Photorealism in a video game relates to graphics that mimic real-world people and environments. While some games adopt a cartoony style of artwork, other games areaiming for photorealism.It’s more work to add photorealism to a video game, but the results speak for themselves. Inthird-person games,the protagonist must be rendered flawlessly, and only a handful of developers have achieved this.
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The term photorealism should be used sparingly, but the word is used liberally in video games. To display photorealistic graphics, a game should use advanced motion capture for its characters and use new assets when designing its environment.
10Mafia: Definitive Edition
TheMafia: Definitive Editionis a black and white difference compared to the original games. Released in 2020,Mafia: Definitive EditionincludesMafia IIandMafia IIIwith remade graphics from the ground up. The level of detail contained in this game’s realistic world places itamong the most photorealistic game out there.The mob story is as intriguing as the original, and the graphics are a huge bump up in quality.
9Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Whether you prefer the more recentShadow of the Tomb Raideror its predecessorRise of the Tomb Raider, each game is considered eye-catching. From the beginning, players are immersed in a world with a linear focus. InShadow of the Tomb Raider,players often go from point a to point b in a linear story. The game style leaves room for jaw-droppingly beautiful environments and character models, which are considered photorealistic.
8Resident Evil 2
It’s a valid argument to say that Capcom should stick to from the ground up remakes. The development company’s work with games likeResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3: Nemesistransformed the games into something spectacular. The environments, amiable characters, and enemies are a close representation of what a zombie apocalypse would look like.Resident Evil 2is a survival horror game by Capacom. Fans are clamoring for theResident Evil 4remake.
7Resident Evil 3
Even more so than its remade predecessor,Resident Evil 3featuresgroundbreaking graphics.Rebuilt from the ground up,Resident Evil 3was a game developed with photorealism in mind. One can fall genuinely in love with the game because of its photorealistic nature. The graphics appear as if they were created in a photography darkroom. Nemesis is made even more terrifying because of the game’s extraordinary detail.
6Hitman 3
After a lackluster release in the series, the developers at IO Interactive put together one of their best games of all time.Hitman 3incorporates photorealism into a stealth-based game. The immersive locations are reminiscent of other games likeControl,but it features the notorious hitman we know too well.
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Hitman3is widely available on most platforms, including next-genplatforms like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.There’s no news on PlayStation 5 support for ray-tracing, yet the feature is expected to come to PC and the Xbox Series X.
5Control
To get the most out ofControl,it’srecommended to playControl: Ultimate Edition.Included in this package are all the DLC and the visual art design that won our praise before this comprehensive package. In many ways,Controlis like aStar Warsgame.Your mind-bending powers have uncanny similarities. In actuality,Controlis a science-fiction game set on the planet Earth. The game is played in the third-person, making it easier to protect your character, Jesse Faden, from incoming threats.
4Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
As you delve deeper intoUncharted 4: A Thief’s End,it becomes abundantly clear that care went into designing this game. The game uses theNaughty Dogengine, which can produce far superior images to other game engines.Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Endis a last-generation game, yet it proves to be leagues ahead of its successors. Naughty Dog deserves praise for making this game a benchmark for photorealism.
3Ghost Of Tsushima
While rumors suggested the game wasmore of a Souls-like,the developers at Sucker Punch Productions were creating an immersive open-world game.Ghost of Tsushimawas nominated for Game of the Year in 2020, and it’s not surprising.
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The scenery adds an atmospheric quality thatbenefits the game.The character models might not be as realistic asDeath Stranding,but it doesn’t stray too far to be irrelevant.
2The Last Of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part IIwon the Game of the Year award at the Game Awards for being more than a visual showcase. The gameplay is much like you would expect from aNaughty Dog game,except it goes above and beyond in different circumstances. The game has a tremendous amount of polish, which becomes evident the more you dive into the game.The Last of Us Part II’scharacter models and environments are praiseworthy. Currently,The Last of Us Part IIis one of the most photorealistic games to date.
1Death Stranding
In the category of photorealism, few games compare toDeath Stranding. Director Hideo Kojima once stated thatDeath Strandingis aiming for “photorealistic graphics.“This goal was achieved using motion capture unlike anything players have seen before. Hideo Kojima integrated characters based on Guillermo del Toro and Norman REedus, copying their real-world appearance down to minute details.
