Here Are The Best Looking PC Games To Play Right Now
It goes without saying that the past few years have been fantastic for gaming. We’ve seen developers push the boundaries of hardware, we’ve even seen the DirectX and Unreal 3 engine take the industry by storm as well.
As NVidia and AMD continue their battle for dominance of the graphic hardware industry, it’s important that we continue to push our systems to the max with the latest and greatest games that take advantage of the latest tech. So, without further ado, here are 25 of the most graphically impressive games available for PC.
25: The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online PC Gameplay
The Elder Scrolls Online is the latest chapter of the legendary Elder scrolls franchise, bringing the epic world of Tamriel into the MMO arena for the first time.
Boasting stunning visuals and an epic narrative experience, the elder scrolls online makes it onto our list thanks in part to the unbelievably varied environments that complement the fantastic visual technology employed by the game.
Whether you’re an Elder Scrolls veteran or completely new to the franchise this game will have you hooked, so we highly recommend picking up this well polished, stunningly crafted and subscription free MMO as soon as possible.
Elder Scrolls Online features a plethora of unique and breath-taking environments
Join other players from your chosen faction in epic encounters as you fight to save the world from the malevolent forces of oblivion.
24: Black Desert Online
Black Desert Online gameplay
Join the search for the answers as you attempt to unlock the mystery of the Black Stones in this stunning and mildly less well known MMORPG.
Fight teeming hordes of monsters in the magical and dangerous desert that sits between a variety of wonderfully realized fantasy kingdoms, join your friends in glorious action packed raids for loot and be prepared to fight the deadliest of bosses with your newfound skills and artefacts.
Black Desert Online is a fantastic MMORPG that uses the latest generation of graphics to provide satisfying, highly customisable and utterly gorgeous experience for players. If you’re weary of dated looking MMO gameplay and want something more modern, then look no further.
From epic high fantasy environments to beautifully rendered opponents, Black Desert Online is a hidden gem that you may not have seen yet.
Part of what makes Black Desert Online so graphically impressive is the sheer attention to detail for all aspects of the character models.
23: Warhammer 40K : Space Marine
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine PC gameplay
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine has to go down in history as one of the most underrated action games of all time. The rich, gothic visual style of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is brought to life in stunning detail by developers Relic Entertainment who have a long history of doing real justice to this grim vision of the 41st millennium.
While results may vary if you’re not already bought into the cult of Games Workshop, the beautiful feeling of purging the enemies of the imperium in glorious third person carnage is a hard thing to match for a true servant of the emperor.
Slaughter your way through a variety of gloriously rendered gothic ruins of an infested forge world.
When you’re finished with the single player campaign, head into exterminates mode and annihilate waves of spectacular foes.
22: Alien Isolation
Alien: Isolation - Launch Trailer
Enter the terrifying universe of Alien as Amanda, daughter of Ellen Ripley as she enters a desperate, unexpected battle for survival whilst on a mission to discover the truth behind her mother’s disappearance.
Navigate a beautifully rendered Seegson Corporation space station that grows more hostile with every second as you are confronted by the desperate survivors of a ruthless alien attack. The real problem? The alien is still out there, somewhere.
You are completely underpowered in Alien Isolation, be prepared to desperately scavenge resources and plan your moves as you simply try to stay alive.
The environments of Alien: Isolation are stunningly realistic and fit beautifully with the 80’s sci-fi aesthetic of the franchise.
You will rarely be able to stand and fight in this game, usually your only chance for survival is to run, but sometimes even that is not an option.
21: Sniper Elite 4
Sniper Elite 4 - PC Gameplay
Continue the fight for victory in one of the most stunningly beautiful simulations of world war 2 combat ever made.
Set in the aftermath of Sniper Elite 4, take the role of Karl Fairburne, an unrivalled marksman and one of the first special forces operatives in history.
Fight alongside the brave men and women of the Italian resistance as you travel to the glorious landscapes of the Italian peninsula. Infiltrate the impressive fortified coastal towns of the Mediterranean and take down enormous German megastructures as you fight halt the Nazi war effort on the southern front.
Sniper elite 4 pushes the boundaries of graphically impressive games in a way that few others have managed. The environments feel incredibly real and are rendered with impressive optimisation. If you have a top-level rig, give this one a try. You will not be disappointed.
To succeed in Sniper Elite 4 you must be prepared to think like a hunter. Find the right position, take account of the world around you and take your shot.
The action of Sniper Elite is savage and intense, be prepared to see and feel the deadly effect of every bullet.
