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[Vulcano's assistant]

I suggest you to take a look at the PC Screenshots Thread, because the game with some tweaks really looks like artwork.

TW3 looks like artwork, but it certainly doesn't even try that hard to look photo-realistic, it is a painterly experience despite the fact that vegetation is more realistically distributed than almost every other game. I don't think it even has subsurface scattering. Like Bloddborne, they rely on art direction, but don't have under the hood the same goods that even older tech heavy hitters like Ryse or KillzoneSF have.

edit: you don't see TW3 in here for same reasons you don't see Ori.

 

[Sky Saw]

Nope, The Order 1886 would still be number 1.
Sorry.

Have you played or seen The Witcher 3 at max settings with super IQ? If you had I highly doubt you'd be able to choose so easily.

 

[Elixist]

Whenever I read NX I get excited for the wrong reasons now.

my brain told me its not that NX, but my heart wanted it to be XD

 

[d9b]

Have you played The Order 1886? It's hands down best looking video game on any platform.

 

[R1CHO]

It's an interesting list for sure, almost forgot about The order being a 2015 game tbh.

Have you played The Order 1886? It's hands down best looking video game on any platform.

I have and it's not.

For me of course, that's the thing, best looking game is a very subjective and broad term, witch is why I don't have any problem with the list even if It wouldn't match my own.

 

[Primethius]

Have you played or seen The Witcher 3 at max settings with super IQ? If you had I highly doubt you'd be able to choose so easily.

I have. I choose Order, easily. It's a game that's impressive looking all the time, looks like CG and is simply more impressive looking overall.

Order is also helped visually because it animates much better then TW3.

 

[viHuGi]

Witcher 3 better than Order and Batman??

Hahahaha now I have seen everything.

Not even close, I'm 200h into the game on PS4 and played it Maxed out on pc for 5 hours to help a friend doing some quests and LOL Batman destroys it, let alone Order and Star Wars.

Edit: I already know the 2016 winner...

 

[Zakalwe]

Have you played The Order 1886? It's hands down best looking video game on any platform.

Not with the lower fps and resolution imo.

Looks great in screenshots though, for sure.

 

[Backfoggen]

Good list. I wasn't so sure about Rise of the Tomb Raider, but seeing it run first hand and in motion it's great looking. Compressed video isn't doing it justice.

Witcher 3 looks like a 2013 game.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

I think TW looks damn good, but I find it really lacking in the animation department. Snake and his horse are animated much beter.

 

[v1ncelis]

Even though I agree with this list but it's sad to see again open world games snubbed just because their tried to achieve more. Talking about Witcher 3 and Syndicate.

 

[drotahorror]

Not with the lower fps and resolution imo.

Looks great in screenshots though, for sure.

Lower fps than what? It's 30fps locked 99% of the time. Basically the console standard of AAA games (30fps target that is).

I actually think The Order looks better in motion.

 

[Sky Saw]

Have you played The Order 1886? It's hands down best looking video game on any platform.

I own it yes, I'm lucky enough to own a moderately powerful PC and a PS4. I choose the Witcher because at 1440p, 60fps with max settings and SMAA, the game looks incredible, I can't imagine how good it looks in 4k but sadly I don't have a 4k monitor.

The Order looks amazing at times and very CGI but the IQ is not that great to me, the film grain is over done, the IQ is slightly blurry thanks to the temporal AA it uses along with the MSAA and the resolution and 30fps are disappointing.

Both look amazing in their own ways but I'll take The Witcher every time.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

I didn't think TR looked that good tbh but other than that it's a solid list.

 

[jmga]

Have you played The Order 1886? It's hands down best looking video game on any platform.

To be fair, The Order 1886 abuses a lot of pre-baked lightning.

It would have been impossible to make a game with day/night cycle that way.

 

[Zakalwe]

Lower fps than what? It's 30fps locked 99% of the time. Basically the console standard of AAA games (30fps target that is).

