5 Games With The Best Graphics This Generation

PushStartSelect: "With this generation coming to an end, and a new one beginning shortly, we thought we would highlight some of the best moments this generation. Read more on our main article about our full week covering it all! Today we want to cover graphics and what we think are 5 games that really popped in terms of visual experiences. Like all top ten/five lists, we try not to pick the completely obvious so after reading feel free to chime in below about what YOU think should be on the list. I mean it’s only 5 games, of course we will leave out some."

[GamerElite]

Good list. Agree

[Thatguy-310]

When they say "This Generation" they mean console. Yea we all know that pc has the best graphics because your able to mod and all that. It's funny how even though there are more beautiful games on pc, console games always get praise and why because its more mainstream now.

[RXL]

how do you spot a pc gamer in a crowd?

start talking about graphics...

they'll let you know..

[Autodidactdystopia]

Great scott.

Just kidding. you know what im gonna say.

personally it doesnt count but i really like gta IV + Icenhancer + new cars. it looks tits. but its just a mod and since its PC it doesn't count because of it being too far ahead or in other words "another league" but most games on pc came out on consoles too they just look better than most con-exclusives and it wouldnt make much sense because then it would upset the system and there would be rioting in the streets.

Plus us Pc owners are snobs and all we care about is graphics because we point out flaws in the opposition.

I believe i speak for all of our kind when i say

Please forgive us PC gamers as we don't "try" to have better graphics than on consoles. It just happens effortlessly.

which is why we point it out when you guys argue about who's system is the strongest between the mainstream audience.

We hereby accept being disqualified from this "best of this gen" comparison because we know that if we complain we are snobs. And we dont want to pick on the little guy.

Ps I Like the last of us. Looks great!

[FlameBaitGod]

Weird RXL, I though PS3 gamers talked about how much better graphics are compared to 360. Must be my imagination.

[BattleAxe]

Good list, but instead of Gears of War which has mediocre graphics, I would have listed God of War 3 or Heavenly Sword. Heck, I think CoD4 and CoD: WaW were better looking games than Gears of War.

[NegativeCreepWA]

BattleAxe your so full of it, very few games look better then Gears.

[CryofSilence]

Battleaxe, I agree with God of War 3, but not Heavenly Sword (a beautiful game by all means). Gears of War is a great looking game, but it seems far out-leagued by the others (and other competitors).

[NewZealander]

i would have had rage on that list, and as good as gears is theres better looking unreal engine games, batman AC?
i was not impressed with killzone 3, some parts looked horrible, especially the jungle, gears 3 beats killzone hands down.

halo reach could have been a contender but they killed the look of the game with that damn motion blur.

overall good list, but would have been better if they replaced killzone with rage.

[ABizzel1]

No particular order, just top 20

1. Battlefield 3
2. Killzone 2/3
3. Uncharted 2/3
4. Gears of War 3
5. God of War 3
6. MGS4
7. Heavy Rain
8. Alan Wake
9. Gran Turismo 5
10. Forza 4
11. Flower
12. Crysis 2
13. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
14. Viva Pinata
15. Rage
16. Fight Night Round 4
17. Resident Evil 5
18. Mario Galaxy
19. Batman Arkham City
20. Final Fantasy 13

[thawind]

PC?

[BongSmack]

PC has the best graphics because it has (potentially) better hardware. Another advantage over consoles is the ability to mod.

[Irishguy95]

Haha, PC wasn't part of this gen since 2006. That's when it stepped up it's game beyond the console generation

[Edito]

Can you give a List of pc games that rival the best you can find on consoles???

PC is Good but where are the games??? The only pc exclusive that comes to mind is Diablo 3

[morganfell]

"When they say "This Generation" they mean console."

Graphical prowess is about far more than sheer resolution.

Killzone 3 has one of the best lighting engines this generation bar none and that includes PC.

MGS4 is still tops in the model department. The the Kojima Team went to extraordinary lengths ignored by other developers. Even matters such as the finger tips of characters received remarkable attention. The production values on that game topped anything else I have seen.