20: Metal Gear Solid 5 Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Gameplay
Highly acclaimed as one of the best Metal Gear Solid games of all time, MGSV: The Phantom Pain is powered by an entirely new engine. The Fox engine takes the series into a whole new level of graphical excellence and has made MGSV: The Phantom Pain one of the most beautiful action games ever made.
Taking place in a glorious open world environment that offers really unrivalled tactical freedom, once again you are able to enter the world of Snake a.k.a Big Boss as he awakens from his nine-year coma. Set in a sci-fi alternate reality of 1985, Snake is driven by revenge to establish a new private army as he pursues the shadowy XOF group.
Lacking none of the beautifully told story that made its predecessors so loved, MGSV leaves its mark as one of the most gorgeously made cinematic experiences ever developed. We highly recommend playing this game and if you haven’t already, the rest of the Metal Gear Solid series.
MGSV opens up a huge variety of tactical choices for each mission, bringing the idea of open world design to a whole new level.
Take control of a huge variety of beautiful weapons and vehicles among the stunning desert mountains of Afghanistan.
19: Dying Light
Dying Light The Following Gameplay
Dying Light is a gorgeous, open world zombie carnage game unlike anything you have seen before.
You are an agent of the U.S government, dropped without support into a city devastated by a mysterious epidemic.
Here, you must explore the ruins of this South American paradise turned hell. Help scavenge for supplies, craft intense and varied weapons and leap from rooftop to rooftop in this epic, parkour fuelled action survival game. But when night falls be prepared to put your weapons away and find shelter, as the darkness hides many terrors and the zombies you encounter turn from easy targets to deadly killing machines in the blink of an eye.
With incredible lighting effects to compliment the beautifully rendered visuals of this slaughter fest, Dying Light is one of the most intense and graphically appealing games we have ever played. We highly recommend picking up the enhanced edition on steam ASAP.
The narrative of Dying light will take you from the cramped slum rooftops of the lower city to panicked melee combat along walkways hundreds of meters above ground.
Kick, slice and shoot your way through a city plagued by zombies so stunningly rendered that they are unlike anything you have ever seen before.
18: Resident Evil 7
RESIDENT EVIL 7 Biohazard gameplay
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is an unexpected horror triumph that forms the latest entry to a series that needs no introduction.
At the same time very different and undeniably reminiscent of its predecessors, Resident Evil 7 takes the franchise in a new terrifying direction that has created some of the most memorable villains in video game history.
What makes resident Evil 7 Really Special is that it does so in unbelievable photorealistic clarity thanks to Capcom’s RE engine. Allowing the developer to bring us poor, foolish gamers into a level of immersion that will get your heart racing as the horror begins to feel all too real.
If you’re brave enough, we even highly recommend the VR experience for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Either way, this instant horror survival classic is not to be missed.
The new heavy realism approach of Resident Evil 7 is as beautiful as it is terrifying
Fear the darkness, fear the light. Be prepared to fear everything.
17: Outlast 2
Outlast 2 PC Gameplay
Take on the role of Blake Langermann as you work with your wife Lynn to uncover the secrets hiding in the middle of the Arizona desert. Secrets that lurk in a darkness too deep for light to reach, secrets that are responsible for the strange goings on taking place in the isolated town of Temple Gate.
Outlast 2 is a Lovecraftian style horror survival game that will scare and delight you in equal measure. Visually stunning, with superb lighting and use of colour. This game is an unquestionable horror masterpiece that adds to the growing list of superb looking horror games available for PC.
Things are never quite as they seem in Outlast 2, going mad may be the only way to survive.
Outlast 2 uses it's realistic lighting to create a constant atmosphere of dread that only deepens the more you begin to unravel this terrifying mystery.
16: Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2 - PC Gameplay
The epic FPS mech combat phenomenon that needs no introduction, Titanfall 2 is one of the most good looking FPS games to date.
With the sequel building on the success of the first game, Titanfall 2 introduces an awesome single play campaign and features 6 titans, new pilot abilities, expanded customisation, new maps, modes and a whole lot more so if you get the chance we highly recommend checking out this landmark title.
Titanfall’s fantastic new single player campaign adds a whole new level of immersion to the Titanfall universe.
Titanfall 2 still manages to offer an excellent multiplayer experience, now with stunning next generation graphics.
15: Watch Dogs: 2
Watch Dogs 2 Gameplay
Enter the world of Marcus Holloway, a young internet security prodigy living amongst the birth of the next tech revolution in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Forced to team up with a notorious group of hackers, your mission is to execute the biggest cyber-attack in history and take down ctOS 2.0, an invasive operating system being used to manipulate the citizens of the world on an enormous scale.
