What is 4K gaming?
Gone were the days when 4K gaming was a privilege held by the ones with fat wallets. The growth of modern technology doesn’t seem to be slowing down, and is growing at exponential rates. With the release of Nvidia’s latest GTX-1080 and the Titan-pascal and the drop in prices for 4K Ultra HD monitors, 4K gaming, also called Ultra HD has become more of a possibility than a dream.
To better understand what 4K gaming is, one has to understand resolutions. If you are new to the entire concept, resolution refers to the number of colors or “pixels” that can be displayed on a monitor by a computer, more colors equals sharper graphics. We’ve heard of or come across 720p or 1080p displays and graphics. Well, what 4K gaming really is is gaming on a resolution 4x greater than that of 1080p. Understandably, the sheer processing and rendering power required is mind-blowing, which can also be said of the graphical beauty and eye-candy that 4K gaming offers.With 4K display prices having come down to the hundred dollar range ($250-$500), gamers around the world can rejoice at the fact that 4K gaming has become affordable. Having said that, what games are best played on 4K? I mean, there are many games that come to mind, but what games are the ones that deserve to be played in 4K?
1.The Witcher 3
Experience professional monster-slaying at its finest details.
The Witcher 3 is stunning as it is on an average computer, but how it would fare on a 4K desktop? CD Projekt Red’s final entry to The Witcher trilogy was simply epic. You take over Geralt on his quest to find Ciri, a long lost companion and stop The Wild Hunt. But, Witcher isn’t Witcher without its morally gray side quests that help to flesh out the already amazing and engaging world.
You will face monsters at every turn in the shape of humans and ones that are not so human, in places like bustling and crowded towns to isolated and foreboding forests and pathways. What makes these encounters and adventures more engrossing are the visuals, as they can be stunning. In addition, player created graphics mods can step up the sense of realism and can provide hours of staring out at the sunset and taking it all in.
2.GTA V
Experience car chases, explosion and violent stand-offs in gorgeous realism.
The franchise that started it all, GTA V is nothing short of impressive. Having sold more than 11 million copies in the first 24 hours, Rockstar made something that would steal hours or days off our lives in the years to come. You are given the entire fictional city of Los Santos to do with as you please. Granted you do have the main storyline, but that’s not the only thing GTA V is about.
GTA allows players to do whatever they want. You can play tennis, speedboat or hijack a plane and crash it in a city. On the other hand, you are given the option of following three different storylines through the three different protagonists. One of GTA V’s high points is the graphics, being a huge step up from GTA IV. Paired with the ambiance of the world, Los Santos and its neighboring areas are definitely an eye-pleaser. And of course, You do have mods that will take you up and above, in terms of gameplay and visuals.
3.Elder Scrolls Skyrim: remastered
Bethesda remastered Skyrim to be played specifically in 4K.
Bethesda, being a pioneer developer of open-world games hit jackpot with Th Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, so much so that they decided to release a remastered version five years later. I hope this shows what Skyrim delivered to gamers during its release. Hundreds of hours of quests and side-quests, exploration, crafting and all the other tiny things you could do in Skyrim.
You are The Dragonbourne. A hero sent to save the land of Skyrim from the now awakened dragons. The main storyline can be really engrossing, and so can the side-quests, but exploration is one of Skyrim’s strong points. The landscape can go from ice-covered plains in winter, to evergreen forests in spring, and the visual still holds up against many of the games today. Mods are obligatory to enjoy the true extent of Skyrim's beauty.
4.Dishonored 2
Shadow or Time-based powers. This time you get to choose.
Arcane Studios’ sequel to the critically acclaimed stealth, action game lives up to its predecessor and even surpasses it for quite an extent. You get the option of playing two different characters, each with their own unique skillset and gameplay options. Dishonored was widely known for its replay value and its sequel delivers on that same thing.
Emily Kaldwin faces a new threat to her reign in the form of her evil aunt, and along with Corvo Attano, must fight to reclaim her birthright. You are given the option at the very beginning to play as either Corvo or Emily. Both possess different powers and skills with Corvo possessing time and space manipulation powers, as seen in the previous games, And Emily having mastery overshadow based powers.
In addition to gameplay, Dishonoured has you exploring the island of Karnaca, a location filled to the brim with secrets to find and unique locations to explore. The graphics are simply stunning, especially with the diverse districts, each with their own stories and experiences. From the dust district to the bustling ports and the foreboding and maze-like Clockwork Mansion.
5.Dying Light
Dying Light brings parkour and zombie-survival in the best possible way.
Dying Light is a game that incorporates parkour and zombie killing into a formula that actually works. The action is fast paced and bloody. While the combat may seem a little clunky, it’s something you get used to. The world is breathtakingly large and filled with interesting storylines and mysteries. Every area is carefully designed to allow free-flow parkour and combat, allowing players to dismember zombies in diverse and creative ways.
The combat is satisfying and is paired with an excellent crafting system that allows you to construct weapons of mass-murder and use them. Your environment can also be used in combat, like priming an old car to explode on your command or setting up electrical traps. The visuals are excellent, especially on PC. The densely packed building are incredibly detailed and designed and give a sense of desolation and isolation. Dying Light is the most fun and enthralling zombie-survival game to come out in recent years and must definitely be experienced in 4K.
6.Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Return to the familiar world of middle earth, but at an unfamiliar time.
Tolkien’s fantasy epic is considered to be one of the greatest ever written. As expected, the universe has gotten the video game treatment in the form of enjoyable or mediocre games. Shadow of Mordor blew everyone away on its release, presenting the fantastical world of Middle Earth in a way the movies never could.
You are Talion, a ranger of Gondor. The game starts off with the brutal murder of you and your family. But, instead of dying you become bound to an elvish ghost. This spirit grants you new powers and skills that’ll in time, help you destroy Sauron.
The combat is free-flowing and extremely fun, including the stealth elements. Being powered by the Nemesis system provides a fully dynamic world that feels incredibly alive. Your actions have a deep impact on the NPCs and characters around you. The locations are also incredibly beautiful, much to the likes of the LOTR movies, with shadowy, desolate plains to vast green fields. Using the hardware to the maximum, Shadow of Mordor provides an amazing, out-of-the-world experience that is deserving of being played at 4K.
7.Rise of the Tomb Raider
Take control of a more formidable and deadly Lara in Rise of the Tomb Raider.
The sequel to the widely loved tomb raider reboot, Rise of the Tomb Raider surpasses its predecessor in flying colors. This time, you get to play a Lara Croft who is much tougher and battle worn, and you are no longer fighting for survival. The combat is engaging and satisfying that is only improved by the amazing crafting system that adds variety to the gameplay.
You will be given access to semi-open worlds that are beautiful and intriguing in their own way. Rise of the Tomb Raider sees you explore dark and dangerous tombs (Duh...), snow-capped mountains and alive, beautiful forests. Exploration can be pretty rewarding and actually makes you feel like an explorer. Temples and crypts and many such locations can be found in the beautifully designed levels. Rise of the Tomb Raider puts you in an Indiana Jones-esque adventure that will only get better on higher resolutions.
8.Fallout 4
The post-apocalyptic world never looked more stunning than in Fallout 4.
Bethesda sure know how to make open-world games. Fallout 4 did to the Fallout franchise what Skyrim did to the Elder Scrolls franchise. The world is and intricate and populated as usual, with stunning post-apocalyptic locations that are full of easter eggs, loot and stories to live out. As in previous games, you start off with an amnesiac custom-built character on his quest to find out what had happened to his family.
The gameplay has significantly improved, making both first-person and third-person combat equally fun and fluid. The VAT system is still a huge part and works as good or maybe even better than before. The crafting in Fallout 4 has been revamped in ways greater than previously anticipated. You can now build settlements, establish trade routes, assign roles for settlers and construct defences, and nothing that you find in the wasteland is useless. This works to the extent where you may have to search far and wide for pencils to extract the lead to be used in radiation shielding.
Fallout 4’s visuals are by far one of the highest points of the game. Each location is unique and stunning. You have dead forests, irradiated swamps, crumbling cities and even brighter places like farms and beautiful settlements. In my opinion, Fallout 4 is exactly the type of game that deserves the 4K treatment and will only make the experience more surreal.
9.Battlefield 1
An era untouched by the gaming world, comes strikingly alive in Battlefield 1.
Battlefield brings its large-scale epic combat back to the era of the World Wars and takes an unexpected route by putting us at the forefront of the original war, World War 1. This obviously had everyone hyped due to being overexposed to modern and futuristic warfare, it was time someone took a step back and EA DICE did just that.
Battlefield 1, despite taking on an older and simpler period in time, feels completely new and fun to play. The atmosphere and level design of the game only add to that feeling, putting us in a world much darker and grittier than the one we are used to seeing In WWII games. The single-player campaign was a pleasant surprise considering previous battlefield games’ singleplayer formula wasn’t exactly as satisfying as the multiplayer.
The singleplayer sees players take on soldiers from all corners of the battlefield, from tanks to planes, to bloody trenches. The multiplayer is epic in size and scale as usual, with objective driven gameplay that has been tried and tested. The visuals are simply stunning seeing as though they are running on the Frostbite engine and perfectly captures the terror and unique experience of WWI.
War is never beautiful, but Battlefield 1 proves otherwise by bringing us a bloody but stunning experience that is best experienced on 4K.
10.Deus Ex Mankind Divided
Deus Ex utilized a futuristic setting to deal with problems that dominate the present.
A worthy addition to the Deus Ex series, Mankind Divided improves on the already established formula with the addition of the much-needed features. While the story may seem to be smaller in scope than previous games, but stands out in terms of gameplay and visually stunning graphics and settings.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will let you control Adam Jensen as his already chaotic world descends further into madness after the infamous Aug incident in Human Revolution. You are given the city of Prague to explore, a city that is incredibly complex and detailed. Exploration will provide you with sweet treats like intriguing new storylines, easter eggs, and other multi-faceted side quests.
No single playthrough is guaranteed to be the same. The dialogue options are varied and can provide significantly different and interesting alternative paths. The augmentations have also been revamped, with changes that make both stealth and open combat equally fun and challenging. The overall game design is exceptional, providing us a truly futuristic setting that sets Deus Ex apart from others in the genre. From character designs, environment props to combat and tech giving us the unique sense of living in a futuristic world.
4K gaming is widely considered to be the next step in video game graphics, and that just might be, right seeing as though we do have the technology and the fact that it is turning out to be much more affordable than previously thought.
Even though graphics don’t exactly make or break games, they are an integral part of video games. They have the power to improve on an already great game and turn into something much greater. Regardless, the video games given above don’t necessarily have to be experienced In 4K and play just as good in any standard PC setup, they are great games but only get better on 4K.
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