Ratchet and Clank is THE Pixar game first sought after in the famous Bill Gates/Seamus Blackley discussion on stage at CES in 2000.

[MuhammadJA]

@ dboyc310

You know what's funny, these console gamers think they have the best graphics ever when I'm sure that 80 percent of them haven't even played on a high end PC. Whatever. Let them enjoy their mediocre graphics and subpar resolution.

[chriski333]

Yes yes yes blah blah blah we all know pc has the best graphics chill out pc boy we all know no need for u to rage

[thoract]

Yes we all know the PC has the best graphics. But this article is not about PC games. I have a highend PC but the only game I played on it this year is Diablo 3. The graphics on console games are damn good considering the tech is 6+ years old. How much did you spend on the PC versus the cost of a console?

Despite having the best graphics I just can't play games like Uncharted, God of War, and many other fun games on the PC.

[MaxXAttaxX]

It is constantly changing. Slowly.
Consoles dictate generations with multiplatform games.

[Bobby Kotex]

This is a console circle jerk site, what do you expect?

[chazjamie]

its like crysis doesnt even exist. wtf!!!!

[Hatsune-Miku]

All five games should be on pc and if its only about consoles then all five should be on ps3.

Pc - bf3, crysis 1, crysis 2, the witcher 2, project car

Consoles- killzone 2, killzone 3, uncharted 1, uncharted 2, uncharted 3, gow 3, heavy rain, gt 5, mgs 4, resistance 3, motorstorm 2, motorstorm 3, the last of us, gow asc. And a lot of other games. When it comes to graphics pc is king but on console, ps3 is king.

[tachy0n]

PC and PS3 are the kings, it is basically the best combination u can ever get. ^.^

[makemyteapunk]

Gears, Halo 4 have as good a graphics as any PS3 game. Forza 4 looks better than GT5. Your fanboy is showing.

Rage is better looking than KZ and it runs at 60fps.

PS3 graphics are nothing special compared to 360.

[cpayne93]

^
Rage is NOT better looking then Killzone, Halo 4 may be getting up to Killzone standards but as the years are passing it should be, it still isn't up to Last of Us standards. Gears is a great looking game but U3 is still better.

[milohighclub]

Can't do pc because The article is about this gen And pc enthusiasts around the globe will let you know As often as they can, pc's are generations ahead... /s

[belac09]

well said.

[Holeran]

@makemyteapunk

you are delusional.

[srcBFMVBMTH]

@cpayne93

"Halo 4 may be getting up to Killzone standards"

Finally right?!?!?

Halo 4 barely looks better than Killzone 2. lol A game that came out three years ago!!!

Anyways, yea.

I would've kicked off Gears of War from the list and put God of War 3 in.

[M_Prime]

I agree with makemyteapunk about FORZA 4 looking better then GT5.. and RAGE was a pretty game, but so boring.

I think the list is subjective too, about gameplay and graphics and not just graphics.

also I would like to say that i didn't find BF3 that good looking on consoles, i thought the COD games were better LOOKING.. but then again BF3 single player campaign was crap, but multiplayer was SO MUCH FUN.

and XBOX and PS3 multiplats will look similar because there is always one the dev will have a a standard and one that gets a slightly worse port. Thats why exclusives look so much better then a lot of multiplats, they can use all of the system power.

[masa2009]

Motorstorm doesn't have good visuals.
Neither do the Resistance games.
Not even in the same league as top racers and shooters.
I like Motorstorm Apocalypse, I own it, but it's not good looking.
Its emphasis is elsewhere, like 4-player split screen.

Gears 3 also looks way better than Uncharted 1, come on.
Basically, Microsoft focuses on very few first party exclusives, and Halo's emphasis is on large sandboxy environments, which puts a cap on visual quality.
So that leaves just Gears as the flagbearer for the 360. And it's about on par with Uncharted 3 (pre-rendered close-ups included).
Since benchmark games tend to be first party, Sony's more liberal publishing policy inherently helps the PS3.
Although from a non-technical standpoint, its exclusives are not always groundbreaking.
KZ2 is a good exemple. It's super routine.

[Jason143]

honestly I think metro 2033 is superb looking on pc.

[kikizoo]

Wow, look at masa, makemy and others total denial fanboyz...they are alawys believing that X360 exclusives can compete with best ps3 exclusives....even if reviews, players, and awards don't agree..

buy a pair of glasses, please...and a ps3, be a gamer, not a blind fanboy.

[darren_poolies]

@masa2009

Motorstorm has awesome visuals even the first one still looks amazing. Resistance/Resistance 2 don't look that great but Resistance 3 is really pretty. Also Gears 3 on par with Uncharted 3!? Pahahaha. Gears 3 is a good looking game but to say it is on par with U3 is just silly. Have you actually played Uncharted 3? After that comment, I think not.

[aquamala]

lol at the xbox and ps3 fanboys still fighting over tiny differences in the their graphics. time to get a wii u or gaming PC and play games in 1080p already.

[torchic]

they left out God of War III really? and put Gears of War?

just to make the article seem less fanboyish I presume?

[ninjabake]

Yes I assume that would be the case but if they truly wanted to be fair and 100% neutral they would list great looking games that are more of an art style than pushing realism a la skyward sword and Mario Galaxy. Just my 2 cents.

[masa2009]

God of War III has a preset camera, which helps the console tremendously.
And some levels like the gardens didn't look as good as the resr.

[thawind]

God of War 3 murders all Gears of War's in EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.

[andibandit]

God of war is so irrelevant in this discussion, with the same camera angle on everything it's not hard, hell it's like Double Dragon with 3D, not too impressed.

[cashrell1171]

If you know anything about quality visuals GOW 3 is the best looking videogame made so far... Followed by MGS4 , Both KILLZONES THENboth Uncharteds followed by Gears

[HammadTheBeast]

Killzone 2 had great gameplay, and while KZ3 doesn't have as good of a multiplayer, the graphics are amazing. The maps never cease to amaze me with how much is going on at a time.

[Tontus]

God of War III is still the best looking game on consoles by miles, nothing out now comes close and not even upcoming games look better. God of War: Ascension is going to be face-meltingly gorgeous.

[SPAM-FRITTER-123]

Correction - "5 Games With The Best Graphics This Generation according to a playstation user with no PC knowledge"

BF3 on PC looks better than any game on your list....FACT.I am a massive fan of MGS4 but it looks like a cartoon compared to BF3 on PC....I do understand that you listed very VERY!!! linear games YET Free roam Battlefield maps still win.

P.S BF3 is not a great game, i just thought i would mention that BF3 on PC will be what console gamers call next-gen and happily pay £500+ for there console of choice come 2013/14

[Kingnichendrix]

THIS CONSOLE GENERATION. Jesus get a hint its not talking about pc which goes up a generation every 8 months, compare pc's from 6 years ago and how games on them pcs would look like now.

[MaxXAttaxX]

He mentioned Gears of War. What makes you think he's a PlayStation only user?

PCs don't have generations. They constantly change, slowly. Consoles dictate generations with multiplatform games.

[corrus]

10/10 Awesome games

[aquamala]

I don't get how people think killzone 3 is a good looking game, yes I have played it about 20 hours. I think even Rage looks better, but oh a multi plat game can't possibility look better than an exclusive!

[-Superman-]

List:
Crysis
Crysis Warhead
Crysis 2
Battlefield 3
Metro 2033

Not only art, but it has AA and also, details textures... Blurry games has not good grahpic...

[metroid32]

Try Aliens CM and Assasins creed 3 they are technically the best looking games you can get on say ps3 with wiiu versions looking tons better due to 8190x8190 texture resolution alone.

[KwietStorm]

lol being fair to the neutral ground

[tachy0n]

where is crysis?

it took years for the competition and hardware manufacturers to catch up!!

LOL @ the SUB-HD low resolution textured, no Anti Aliasing games that are on that list except for battlefield 3.

[Rivitur]

The irony considering it's tagged and you can't talk about graphics without mentioning crysis.

[dragonyght]

5 Games With The Best Graphics "This Generation"
the key word here is Genaration witch generally apply to Consoles.

and UB-HD low-res textured, no Anti Aliasing pop-up lol im pretty sure all that scream Crysis

[Blackpool]

GOD OF WAR 3?

[TheFallenAngel]

For real best game this gen!

[taquito]

the witcher 2 ultra ubersampling -pc
crysis 2 dx 11 -pc
shogun 2 dx 11 -pc
metro2033 dx11 -pc
bf3 dx11- pc
hard reset -pc

there is NOTHING on that list that even comes close to the games i've listed, those games look great for 8 year old hardware no doubt, they look literally last gen compared to the games i listed

the top 50 games with amazing graphics would all be on pc till we even start thinking of adding in uncharted 3 or gears 3

@ biggc

agreed, i wasnt even talking mods yet, heck, skyrim on pc without any mods kills every game on that list, let alone once u start modding it

[BiggCMan]

Well there's one thing that beats all of those, and that is GTA IV with iCEnhancer installed, it's undeniably the best looking thing ever done in video games. But yea everything else you've listed is the best you can get when it comes to graphics, I could also add Skyrim with texture and graphic overhauls, it looks stunning.

[jjb1981]

Of course they would be pc because specs are always being tinkered with. Consoles don't have the luxury of specs being modified.

[chukamachine]

Lay off the crackpipe seriously.

Shogun2 isn't good enough for any list.

Metro is overrated, played it maxed out and did not impress me at all.

Best ones on your list is.

BF3
CRYSIS2
HARDRESET
WITCHER2

I doubt you've played Uncharted3 - Best use of animations,water physics.

Killzone3 - Looks great and ai is awesome.

I would not put gears or mgs4 on that list.

God of war 3 should be there.

[krazykombatant]

some one needs to lay off sony's ballsack, clearly you haven't seen shogun2 in ultra settings with some mods on the side.

[Allsystemgamer]

Um...shogun 2 looks literally like a real shogunate war...your obviously blind.

AND MGS4 is still one of te best looking games since 2008. It's in pc level quality.

[Eyeco]

how much do i need for pc to run those games , they look mind blowing especially GTA 4 ?

[taquito]

@eyeco

if you already own a quad core pc with 4-8 gb ram like most pc's from the last 4 years, you just need a mid-range to high end gpu, here's a few links at different price points, you may also need a larger power supply depending on the card you buy;

http://www.newegg.com/Produ... ($115) will run 50% of games maxed at 1080p, others will need to disable some high end settings like ssao and fsaa x4 ect.

http://www.newegg.com/Produ... ($170) runs most games maxed at 1080p, some will need to be turned down just a bit at 1080p

http://www.newegg.com/Produ... ($250) runs everything maxed 1080p

http://www.newegg.com/Produ... ($340) over kill for most games at 1080p, 1200p and will run 90% of all games maxed out at 2560x1600p

[nepdyse]

If its GTA 4 you plan on playing with the ICEnhacer mod, keep in mind its very CPU and GPU intensive. You'll definitely have to overclock your CPU to a respectable 4.5GHz to stay over 60fps. But if you don't mind playing at >30fps, which I'm sure you don't since you're mostly a console player you should be fine with a quad core at stock clocks and a high end gpu.

[InTheLab]

You're full of it with that Skyrim bit. If Skyrim looked as good as you claim, 90% of it's mods today would not exist..and yes I play Skyrim and all of those other games maxed on on my rig...

There's a little something called credit where credit is do. The article is clearly talking about consoles and we all know old tech can't compete with new tech...so ultimately, you're comment is pointless.

[MysticStrummer]

Free clue # 1

The word "generation" means it's a console article.

[ChickenOfTheCaveMan]

There are not really generations in pc gaming.

The guy was clearly talking consoles.

That's like whining that the Bugatti Veyron isn't in the 2012 best cars just because the writer didn't mention it was an average people list.

[prototypeknuckles]

good solid list but where is
crisis
prince of persia 08
god of war 3
battlefield 3

[2pacalypsenow]

BF3 is Number 2