Boasting a huge number of technical and visual improvements on its predecessor, Watch Dogs 2 is a stylish, modern and exciting open world game unlike any other. Highly recommended.
Take the action into co-op and join the fight against ctoOS 2.0 with your friends
Watch Dogs 2 is stunning and stylish, you’ll fall in love with this game in no time at all.
14: Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 gameplay
Take control of an elite American sniper, dropped behind enemy lines near the Russian border in Georgia you are tasked with fighting the ruthless warlords that threaten to destabilise the entire country.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is an epic, open world FPS with incredible environments which every detail will impact your gameplay decision making. With very few limitations as to how you can complete each mission, the decision is nearly always yours. Will you be Ghost, a warrior, a sniper or more than all three?
Far from your average FPS, Ghost Warrior is beautiful and earie in equal measure and as you wander the woodlands of the Caucasus you will genuinely feel like a dangerous hunter. Your enemies will most likely never see you coming.
Observe your enemies from afar and carefully plan your missions to ensure success.
Stealth feels awesome in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 and is by far our favourite way to play.
13: For Honor
For Honor - PC Gameplay
Take control of legendary Knights, fearsome Samurai and barbarian Vikings in this incredible combat intense medieval fantasy action fest.
For Honor has received a lot of criticism for its lack of multiplayer infrastructure, players often complain about server issues and a levelling structure that hampers the games ratings for many.
However, none of that takes away from the stunning visual spectacle of For Honor that complements an awesome combat system with innovative battle controls. If medieval combat is what you’re looking for then you’ll be hard pressed to find a multiplayer experience better looking than For Honor, that is when it works.
Cut through waves of lesser foes only to face down fellow champions in the epic struggle of For Honor.
Your warrior choice is everything in For Honor. Samurai, Viking or Knight, what will you choose?
12: Mafia 3
Mafia III - PC Gameplay
Take the role of Lincoln Clay, Vietnam war vet during the violent and turbulent late sixties. Clay, now returned to his home in New Bordauex is set on escaping his criminal past. But when the Italian Mafia wipes out the black mob, coincidentally the only family he has ever known, Lincoln Clay builds a new family and sets out on a bloody quest for vengeance.
From gun fuelled carnage to edge of your seat stunt driving, Mafia III boasts epic gameplay elements including internal family politics and visceral hand to hand action that only serve to showcase the stunning graphical technology employed by this reimagined New Orleans thriller.
Even if you haven’t played the previous Mafia games, the third instalment is well worth your time.
The classic style of the 60’s beautifully compliments the crime ridden streets of New Bordeaux.
Be prepared to fight for your criminal empire. Guns, explosives, knives and more will required if you’re going to win a war with the Italian mafia.
11: Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider PC Gameplay
The franchise that keeps on giving returns in another explosive reboot. We join Lara in the midst of an epic crisis as she uncovers an ancient mystery that makes her the target of a ruthless and mysterious organisation known only as Trinity.
You will leap, crawl and dash through a hostile world with danger in every corner to find the lost city of Kitezh, but you must do so quickly. Trinity are hot on the trail of the city as well, and if they find it before Lara all hope will be lost.
With dangerous enemies, explosive action and an environment seemingly set on killing you, you must be ready to master the wild. Craft gear, use the environment to ambush your enemies and delve in the biggest, most beautiful tombs ever made for the Tomb Raider series in a game that pushes the potential of our PC’s to the absolute limit. Highly recommended for veterans and newcomers to the series alike.
From barren steppes to luscious jungles, every aspect of Rise of the Tomb Raider is meticulously detailed.
Combat requires skill and careful planning in order to get the jump on your heavily armed enemies.
10: Star Citizen
STAR CITIZEN - EPIC Gameplay
Star Citizen is a unique science fiction epic MMO that takes place on a truly staggering scale. Offering an entirely unique and seamless experience, Star Citizen offers you an amazing amount of choice.
Whether you want to be an explorer, a mercenary, a pirate or a professional soldier there is so much to do in such a vast universe that Star Citizen may be the most ambitious project ever attempted in MMO gaming.
But the fun doesn’t just take place in the cockpit, Star Citizen also offers a beautiful and action packed third person experience. Disembark to engage in warfare on the ground in equally awesome sci-fi gunfights that make you feel like a real citizen of the stars, something many of us have dreamed about being able to do for years.
The fact that Star Citizen manages to offer all that and more, with stunning visuals as well, makes it a serious contender for the future. We highly recommend checking out this game in its infancy as the universe of Star Citizen is only set to grow even bigger.
From star systems to asteroid belts, Star Citizen is a visually breath taking masterpiece.
