game’s launch (and even without any current-gen upgrades). From the astonishing fidelity, sharpness, and attention to detail it manages to achieve, to the overwhelming scale across it which manages to achieve it with such consistency, it’s truly an unparalleled experience.

WATCH DOGS 2

The Watch Dogs franchise obviously has its own unique DNA with its pseudo-cyberpunk trappings and its hacking-centric gameplay mechanics, but there’s still a lot of GTA in Ubisoft’s franchise, and no game captures that better than Watch Dogs 2. If what you’re looking for is a large open world sandbox where you can have all kinds of chaotic (and criminal) fun with solidly implemented mechanics, in addition to a healthy dose of GTA-esque missions and side activities, Watch Dogs 2 offers that in spades.

SAINTS ROW 4

By the time the Saints Row franchise got to its fourth instalment, it had moved quite far away from how similar it used to be to the Grand Theft Auto games in its earlier days, and though that’s a stick that’s often used to beat Saints Row 4 with, on its own merits, as an open world crime action game, there’s a lot to love about it. From the bombastic, over-the-top mechanics that the game arms you with to wreak havoc with in the world to just how fun it is to simply explore the sandbox and mess about with its systems, Saints Row 4 offers a solid dose of open world action.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Let’s get to some of the painfully obvious picks now, because even though they’re obvious they’re well worth mentioning. Rockstar’s very own Red Dead Redemption 2 is, in fact, by far the best game on this list. Owing to its period setting, its more somber tone, and the added focus on character-driven storytelling, Red Dead 2 is obviously quite different from GTA in some key ways- but it’s a Rockstar open world. The sheer size of the map, the astounding variety and attention to detail it exhibits in spite of how large it is, the spectacularly designed content it’s brimming with, the complex web of systems that make the sandbox an infinitely enjoyable one- all of the hallmark Rockstar qualities you’d want in an open world game, Red Dead Redemption 2 delivers in extreme abundance.

GRAND THEFT AUTO 4

You don’t need us to tell you that you should be playing GTA 5 to scratch your GTA itch. More than a decade on from its launch, people can’t stop buying and playing it. That does mean, however, that some of its predecessors don’t get the retrospective attention that they deserve. Grand Theft Auto 4, for instance, has aged remarkably well. Not only does it have one of the strongest stories in the entire series, its open world is also one of the best-designed and most intricately detailed ones even today, so long after the game first came out. Do yourselves a favour and hop back into GTA 4, because it’s an absolute classic.

YAKUZA 5

Yakuza and Grand Theft Auto games might not be as similar as many often perceive them as, but particularly where Yakuza 5 is concerned, there’s a lot of GTA DNA in it. It is, for starters, one of the series’ larger games where pure real estate is concerned, while similar to GTA, it also offers a smattering of excellently designed side content that you can pour countless hours into. On top of that, you obviously have plenty of opportunities to commit outrageous crimes throughout the game’s world, and there are also multiple protagonists to play as, similar to GTA 5 (though that’s the case in several other Yakuza games as well, to be fair).

MAFIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION

2K’s Mafia franchise doesn’t put as much stock into the open world sandbox aspect of its experience as something like GTA does, instead putting the vast majority of its focus on storytelling. But even so, if you want to run and drive around an intricately crafted real-world (or real-world adjacent) city as a hardened criminal, Mafia: Definitive Edition is a game that’s likely to appeal to you. On top of that, it adds extra flavour of its own with an incredibly authentic and atmospheric period setting, allowing it to stand out in what’s clearly quite a crowded category.

FAR CRY 6

The Far Cry and GTA franchises have often had very similar sensibilities, in spite of how outwardly different they tend to be, and that’s abundantly evident in Far Cry 6 as well. Yes, having an open world that’s mostly wilderness and rural areas does give it a different flavour from Rockstar’s franchise (though Far Cry 6 does have way more urban environments than any of its predecessors), but from the systemic nature of its open world mechanics to the driving to so much more, Far Cry 6 does owe a lot of itself to GTA. 

GHOST RECON WILDLANDS

You might stand on the opposite sides of law in Ghost Recon Wildlands and Grand Theft Auto, but the former still borrows liberally from the latter in several respects. On top of offering a massive, systemic open world featuring third person shooter combat, Ghost Recon Wildlands is also a great game for someone who simply wants to get behind the wheel in a vehicle and cruise around the open world. And of course, it becomes doubly enjoyable if you’re doing all of that stuff in co-op.

JUST CAUSE 4

The Just Cause franchise has always been famous for its unique brand of open world chaos, and there’s plenty of that to go around in Just Cause 4 as well. Though the game is not without its issues in some key departments (like its storytelling and many of its bland missions), the actual sandbox itself is an absolute blast to exist in. From the explosive combat to the riotously fun wingsuit and grappling hook loop to the addition of extreme weather, Just Cause 4’s open world is brimming with opportunities to have fun of your own making.