I actually think The Order looks better in motion.

Thank 60, which adds a whole new level of visual clarity.

As stunning as TO is at times, PCs will always be the place to go for the best graphics possible simply because they can elevate to a higher level of clarity which boosts the visual experience immensely.

Which is why I can't agree with a console game topping this list when PC games seem to be included.

 

[Sky Saw]

Which is why I can't agree with a console game topping this list when PC games seem to be included.

The games he mentions are also on PC but he completely ignores those versions. In the Battlefront section he says "resolution aside". Not sure why he didn't put console in the title tbh.

 

[Sumio Mondo]

Until Dawn looks better than any of those on that list. Those facial close ups and the atmospheric lighting...

 

[TGO]

I suppose he is not comparing with a high-end PC, because Witcher 3 blows away half of the list.

Obviously not, just like all websites when they say they're impressed or they are the best graphics they've seen it's obviously because they've never seen a game running at Max on PC.

Spoiler

Sarcasm

 

[Primethius]

Thank 60, which adds a whole new level of visual clarity.

As stunning as TO is at times, PCs will always be the place to go for the best graphics possible simply because they can elevate to a higher level of clarity which boosts the visual experience immensely.

Which is why I can't agree with a console game topping this list when PC games seem to be included.

I mean, this reasoning works when you have a PC version of a game. But resolution and FPS aren't the only metrics by which you judge the graphical capabilities of a game.

It would be strange to list the console version of a game above the PC version of a game, because the PC version is always going to look and perform better. But that's not the case here.

TO is stunning. Some people think that TW3 is more stunning and that's cool. But I don't think the simple existence of TW3 being on PC elevates it above TO. That would ignore much of the actual technical accomplishments of the games in favor of one or two metrics (which are quite important, don't get me wrong).

 

[Ryuuga]

This is a great list. I especially like how many visually-impressive titles we got in 2015. I think I might get around to picking up a few of these titles once they hit a lower price point. Also, sorry Witcher 3 fans, speaking from what I've seen The Order 1886 delivers much more from a visual aspect (animation, material representation, models and lighting)

 

[Zakalwe]

I mean, this reasoning works when you have a PC version of a game. But resolution and FPS aren't the only metrics by which you judge the graphical capabilities of a game.

I didn't say they were, I said they were a large part of the visual experience.

TO does have some technically stunning effects for sure, but the lower resolution and 30fps make the game muddy in motion, which detracts a lot from the visual experience as you're in motion /a lot/.

EDIT: I mean this or me of course, I'm fully aware many of you don't care about resolution/FPS and don't consider them integral to visuals.

 

[JumPeRJumPzZ]

Disagree with The Order...

 

[Gurish]

A pretty accurate list I would say, even though I would put AK above TR.

 

[TerryLee81]

Why even argue with something as subjective as this...

 

[NeoRaider]

Imo. TW3 deserved to be on the list.
I would replace Batman: AK or Until Dawn with TW3. I think that TW3 deserve it more than these 2 games. Tho. i really think that every game from the list looks great.

 

[DieH@rd]

Good list, and well deserved #1 spot. Noting came close to Order 1886 with the quality of the presentation. It is not only visual masterpiece, but it has for the first time perfect transitions between game sections and cinematics. There was zero camera switching issues, zero animation jank, amazing achievement really. The only game that had CGI-like visual quality all the time.


As for Batman over Witcher, I agree. AK was so dense with objects, so detailed, and it enabled users to quickly move over the city. Game looked simply amazing, no matter where you are. Game deserves a recognition in this area.

 

[Javin98]

Just completed The Order 1886 an hour ago and I have to agree with it being first. The game straight up looks like a CGI movie at times. The facial animation is pretty incredible stuff. Star Wars Battlefront being second is also where I would put it. Dice did an amazing job getting it to look so good on the PS4 at 60FPS.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I didn't say they were, I said they were a large part of the visual experience.