The third person combat of Star Citizen is no simple afterthought, in fact it is one of my favourite aspects of the game and really brings the universe to life.
9: Escape From Tarkov
Escape from Tarkov: Graphics Engine In-Depth Walkthrough
Tarkov is a city under siege. Incessant warfare has driven humans away. What remains are well-armed gangs and mercenaries unfortunate enough to be left behind when the Russian military closed the city off from the outside world.
You are one of those poor souls, now fighting a desperate battle to somehow escape from Tarkov, and maybe profit a little along the way.
As a private security contractor stranded in war-torn Tarkov, players will have to choose their side, USEC or BEAR and be prepared to engage in brutal, realistic fps action with MMO/RPG elements in order to make their way to safety.
The soviet style industrial ruins of Escape from Tarkov are awesome and when combined with the innovative and unique gameplay features make a beautiful game that even in this early stage of development is already looking like one of the hidden gems of 2017.
Fight through an industrial wasteland with whatever weapons you can, even your torch can be used as a weapon to blind your opponent.
Escape from Tarkov is an MMOFPS with fantastically unique design that makes this game unlike anything we have ever seen.
8: PREY
Prey - Gameplay Trailer
Awaken aboard the luxury space station Talos 1, in orbit around earth’s moon in the year 2032 and discover an unbelievable, open world (or should we say, open space?) game that will force you to continually think on your feet as you uncover the secrets of Talos 1.
All whilst being hunted by some of the scariest, well designed alien foes in video game history.
Where you go and how you achieve your objectives will be largely up to you, the whole station is one big dangerous open world environment that is rendered in stunning detail. Improvisation is key to success in PREY, and planning an escape route with traps can be the difference between life and death.
If you’re searching for a stunning sci-fi action survival experience to test your high-end rig, then look no further.
You’ll need to scavenge a serious arsenal of weaponry if you want to stay alive, Talos 1 is no longer a safe haven.
The Photorealistic visuals of PREY bring your enemies to life in new and terrifying detail.
7: DOOM
DOOM Gameplay
For many gamers, DOOM is the franchise that started it all. But I bet I’m not alone in saying that when we first switched on our PC’s and played DOOM for the first time, none of us had any idea just how far the series would come to.
Doom is easily one of the best-looking FPS games we have ever played, whether you’re obliterating the demon hordes of hell in supernatural science fiction glory, or you’re taking on friends in the awesome multiplayer, Doom is a real visual spectacle that runs beautifully on your PC. If you’ve got a high-end rig as well, then prepare for a serious treat.
But the fun doesn’t just stop there, thanks to DOOM’s SnapMap editor you can create and play nearly limitless new environments in which to slaughter your demonic foes.
Legions of giant demons with Lasers? Shouldn’t be a problem for the last DOOM marine on mars.
All of the classic enemies have been re-imagined in incredible, photorealistic detail that will have you on the edge of your seat.
6: Fallout 4
Fallout 4 PC Gameplay
Bethesda are the pioneers of beautiful open world gaming, and their latest triumph only proves that fact.
Fallout 4 is an incredibly fun, unique and thematic RPG that is everything a fallout game needs to be. You will take on the role of the sole survivor as you hunt for the shadowy organisation that killed your spouse and stole your baby boy.
We absolutely adore this game, with its epic story and nearly endless number of quests we guarantee that if you haven’t checked out fallout 4 yet, it will keep you occupied for hundreds of memorable hours.
Getting weary of blasting through bandits, uncovering stories of the worlds old and new or saving / dooming the commonwealth? The fun is only beginning. Build and maintain settlements in your new post-apocalyptic empire using the materials you scavenge in the wasteland.
Even that losing its appeal? Then log onto the steam workshop and nexusmods.com and be prepared to enter a modding community that has an almost unrivalled amount of content for players to keep fallout 4 fresh for years to come. We cannot recommend this game enough, I mean, who can say no to jumping into a suit of power Armor and mowing through hordes of ghouls with a laser gatling? Once you go Brotherhood of Steel, you never go back.
The Lone Survivor and Dogmeat look out over the ruins of post-war Boston.
A huge variety of enemies great and small await, but with your trusty plasma rifle even a super mutant behemoth can be turned into a puddle of radioactive waste in no time at all.
5: Crysis 3
Crysis 3 - CryEngine3 Tech Trailer
Crysis has always prided itself on being at the forefront of modern graphics potential, Crysis 3 is no exception.
Fight enemies new and old as you pick up where we left off at the end of Crysis 2, struggling to maintain a peace that was bought in blood more than 24 years ago. Search for the Alpha Ceph, whilst fighting the C.E.L.L corporation and its lackeys.
