A visual feast for gamers: The most beautiful games of 2024

Video game developers are constantly competing with each other to create the most beautiful graphics. This is not surprising, as the number of gamers with powerful PCs continues to grow steadily. Not long ago, I discussed the best strategies and the biggest failures in the industry, so it's time to talk about the most beautiful games of 2024. Prepare your top-tier video cards and widescreen monitors—we're setting off to admire the beauties of virtual worlds.

Black Myth: Wukong

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Let's start with a potential Game of the Year contender that has stirred the internet upon its release and climbed the Steam charts. Black Myth: Wukong offers gamers the perfect balance between action and the difficulty inherent to the souls-like genre.

This action-RPG captivates with its beauty, inspired by Chinese mythology. The visual effects in the game exceed all expectations: detailed characters, dynamic shadows, and lighting effects immerse the player in a fairy-tale world. Locations, from ancient temples to mystical forests, create a sense of being immersed in a living legend, evoking the feeling of reading a book or watching an animated series. The graphics engine delivers maximum performance—no doubt about it.

In addition to its visual splendor, the game has received high praise for its originality in adapting the classic novel "Journey to the West." Bosses and enemies boast impressive designs, and the main character's transformation abilities allow for tactical variety in combat. Overall, this is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year!

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

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Of course, the most impressive graphics will be in the continuation of Senua's iconic story. Utilizing advanced motion capture technology, the developers have recreated the emotionally rich facial expressions of the protagonist, making her inner world tangible. Honestly, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 looks more beautiful than some modern films!

The landscapes of Northern Europe, dark and majestic, create the atmosphere of an epic saga—the developers did everything to ensure you absorb everything visually, dedicating colossal resources to the visual component.

The incredible visuals are complemented by sound. The musical accompaniment and sound effects are synchronized with the gameplay, immersing the player in a story about battling inner demons. Naturally, all of this is enhanced by the franchise's main feature—stunning visual effects of water, fog, and fire.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

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Here is pure post-apocalyptic beauty. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series became world-famous thanks to its dense mystical atmosphere, and fans have been waiting for the sequel for many years. Finally, the game is out, and the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 have made it the most atmospheric game of 2024!

Next-generation graphics render the landscapes of Chernobyl frighteningly realistic. The developers paid attention to the smallest details: dynamic weather changes, rusty structures, and devastated villages look like living paintings. The most incredible aspect here is the rain. Believe me, you can get soaked under it, even through the monitor.

Special atmosphere is created by lighting effects—sunsets illuminating murky waters and the darkness of anomalies suddenly broken by radiation flashes. Every small light source is placed manually, creating highlights for the player. Even for the beautiful graphics alone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is definitely worth trying.

Manor Lords

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This medieval city simulator offers incredible graphics that create a complete immersion effect. I have repeatedly been thrilled by the landscapes in my guides for this game and will say it again—it’s the most beautiful strategy game currently! Although, it has gained a competitor in terms of graphics, which I will discuss below.

The depiction of seasonal changes adds dynamics, highlighting changes in nature and the settlement's life. Here you won't see the green summer texture simply turn into white winter. No, the weather changes gradually, and puddles appear on the roads, followed by snowdrifts.

Special attention to architecture and the details of medieval life underscores the game's atmosphere, as you can view everything from the perspective of your lord. The inhabitants are busy with their tasks, manually transporting resources and cultivating fields, which you can also walk through. Without exaggeration, Manor Lords can be considered a new step in graphics for this genre.

Broken Arrow

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Here is another contender for the title of the most beautiful strategy. The war game Broken Arrow entered beta testing in 2024 and amazed gamers with its level of graphics. Unreal Engine impresses with its capabilities even in such a niche genre. Usually, a war game implies overseeing the battlefield from a great height, moving troop markers on the map, but Broken Arrow changed everything.

Contrary to convention, here you want to zoom in the camera and examine all the details closely! The models of modern military equipment are created with great attention to detail, and the landscape textures realistically convey the atmosphere of large-scale battles.

Explosion effects, smoke screens, and a dynamic camera add intensity to the fights. Add to this the destructibility of some objects, and you get the graphical level of a modern AAA shooter, but remember, we're looking at an RTS! Broken Arrow combines the precision of a military simulator with artistic beauty that you can't take your eyes off.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

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Epic battles in the Warhammer 40K universe have never looked so grand! While reading the books, we imagined exactly what we can now see on the screens, and it's amazing. Detailed models of Space Marines and Tyranids come to life with incredible animation thanks to powerful visual effects. Every scratch and dent on the power armor is visible, delighting fans. This is paradise for those who want to collect Space Marines without spending thousands of dollars on miniatures.

Gloomy Gothic worlds, reminiscent of fantastic illustrations, enhance the game's atmosphere. The entire environment is filled with details, and the designers surely deserved their pay. It's pleasing that the artists paid attention not only to the "angels" but to everything else, including ordinary mortals who serve us faithfully. If you are still hesitating whether to play Space Marine 2, read more about it in my article. The Emperor approves!

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

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The second part of the remake of the iconic game impresses with its graphics quality. The developers managed to squeeze the maximum out of their engine, even though it is not the newest. As a result, we have a worthy heir to the franchise's visual style. The landscapes here look so beautiful that you can stop every 100 meters and take stunning screenshots.

Not only does the environment add beauty, but also the effects. The world is filled with magic, which means there are constantly bright flashes, lightning, fire, and ice on the screen—a true visual feast.

Of course, the cinematic scenes, for which the Final Fantasy series is so famous, are also pleasing. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most beautiful games of 2024.

Zenless Zone Zero

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Surprised? Not really, because this action-RPG with elements of RPG from the creators of Genshin Impact captivates with its unique style. Urban landscapes, bright and dynamic, combine elements of futurism and Asian culture in a wild anime style, and it all looks incredibly vivid.

The effects of characters' abilities and dynamic battles are executed with artistic precision, turning fights into a real visual feast. Something is happening and sparkling on the screen every fraction of a second, making it hard to take your eyes off the monitor, but that's not all.

The character designs, which captivated gamers, deserve special mention. Each character is unique and attractive, and the large number of skins heightens interest in completing each mission. The game definitely deserves a place on the list, as does our next contender.

Wuthering Waves

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Yes, here we have an anime style again. Unlike the previous game, everything here is not so bright and colorful, because Wuthering Waves sends the player not to a cheerful arena but to a rather gloomy fantasy. The landscapes here match the narrative, so be prepared to observe dark landscapes, magical anomalies, dark forests, and abandoned cities. Although, there are also quite colorful bright locations for every taste.

Of course, a lot of attention is paid to the game's characters. Each of them has their own visual style, and the heroes are pleasant to look at—you won't get tired of them, and that's important for RPGs.

The icing on the cake is the effects and animations. Everything follows the standards of a colorful cartoon, so every movement of the character is well felt through the gamepad or even the keyboard. In summary, Wuthering Waves can be called one of the most beautiful RPGs of the year.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

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Modern gamers who missed the original Silent Hill 2 faced a problem—it’s difficult to play on modern systems. The cult (the best) psychological thriller was simply hopelessly outdated, but then a miracle happened! A remake was released that everyone was both eagerly awaiting and fearing. Why the fear? There was concern that the developers wouldn't be able to convey the same eerie and cold atmosphere of the original. Fortunately, they succeeded.

They not only preserved the atmosphere but amplified it a hundredfold thanks to Unreal Engine 5. Foggy streets, gloomy interiors, and horrifying monsters literally come to life thanks to the use of next-generation technologies. Shadows and lighting enhance the sense of horror, ensuring complete immersion.

Silent Hill 2 Remake is not only an homage to the original but also a new quality benchmark for horror games. The developers proved that old games can be preserved and improved, making this game one of the most atmospheric games of modern times, alongside the new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

As you can see, there was plenty to look forward to this year. Whether it’s the classic style of Final Fantasy, the atmosphere of Silent Hill 2, the incredible open world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, or the unique anime style of Wuthering Waves—here, every gamer will find a project to their liking.

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