by RootSec
The recent release of the PS5 and Xbox One Series X|S has once again brought the conversation of consoles vs PC back to the forefront of the gaming industry. The pros and cons can be debated for hours, but there’s one indisputable benefit of playing on PC. If someone has the funds to afford the high-end hardware, PC gaming provides the best visual and graphical performance around.
Because the majority of gamers don’t own high-end PC’s, many developers aren’t willing to spend too much time optimizing their games. After all, the majority of players won’t get the chance to see them performing at the top level. That’s not to say that there’s a shortage of games that will test the limits of even the best hardware though. Numerous games compensate players for the eye-watering investments that top builds require. It’s worth pointing out that the games on this list are judged on the developer’s intended product; adding mods into the equation would turn this into an entirely different list.
Updated May 5th, 2021, by Jack Pursey: With shortages to the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 still frustrating gamers all over the world, many people are making the leap to PC. Granted, PC parts are having their own shortage issues. However, many gamers have still been able to buy or create top-of-the-line PCs that can provide stunning visuals. To give such people an idea of what games will look best on their PC, we’ve expanded this list by a further five entries.
15 Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator released in August 2020, and let players explore the world at a time where much of the world was in lockdown. Asobo Studio’s game features an incredible rendition of Earth thanks to data from Bing Maps, letting players fly over some of the most iconic locations across the globe.
The game’s rendition of Earth is the main selling point for many players. But for others, the flight controls are also a treat for anyone wanting an authentic, immersive experience.
14 Star Wars: Squadrons
From one flying game to another, Star Wars: Squadrons ditches Microsoft Flight Simulator‘s realism for the fantasy sci-fi battles from the Star Wars universe. Where Flight Simulator provides a true-to-life look at Earth, Squadrons throws players in enormous space-battles with countless ships engaging in combat.
Rather than giving players a third-person perspective of their ship, the game puts them front and centre in the cockpit. This helps to provide an engrossing experience. The incredible warfare visuals combined with the immersive sound design makes players feel like they’re in the midst of battle.
13 Hitman 3
A game centered around being a hitman may not seem like a natural source of stunning locations. However, Agent 47 is lucky enough to travel to numerous beautiful areas throughout 2021’s Hitman 3.
From the game’s starting location of Dubai to a quintessential British manor to a vibrant nightclub in Berlin, these locations will put the capabilities of even high-end PCs to the test. Hitman 3 treats players to an incredible range of places to see while conducting their deadly missions throughout the eight-hour story.
12 F1 2020
The latest entry into the F1 gaming franchise was the most critically acclaimed sports title in 2020. Its Metascore of 91 on Xbox One that surpassed anything else in the genre.
The game’s main selling point is its My Team mode. It lets players build a team from the ground up, and can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment for die-hard Formula 1 fans. However, F1 2020 wasn’t just beloved by fans of the sport in real life. The game’s incredible attention to detail brought a whole new audience to the motorsport. Many gamers were instantly encapsulated by the game’s immersive look and feel.
11 Dirt 5
Dirt 5 was developed by Codemasters, the same studio that released the aforementioned F1 2020. This game, though takes players to the other side of the racing spectrum. Instead of crisp, meticulously designed tracks in the heart of some of the world’s most stunning cities, Dirt 5 takes players to grimy tracks that will put the player’s car handling skills to the test.
Dirt 5 didn’t perform as well as F1 2020 with critics, exemplified by its Metascores between 72 and 83. Yet, there’s no denying that the game looks fantastic on top-of-the-range rigs.
10 Star Wars Battlefront II
To say that EA had a tough time with the marketing of Star Wars Battlefront II. would be an understatement, as the implementation of microtransactions understandably soured many players on the Star Wars title.
As much as some players would like to ignore the game, it’s hard to deny that EA provided players with an incredible, immersive visual experience that truly made players feel like they were in the films.
9 Just Cause 4
For developers, there are plenty of great things about creating an open-world setting in a fictional location. One of the greatest is that there’s no limit to how ambitious and extraordinary the game-world can look.
Just Cause 4 takes place in a fictional South American country named Solís. The stunning landscapes aren’t Solís’ only impressive feature though. The country suffers from frequent thunderstorms and tornados that will test not just the player’s capability to survive, but the capabilities of their PC’s hardware too.
8 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
When Assassin’s Creed Origins took Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series in a more RPG centric direction, it wasn’t just the gameplay that changed, but the franchise’s already impressive visuals took a sharp increase in quality too. The games’ visuals have been improving since, and the latest iteration, Valhalla has the best aesthetics yet.
Valhalla takes players to Norway for the first time in the series, as well as taking them back to England; this time in the 9th century.
7 Far Cry 5
Despite being set in Montana, United States, Far Cry 5, much like Just Cause 4, is set in a fictional location that gave the developers free-range to create a fantastic open-world.
Players aren’t restricted to just admiring the world that the development team created though. In Far Cry 5, players can try their hand at creating their own open-world paradise with the map creator.
6 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
The third entry into the rebooted Tomb Raider series saw a shift in development teams, as Eidos-Montreal took over from Crystal Dynamic who developed the previous two games and just had a supporting role with Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
2015‘s Rise of the Tomb Raider had a strong argument to be on this list, but Shadow of the Tomb Raider trumps it with its fantastic tropical environments.
5 Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus is the third entry into the Metro series and gave players an open world to explore for the first time in the series. The scenery is far from being the prettiest on this list though, as the game takes the player on a long journey across a post-apocalyptic Russia.
Don’t let the premise fool you though, Exodus is far from being a walking simulator. In fact, the survival horror game’s unsettling and atmospheric visuals will make gamers wish they were playing on N64 graphics.
4 Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 is a fitting game to follow Metro Exodus as a drive around an English countryside is a great way for players to put Metro‘s post-apocalyptic horrors out of their minds.
Along with a beautiful rendition of Great Britain, Forza Horizon 4 earns its spot on this list for adding changing seasons to the critically acclaimed Forza series; a fantastic addition that will test even the most expensive rigs.
3 Control
Developed by 505 Entertainment, 2019’s Control took players on an action-packed, story-driven adventure that lived up to the high expectations that the developer set with 2010’s Alan Wake.
5050 Entertainment were rewarded for their efforts with the game’s visuals, as Control picked up numerous awards including Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2019 and Best Visual Art at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar is probably kicking back and enjoying the fall out over Cyberpunk 2077‘s buggy launch, as it has inadvertently made gamers appreciate the incredible open-world games that they have been creating over the years. Fans are still waiting to hear any official news about Grand Theft Auto 6‘s existence, but they were treated to the next best thing in 2018 with a sequel to Red Dead Redemption.
Red Dead Redemption 2 certainly didn’t disappoint, scoring a whopping 97 on Xbox One and PS4. Unfortunately, the PC port had a few performance issues and consequently scored four points lower than the other iterations, but the game still looked phenomenal and reminded players exactly why they forked out for such a high-quality PC build.
1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt earning the top spot on this list likely won’t surprise anyone who has played the epic action-RPG. CD Projekt Red’s game didn’t have an ideal start to life, as it was inundated with glitches on launch. These were soon fixed though and the game’s incredible scope was fully realized.
The Witcher 3‘s comeback from a rocky start has given Cyberpunk 2077 players a glimmer of hope, as it’s safe to say that CD Projekt’s latest game has failed to impress so far.