TO does have some technically stunning effects for sure, but the lower resolution and 30fps make the game muddy in motion, which detracts a lot from the visual experience as you're in motion /a lot/.

Yeah, but wouldn't it look better than pretty much anything if it happened to run on the better hardware? The animations, assets, and lighting are still commendable despite performance, I wouldn't take it of the list, maybe put it on second place after maxed out Battlefront (although this game has no cutscenes and these is where most of these games really have a time to look like cgi).

 

[Primethius]

I didn't say they were, I said they were a large part of the visual experience.

TO does have some technically stunning effects for sure, but the lower resolution and 30fps make the game muddy in motion, which detracts a lot from the visual experience as you're in motion /a lot/.

EDIT: I mean this or me of course, I'm fully aware many of you don't care about resolution/FPS and don't consider them integral to visuals.

I'm not disagreeing with the importance of clarity and FPS. I have a powerful PC because I find those quite important. I just initially read your statement to mean something different. I thought you were saying something along the lines of: if this was a year in which Battlefront and Witcher 3 had not come out on PC and Fallout 4 was the standout title for graphics on PC, it should win over TO simply because it's on PC (having the clarity and FPS advantages). That's what I was responding to.

Sorry for misreading your post, my apologies.

 

[Nameless]

It always amuses me when people say that this gen is only marginally better than last gen, visually. These games along with stuff like Witcher, Infamous and Driveclub represent a substantial generational leap imo.

 

[Zakalwe]

Yeah, but wouldn't it look better than pretty much anything if it happened to fun on the better hardware? The animations, assets, and lighting are still commendable despite performance, I wouldn't take it of the list, maybe put it on second place after maxed out Battlefront.

Of course, TO is considered one of the best looking games of all time for a very good reason, but it is held back slightly by the platform its confined to.

I'm not disagreeing with the importance of clarity and FPS. I have a powerful PC because I find those quite important. I just initially read your statement to mean something different. I thought you were saying something along the lines of: if this was a year in which Battlefront and Witcher 3 had not come out on PC and Fallout 4 was the standout title for graphics on PC, it should win over TO simply because it's on PC (having the clarity and FPS advantages). That's what I was responding to.

Sorry for misreading your post, my apologies.

No worries. :3

 

[Maxximo]

Lack of Tw3 makes this a shitty list.

 

[dark10x]

Until Dawn is very nice looking but the performance just isn't good enough. The frame-rate is abysmal. Would keep it from my list for sure.

The rest all look great.

 

[Man]

Respect where it's due.

The Order 1886 had fantastic graphics & presentation.

 

[Fredrik]

I own it yes, I'm lucky enough to own a moderately powerful PC and a PS4. I choose the Witcher because at 1440p, 60fps with max settings and SMAA, the game looks incredible, I can't imagine how good it looks in 4k but sadly I don't have a 4k monitor.

The Order looks amazing at times and very CGI but the IQ is not that great to me, the film grain is over done, the IQ is slightly blurry thanks to the temporal AA it uses along with the MSAA and the resolution and 30fps are disappointing.

Both look amazing in their own ways but I'll take The Witcher every time.

The Witcher 3 on PC is more impressive since it's open-world, insanely huge and you can run it at a higher framerate and resolution, the highres textures, the awesome weather effects, swaying trees and grass etc makes it look amazing, BUT The Order still looks better if you look at a single screen shot, it almost looks prerendered, way better than any other game on the list imo.

Personally I would still put The Witcher 3 on the list though, just not at #1.

 

[Sky Saw]

The Witcher 3 on PC is more impressive since it's open-world, insanely huge and you can run it at a higher framerate and resolution, the highres textures, the awesome weather effects, swaying trees and grass etc makes it look amazing, BUT The Order still looks better if you look at a single screen shot, it almost looks prerendered, way better than any other game on the list imo.

Personally I would still put The Witcher 3 on the list though, just not at #1.

I guess it's a more in motion thing for me, I'm generally not a fan of 30fps games so that doesn't help, and I hate the letterboxing and the film grain. These are all things that on the PC I could fix, maybe then I'd find it even more impressive than The Witcher.

 

[Elandyll]

Not with the lower fps and resolution imo.

Looks great in screenshots though, for sure.

If you have to have the game in motion, then you have to include quality of animations and blend ins. And there, W3 kinda shits the bed imo.

 

[Clarkus Darkus]

Witcher 3 looks grand, But it's not CGI which is what The Order 1886 gets close too, W3 has great art style.

The Order is a visual treat and deserves no1 spot, The only game that comes close is a maxed out PC version of Unity.

 

[Zakalwe]

If you have to have the game in motion, then you have to include quality of animations and blend ins. And there, W3 kinda shits the bed imo.

Certainly, but I don't think it detracts from the overall visual experience as much as the lower framerate, resolution, and some of the post-processing effects of TO for example.

 

[Dragonslayer_023]

I feel like a lot of sites are snubbing The Order for best graphics just because they didn't like the game, nice to see it get its due.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I would definitely swap Batman out with WC3 but the list is solid. I could see number 1 being either BF(maxed PC) or The Order so them at #1 and #2 is a good choice.

 

[Nozem]

I haven't played any of those games (except Battlefront beta), but judging from the video Battlefront is the only game that looks unbelievably good to me.

 

[Javin98]

It always amuses me when people say that this gen is only marginally better than last gen, visually. These games along with stuff like Witcher, Infamous and Driveclub represent a substantial generational leap imo.

Yep, makes no sense to me at all. Before I got a PS4, just looking at the screenshots, I could see a clear generational leap in visuals from last gen. Now, with a PS4 and playing The Order 1886 and Driveclub for the first time today, these games look even better in person. I can't really imagine going back to even the best looking last gen games like TLOU after this.

 

[Bitch Pudding]

Totally agree with the list.

Anyone want to take an educated guess who'll win 2016' Best grapics award? And why is it Uncharted 4?

 

[Lulubop]

I would definitely swap Batman out with WC3 but the list is solid. I could see number 1 being either BF(maxed PC) or The Order so them at #1 and #2 is a good choice.

I feel you on this.

Tomb Raider on PC in a couple weeks is gonna be a stunner.

 

[ron_bato]

Totally agree with the list.

Anyone want to take an educated guess who'll win 2016' Best grapics award? And why is it Uncharted 4?

My early contender for 2016 is Horizon: Zero Dawn. But am ready to be wowed by Uncharted 4.

Great list, Arkham Knight on the PS4 looked rough in some spots. Would have chosen The Witcher like others here, but it was still a very good looking game.

 

[nynt9]

For AAA? yeah it is mostly about better performance until the later half of the gen. AAA games don't switch assets between versions, nor will they ever, just how much of it can be shown on the screen at once.

This is patently untrue. Many games have "Ultra HD texture packs" on PC that are avaialble as an optional download. The most recent one to do this, off the top of my head, is Rainbow Six Siege.

Even ignoring that, games have better LOD and more lights on PC - essentially leading to better assets being on display all the time. MGSV had a lot more lights on at night time on PC, giving it a noticeably different look.

 

[Barzul]

I just beat Arkham Knight on PC. It deserves to be on here, it looks fantastic.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Totally agree with the list.

Anyone want to take an educated guess who'll win 2016' Best grapics award? And why is it Uncharted 4?

No objections from me, from what I've seen, but knowing this forum, you are going to have someone telling you that Horizon and Zelda U already look better.

This is patently untrue. Many games have "Ultra HD texture packs" on PC that are avaialble as an optional download. The most recent one to do this, off the top of my head, is Rainbow Six Siege.

I stand corrected, I didn't know we were already there on this gen.