CYBERPUNK 2077

Until quite recently, Cyberpunk 2077’s attempts to inject its open world with elements similar to the Grand Theft Auto games were unsuccessful ones, to say the least, but in the wake of Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty, that’s certainly no longer the case. The open world is alive and buzzing, and the game does an excellent job of immersing you in its dense metropolis. From driving around in your vehicles to engaging in a variety of side activities to committing crimes to your heart’s content and wrangling with the cops, Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty are the closest we’ve ever come to a futuristic take on GTA.

METRO EXODUS

The Metro series has always prided itself on pushing the envelope with its visuals, and Metro Exodus certainly didn’t disappoint on that front either. From how spectacularly it realizes all of its many post-apocalyptic environments to how thoroughly it immerses players in its world with its diegetic and detail-oriented aesthetic, Metro Exodus is still one of the best-looking games out there, over four years on from its launch.

DOOM ETERNAL

There aren’t a lot of studios out there who can boast an equal level mastery over both game design and technology as convincingly as id Software can, and DOOM Eternal is a perfect example of that. Not only are its hellish battle arenas a veritable attack on the senses in the best way possible, the game also excels at making every combat encounter feel breathtakingly explosive in a way that very few of its peers are capable of.

HUNT: SHOWDOWN

Crytek is no stranger to developing visually spectacular first person shooters, but Hunt: Showdown in particular deserves a special mention. The game boasts all the technical polish and obsessive attention to detail that you’d expect from a Crytek joint, but on top of that, it’s also uplifted by some of the strongest art design we’ve ever seen in a shooter, allowing its dark fantasy horror world to come to life in spectacular fashion.

RAINBOW SIX SIEGE

Rainbow Six Siege might be nearly a decade old, but that just makes its technical accomplishments that much more impressive. From the destructibility and dynamics of its environments to the impressive coat of polish that encases every inch of the experience, there’s so much about this game that can still easily be described as best-in-class, several years on from its initial release.

CYBERPUNK 2077

Even when Cyberpunk 2077 was as broken as it famously was in the immediate aftermath of its launch, it was still easy to see how impressive it was on a visual level. Now, with three years of updates and improvements under its belt, it’s nothing short of a graphical masterpiece. No matter where you are in Night City, it’s hard not to be taken aback by how gorgeous it looks and the painstaking attention to detail it exhibits on a consistent basis.

WITCHFIRE

Witchfire launched in early access earlier this year after years of anticipation, and instantly impressed the masses in more ways than one- its visuals being chief among them. The dark fantasy aesthetic of the setting alone is enough to elevate Witchfire’s visuals in and of itself, and the fact that the game has the technical chops to be able to properly back its artistic ambitions only makes it that much more an impressive graphical ride.

HALF-LIFE: ALYX

VR may not have managed to permeate the gaming mainstream the way many had hoped it would, but in Half-Life: Alyx, we do have at least one major game that truly demonstrates just what a AAA VR megaton can look like. Not only does the game look excellent on a consistent basis, it’s also crammed full of a level of interactivity and attention to detail that you would think would have necessitated some technical sacrifices in a virtual reality game. That Half-Life: Alyx so confidently has its cake and eats it too probably doesn’t get enough credit.

BATTLEFIELD 5

For all the problems DICE’s games have launched with over the years, one area that the studio is pretty much always guaranteed to excel in is the visuals. Take Battlefield 5, for instance- a game that divided fans upon release, but in spite of its issues, stands as one of the best-looking shooters you’ll ever play. From the snow-encased Norvik to the war-torn ruins of Devastation to the wide, open spaces of Panzerstorm, every map in Battlefield 5 is gorgeous to behold.

STARFIELD

It’s fair to say that Starfield has plenty of rough edges on the visual and technical fronts, but for all of its many typical Bethesda flaws, it’s still a game that’s capable of taking your breath away with its graphics. Whether you’re looking at the futuristic city of New Atlantis stretching out in front of you or standing on a desolate planet and watching the sun rise over the horizon, from time to time, Starfield showcases just how incredible it can look when it isn’t being bogged down by technical issues.

WOLFENSTEIN 2: THE NEW COLOSSUS

It’s hard to believe that Wolfenstein 2 is over six years old at this point, because even it certainly doesn’t look its age. Though perhaps not as much of a visual stunner as something like DOOM Eternal, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is still a gorgeous game. From the detailed character models to the explosive and gleefully violent combat, there’s plenty about this game that still stands out on a technical level.

FAR CRY 6

Ubisoft has got the balance between scope and visual fidelity down to a science by this point, and Far Cry 6 illustrates that point perfectly. You’d expect that a game as massive and sprawling as this one would have to make significant cutbacks in the graphics department, but that most certainly isn’t the case here. The level of detail and fidelity that Yara’s many biomes boast is partly why exploring Far Cry 6’s enormous map is as engaging as it is.

GTFO

You don’t need a massive budget of dozens of millions to make a visually impressive shooter, as evidenced so convincingly by GTFO. Made by indie Swedish studio 10 Chambers, the co-op horror shooter flexes its technical muscles almost constantly, immersing you in is terrifying reality that much more. GTFO’s impressive visuals alone making it worth checking out, even if its uncompromising approach to difficulty might turn some people off- though of course, for many that’s exactly what makes the game as good as it is.

RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE

The Resident Evil franchise has always been associated with cutting edge visuals, especially in its RE Engine era, and Village, like all of its siblings, demonstrates the series’ graphical mastery every step of the way. Whether it’s the varied and horrific environments of the titular village and the areas surrounding it or the many monstrosities you clash horns with throughout the experience, there’s no shortage of things in Resident Evil Village to remind you of just how impressive a AAA flagship Capcom release can look.

DESTINY 2

As a game that’s over six years old, Destiny 2 maybe doesn’t have the wow factor that many of the other games on this list do, but the fact that it is still comfortably earns itself a spot here is testament to just how good it looks. On a technical level, the looter shooter is one of many fine examples of Bungie’s mastery and knowhow, but it’s with its stellar art design that the game really cements itself in your memory.

DEATHLOOP

Arkane Studios’ games have never really been leaders of the pack with their graphical ambitions, but even though Deathloop isn’t the most technically impressive game you’ll ever play, it’s hard not to be impressed by how good it looks. A lot of that is obviously down to its unique art style and aesthetic, but the game is no slouch on a technical front either. The end product is one that looks significantly better than you’d expect from an Arkane game.

December 5th sees the arrival of the multiplayer voxel title Clone Drone in the Danger Zone and blacksmithing adventure While the Iron’s Hot for Xbox Series X/S, PC and cloud. Rise of the Tomb Raider returns on the same day. On December 7th, Goat Simulator 3 arrives for cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S, followed by Against the Storm on December 8th for PC.

Lemmings-like puzzle title Tin Hearts debuts on December 12th for the service, while Far Cry 6 is available on December 14th. As for Game Pass Core (the replacement for Xbox Live Gold), it will offer Chivalry 2 and Totally Reliable Delivery Service on December 6th. Check out the titles leaving Game Pass on December 15th:

• Chained Echoes (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Opus Magnum (PC)
• Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Rubber Bandits (Cloud, Console, and PC)

In a report published on Dealabs, the leaker has claimed that the first half of December will see nine games being added to Game Pass, including the aforementioned Remnant titles, and on December 1, SteamWorld Build, which is confirmed to be a day and date release for the service. On December 8, as previously confirmed, Against the Storm will release day and date for Game Pass as well.

Among the rest, the two most prominent titles are Far Cry 6 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. They will allegedly be accompanied by World War Z: Aftermath, Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition, Goat Simulator 3, Tin Hearts, Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, and While the Iron’s Hot.

Microsoft will likely be officially announcing its wave 1 lineup for Game Pass’ December additions soon, so stay tuned for that.

30. Just Cause 2

Although almost all games in the Just Cause series are fine sandbox experiences, the second game is perhaps the best the franchise has to offer. Featuring over the top bombastic action set pieces along with stellar mission design, Just Cause 2 features a vast playground to do some of the craziest things possible in video games. Although the combat is disappointing, it’s the open world and the crazy amount of destruction one can do in it is the star of the show here.

Back 4 Blood

Turtle Rock Studios’ Back 4 Blood is a glorious tribute to Valve’s Left 4 Dead series, and while it definitely has a few flaws – that doesn’t detract from the fact that it is a really fun time with friends. There are plenty of enemy types and the encounters do a good job of mixing things up on a consistent basis, which makes it a consistently enjoyable experience that’s even better with friends. 

The decision to end content support for Far Cry 6 was likely made so that the studios working on the game could move on to working full-time on the next Far Cry game. Leaks have indicated that Ubisoft currently has two Far Cry titles in the works, with one being a mainline sequel and the other being a spin-off multiplayer extraction shooter.

According to rumours, Far Cry 7‘s big hook will be its non-linear story. The story will reportedly put a time limit on players who are trying to rescue family members from a group known only as “Sons of Truth”. Players will reportedly have complete freedom to tackle the game’s missions in any order they desire.

Far Cry 7 is rumoured to be targetting a Fall 2025 launch, which means that the game is still around two years away.

Thanks to the millions of players who joined the fight! Your adventures can continue in Yara w/o interruption of online services however, the dev team will no longer be making updates to Far Cry 6.

We appreciate your passion, creativity, & love of Chorizo, even Anton is proud! pic.twitter.com/4Mk3BSmlE1

— Far Cry (@FarCrygame) November 1, 2023

System Shock Remake (2023)

System Shock is considered to be one of the most important games of its time, as it was one of the earliest pioneers of systemic game design applied in a first-person space. But even apart from it, System Shock is an impressive game with a gripping story and a detailed world with plenty of lore to surround it all. Nightdive was hard at work on a full-fledged remake of the original, and System Shock Remake was finally released earlier this year to great reviews. It does a great job of modernizing this classic with plenty of clever design tricks and changes that make this experience a more digestible one for fans accustomed to modern first-person games.