Whilst the single player gameplay of Crysis 3 is still epic, the multiplayer servers are currently down for what seems to be an indeterminate amount of time. But if you have origin access, it’s worth picking up just to enjoy one of the most visually impressive adventures ever made.
Blast your way to victory with brute force, or take the stealth approach. The choice is yours.
The environments of Crysis 3 do incredible justice to the legacy of its predecessors.
4: Star Wars Battlefront 2
Star Wars Battlefront II: Full Length Reveal Trailer
Star Wars Battlefront 2 has a lot to live up to. In some respects, the hype for the previous game did not live up to expectations, having cut its single player campaign and lacking enough multiplayer content to keep players engaged.
Battlefront 2 looks set to change all that. We’re incredibly hyped for the full release of Battlefront 2, which is set to bring the Star Wars universe to life in a way that will do it as much justice as the latest films have done.
Fight for the rebels, or the empire across all the eras of the Star Wars movie universe as you take to the skies in the iconic tie fighters, or fight on the ground with the heroes and villains of the legendary space opera.
With a brilliant single player campaign, and an exciting multiplayer experience just around the corner, Battlefront 2 is set to outshine its predecessor by miles and we cannot wait to see what this game has to offer.
The Iconic battle for Hoth will allow plays both Imperial and Rebel to take the fight to the enemy in new and interesting ways.
Space combat makes a blistering return in Battlefront II, allowing us to relive the iconic dogfights that were a center piece of the Star Wars franchise.
3: The Witcher 3
"A Night to Remember" Launch Cinematic - The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 is widely considered one of the best games ever made, both in terms of it's gameplay and its beautiful fantasy world.
Jump one last time into the breath-taking world of The Witcher as our aging hero, Geralt of Rivia. With his memories now fully intact, he is finally united with his lost love Yennefer. But things are never that simple for the Witcher. The Wild Hunt is abroad and he must fight one last time to save those he cares about in a world that both hates and fears his kind.
The game of the year edition is available now on stem and origin, providing over 100 hours of gripping narrative that will have you crying and laughing in equal measure as you travel from Novigrad to Nilfgaard in search of your adopted daughter, Ciri.
This game is utterly unmissable and visually unrivalled. The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece that also comes incredibly well optimised. No matter the level of your system chances are you will be able to play this game beautifully on your rig.
Introducing a new glorious open world, with your faithful steed Roach by your side you’re ready to run down any fool that stands in your way.
The Witcher 3 continues the ultimate legacy of its franchise; memorable and heart stopping man vs monster action.
2: Batman Arkham Knight
Batman Arkham Knight gameplay
The conclusion to one of the most popular action franchises of all time, Batman faces the ultimate threat to Gotham in one last epic showdown as Scarecrow returns to unite the supervillains of Gotham. Will they finally succeed in their simple plan to kill the Batman?
Gotham is more stunning than ever before, with an almost dystopian feel coming to the franchise as it leaves the small confines of the previous games and embraces an even bigger, deadlier open world for Batman to protect.
We recommend this as one of our must plays even if you’re not a fan of Batman (who isn’t a fan of Batman though, cmon!?). The gameplay is brutal and incredibly satisfying, the environments of Gotham as dark and dangerous as the narrative and the Batman’s story comes to an epic conclusion that does this critically acclaimed franchise huge justice. After all, for the hero, the only true conclusion is death.
Make the criminals of Gotham remember why they fear the night with the newly designed Batmobile.
Faces new and old will make an appearance in the final showdown for Gotham City.
1: Battlefield 1
Battlefield 1 Gameplay
Battlefield™ 1 takes us to the little explored battlefields of WW1, where you will discover a side to the great war that you never knew existed.
Take down giant war zeppelins, fly the first real aerial combat engagements and even destroy your enemies with the first tanks ever built in a visually breath-taking game that well deserves its place at the top of our list.
Battlefield one has one of the most beautifully crafted, emotionally charged single player campaigns ever made for an FPS. But what really brings the game to the top of our list is the unrivalled multiplayer action of Battlefield 1 which has put it at the top of AAA fps games currently available.
With a stunning number of environments that will push even the most high end rig, this game pushes the absolute limit of what can currently be accomplished by video game graphics. We guarantee that if you haven’t had a chance to check out Battlefield 1 yet, you will certainly not be disappointed by the spectacle of the Great War.
Trench warfare looks and feels incredible, with an arsenal of beautiful weapons at your disposal war has never been so fun.
Tired of the trenches? Take to the skies and bring another dimension to the battlefield.
Like this article? Check these out as well:
