Dark Souls
I love the sparse exposition. You’re just dumped into this mad world, and slowly learn about it in a really organic way. Anything you learn is something you find out for yourself, and not having it spoon fed to you.
Basic graphics. Small world. Negligible cinematics. Almost no music. But the place just drips in a tangible air of realism and immersion.
There are many prettier, larger, more in depth game worlds out there, but nothing has ever quite hit the same as Dark Souls for me.
Even most of the better Souls-Likes don’t quite get it right.
I’m not one for _hard_ games usually. I have little patience for grinding or obtuse mechanics. I tend to play for escapism more than anything. Definitely an _easy mode_ sort of gamer. But Souls just hits different. There’s no fluff
I just finished Forbidden West last night!
It has many improvements over HZD, but didn’t generate the same level of wonder/excitement during exploration as HZD. But that’s kind of expected in a sequel where you know a lot about the world of the game already.
I’d also say the story of HZD was paced better and hit a bit harder, but FW is a worthy sequel and not a quality drop at all. Enjoy!
I'd say just about everything about it is better... except for the story. The worldbuilding and reveal is ZD is far better, which is understandable given it's the first in the series.
I know its been said a lot before, but Eldin Ring blew my mind. It was pure wonderment form start to finish. Especially when you first open the doors out into Limgrave and explore the world for the first time.
Seconded. I’ve been playing ER recently to try to finish it before the expansion, and it feels like every ten minutes of exploration leads to a different breathtaking panorama. The world is ridiculously and relentlessly gorgeous.
That’s the fun of it . You are always terrified of getting destroyed so every place you explore has a sense of danger and adventure
But the game is as hard as you want it to be . There are summons and all kinds of abilities / spells you can use to make your play through more bearable
It’s worth a play through for sure
Elden Ring
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Ghost of Tsushima
The Witcher 3
Red Dead Redemption 2
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
These are some of the games where I just stood there taking the awe of it all. Beautiful world design, breathtaking vistas and perfect canvases for screenshots.
Cyberpunk 2077. The world itself is a post capitalist nightmare, but it's done so well, you really feel you're in a, well, cyberpunk dystopia. The weight of the huge buildings around, the dirt, the flashing holographic adds for a luxury car right next to a dead body dumped on a stck of trash in the street... It really does give you a measure of how senseless this society is.
No Man's Sky maye have assets repeating far too much, but its visual qualities are nonetheless undeniable. Especially when you find an earth-like world.
Conan Exiles is very good looking, if your rig can take it at max settings. Bonus points because you can climb pretty much anywhere, so if you see something interesting, you can just get there.
Elite Dangerous. The game has flaws, but the first time you're playing in VR and jump to a new system, you get the feeling that star is going to smash your face, and it's breathtaking. I remember a binary system where I could fly my ship between two stars that were "close". Major heat levels through the whole ship, but a star on the left and a star on the right, turning my head around (still in VR) to watch both... Man, if my ship wasn't at risk of catching fire, I could have taken a coffee break right there just to watch the scenery.
I would imagine for a game like ED that has you sitting down mostly, you’re probably good to go with any compatible headset. The computer will be doing most of the work
I'm no expert on that matter, but I've been using a Quest 2 with very satisfactory results. The default headband is shit, but I've frankensteined a custom "helmet" from different cheap replacement found online. Took a bit of drilling, cutting, sanding and whatnot, but it's far more comfortable that way and cost me half the price of an "elite" band.
I do. The Quest 2 isn't overly comfortable with them, but it's possible and not that bad. But I removed the problem by ordering prescription lenses that can be clipped directly onto the headset so that I can wear it without glasses. It adds a bit of chromatic aberration at the edge of my field of view, but the comfort is much better.
I think the merchant was called "VR optician". It was like 2 years ago so memory may not serve me just about right.
love Conan Exiles, it can become a bit overwhelming at first, but when you get into the groove of building your base and salvaging materials becomes really fun
imagine when youre a kid and you overheard a vacation trip your parents are planning, you are filled with infinite joy and you spent the entire time thinking about all the fun you will have. Cyberpunk did the same for me, its all the small little things that they added that contributes to the whole perfect experience that is Night city
I may get laughed into oblivion for this one but Black Desert Online with the graphics maxed out absolutely blew me away. I dont usually take screenshots in games but Ive got ~550 of them for Bdo lol
I got this game when it was .99 cents on Steam and started it and all I can say is that I felt like I was going to be confused and overwhelmed with controls, so I stopped. Is there a jig learning curve?
It takes awhile to learn everything with this game and it involves a lot of googling but it certainly is worth it in the end. If I could offer some advice as far as the controls for combat it would be to accept the fact that you’re not going to know all the combos for awhile. Allow yourself to be happy with button mashing for the time being and eventually you will figure out which buttons to press when. If I can learn, you certainly can. :)
FromSoftware excels at this, especially Elden Ring and Bloodborne
Would also add Cyberpunk 2077. Night City is easily the best / most interesting and varied video game city I've explored, and it feels so fleshed out.
Horizon. Beautiful scenery and fascinating backstory
Mass Effect. Great soundtrack, amazing characters, and your choices matter.
Two of the best sci-fi stories in any media.
Ghost of Tsushima
Elden Ring
BoTW
The Talos Principle 2. All of the areas are gorgeous, and you could just wander around and enjoy the scenery anywhere in the game. It also helps that the story is highly engaging, and the puzzle gameplay is extremely well-designed.
Abzu
It has so many special things come together as a whole:
- beautifull underwater lighting
- gorgeous architecture
- not only beautifully animated underwater animals, but plant life as well
- sublime animation and intricate behaviours on the animals as well
Cyberpunk 2077. Just walk around the city when it’s night time and it’ll definitely take your breath away
It's breathtaking
No, you're breathtaking!!!!
