Improved visual fidelity is a desirable trait in video games. Video game developers are continually raising the bar for photorealism, bringing almost picture-perfect experiences. Realism relates to lighting effects, character models, environmental textures, and more. Needless to say, designing a photorealistic video game isn't easy.
In the first-person viewpoint, players put themselves in the shoes of a video game character or a customizable avatar. This point of view is associated with the view of the player's character. The first-person genre is flooded with games that have quality art direction. While there are many top contenders for the most photorealistic game, some stand out more than others.
10 Far Cry Primal
Although the game didn't receive favorable reviews across the board, Far Cry Primal maintains a niche place in the video game market. Set in the Stone Age during a perilous time in history, prehistoric animals run rampant and co-exist with humans as prey on the food chain.
The photo-realism contained in Far Cry Primal is sensational. It's an enlightening game that takes you into prehistoric times, blending survival and adventure elements into one phenomenal package.
9 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
When Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare released back in 2007, it was the definitive first-person shooter. The game was marketed as having photorealistic graphics. Fast forward to today, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered has more photorealism than any Call of Duty before it. Rather than having a slight resolution increase, improved textures and lighting make this game look unreal. It improved the graphics dramatically without detracting from the original game's essence.
8 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is the most exceptional game in franchise history, by far. The game incorporates photorealism, mostly when played on the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Targeting up to 12o fps in 4K, the game has never looked better. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine is coming soon, but until then, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege remains the reigning champion from a graphics standpoint.
7 Alien: Isolation
One of the most famous horror franchises incorporates fear and realism, unlike any other game. Alien: Isolation was one of those games that flew under the radar, growing a cult following in the gaming community. A significant portion of the game is hiding from the alien until you are given weapons to fight back. It's set on a space station in cold outer space. The atmospheric horror is easily recognized in Alien: Isolation, thanks to its photorealistic graphics.
6 Titanfall 2
After the release of the first Titanfall, few predicted that the game's sequel would be such an improvement. A vast difference over its predecessor, Titanfall 2 contains a more robust multiplayer mode and adds a single-player campaign. The sequel also dropped the cartoonish graphics to add photorealism. Developer Respawn Entertainment is a relevant developer that is breaking ground in photorealistic graphics.
5 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Even if the game incorporates photorealism throughout, the Baker family in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is by no means photogenic. They are a deranged family who has committed heinous acts.
Progressing through Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, it becomes abundantly clear that it was the most detailed Resident Evil game to date. With a good balance of exploration, combat, and jump scares, it has incredible photorealism. The character models and environment textures are worth marveling at, making it a masterpiece for the ages.
4 Battlefield V
Ray-tracing is a feature that adds unprecedented realism to games. Battlefield V is one of the few games to support ray-tracing in environments. The feature accurately depicts sunlight and other lighting effects within a game. Flashes from gunfire also appear with ray-tracing enabled.
Developer DICE certainly knows how to make a breathtaking game, even if it contains bugs that take away from gameplay. This is likely won't be the last Battlefield we see, and the next could only be a graphical improvement.
3 Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 is anything but perfect, but a leap in textures makes Cyberpunk 2077 a photorealistic game. The loading times might feel prolonged and excessive on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, yet systems like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X display a sight to behold. A host of issues will prevent people from buying this game. Nevertheless, visual fidelity makes this game one to watch in the upcoming months.
2 Half-Life: Alyx
The VR (Virtual Reality) game Half-Life: Alyx earned acclaim across the board, with critics citing its photorealistic graphics. We saw the jump in detail Half-Life 2 brought to the table, and its sequel follows suit.
Half-Life: Alyx has over a decade of improved detail. It is a game that focuses on exploration, contains puzzle-solving, and features a compelling narrative. The game uses the Source 2 engine, with unprecedented photorealism, playable in VR.
1 Metro Exodus
This first-person shooting game was one to watch since its reveal trailer at E3 2017. Although it's not always the case, a good reveal trailer could determine a game's success. Metro Exodus is set in the near future when Earth has been scorched by a nuclear war. The game's post-apocalyptic world is more immersive than arguably any other first-person shooter game. If the Earth was ever ravaged by a nuclear war, it might look something like Metro Exodus.