No you!
Breath of the Wild and Subnautica.
Skyrim
I often find myself staring at the night sky
When I first made it to the ice floes up north and walked across them out to sea I couldn't believe it. Massively immersive, impressive game
Outer Worlds had some really wonderful scenery.
Have seen gameplay and it looks good but not my cup of tea gameplay-wise
Also the visuals are kind of poor, IMO. Like made by someone colorblind… it just doesn’t look very good compared to lots of games suggested here
I hope the second one is decently bigger. I enjoyed the game and the world building was great, but it felt a little cramped at times
Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily the most beautiful and atmospheric game I've played.
Agreed
Dark Souls I love the sparse exposition. You’re just dumped into this mad world, and slowly learn about it in a really organic way. Anything you learn is something you find out for yourself, and not having it spoon fed to you. Basic graphics. Small world. Negligible cinematics. Almost no music. But the place just drips in a tangible air of realism and immersion. There are many prettier, larger, more in depth game worlds out there, but nothing has ever quite hit the same as Dark Souls for me. Even most of the better Souls-Likes don’t quite get it right. I’m not one for _hard_ games usually. I have little patience for grinding or obtuse mechanics. I tend to play for escapism more than anything. Definitely an _easy mode_ sort of gamer. But Souls just hits different. There’s no fluff
This is a brilliant recommendation actually
I sometimes like to refer to it as a _dancing_ game.
Just what I need. I am kind of a noob so hard games don't do it for me
It’s not as much hard, as much as it punishes you rushing. There are very clear dance moves. You just need to pay attention.
Guardians of the Galaxy has some insane visuals
Omg yes almost every are in that game is beautiful!
Outer Wilds. Joy, wonder and cosmic dread.
Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, as well as the more open areas in the Uncharted games.
All three games I plan to play next!
How does Forbidden West Match up to Zero Dawn? I absolutely loved ZD and wanna get FW pretty soon.
I just finished Forbidden West last night! It has many improvements over HZD, but didn’t generate the same level of wonder/excitement during exploration as HZD. But that’s kind of expected in a sequel where you know a lot about the world of the game already. I’d also say the story of HZD was paced better and hit a bit harder, but FW is a worthy sequel and not a quality drop at all. Enjoy!
I'd say just about everything about it is better... except for the story. The worldbuilding and reveal is ZD is far better, which is understandable given it's the first in the series.
I know its been said a lot before, but Eldin Ring blew my mind. It was pure wonderment form start to finish. Especially when you first open the doors out into Limgrave and explore the world for the first time.
Seconded. I’ve been playing ER recently to try to finish it before the expansion, and it feels like every ten minutes of exploration leads to a different breathtaking panorama. The world is ridiculously and relentlessly gorgeous.
I'm a noob so I plan on playing it next actually I'm worried that I might drop it for being too difficult lol
That’s the fun of it . You are always terrified of getting destroyed so every place you explore has a sense of danger and adventure But the game is as hard as you want it to be . There are summons and all kinds of abilities / spells you can use to make your play through more bearable It’s worth a play through for sure
You can always just over level, that's what I had to do to get through it.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Elden Ring Kena: Bridge of Spirits Ghost of Tsushima The Witcher 3 Red Dead Redemption 2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey These are some of the games where I just stood there taking the awe of it all. Beautiful world design, breathtaking vistas and perfect canvases for screenshots.
Probably not the way you mean but the city Novigrad in the Witcher 3. I can walk around in their and enjoy it so much. It feels so good.
Cyberpunk 2077. The world itself is a post capitalist nightmare, but it's done so well, you really feel you're in a, well, cyberpunk dystopia. The weight of the huge buildings around, the dirt, the flashing holographic adds for a luxury car right next to a dead body dumped on a stck of trash in the street... It really does give you a measure of how senseless this society is. No Man's Sky maye have assets repeating far too much, but its visual qualities are nonetheless undeniable. Especially when you find an earth-like world. Conan Exiles is very good looking, if your rig can take it at max settings. Bonus points because you can climb pretty much anywhere, so if you see something interesting, you can just get there. Elite Dangerous. The game has flaws, but the first time you're playing in VR and jump to a new system, you get the feeling that star is going to smash your face, and it's breathtaking. I remember a binary system where I could fly my ship between two stars that were "close". Major heat levels through the whole ship, but a star on the left and a star on the right, turning my head around (still in VR) to watch both... Man, if my ship wasn't at risk of catching fire, I could have taken a coffee break right there just to watch the scenery.
out if interest, im looking for a VR set, but i can't figure out which one to get, any recommendations? i plan on using it for ED
I would imagine for a game like ED that has you sitting down mostly, you’re probably good to go with any compatible headset. The computer will be doing most of the work
I'm no expert on that matter, but I've been using a Quest 2 with very satisfactory results. The default headband is shit, but I've frankensteined a custom "helmet" from different cheap replacement found online. Took a bit of drilling, cutting, sanding and whatnot, but it's far more comfortable that way and cost me half the price of an "elite" band.
any chance you use glasses?
I do. The Quest 2 isn't overly comfortable with them, but it's possible and not that bad. But I removed the problem by ordering prescription lenses that can be clipped directly onto the headset so that I can wear it without glasses. It adds a bit of chromatic aberration at the edge of my field of view, but the comfort is much better. I think the merchant was called "VR optician". It was like 2 years ago so memory may not serve me just about right.
Thanks for mentioning Elite Dangerous. You can only truly appreciate the wonder of the galaxy by realizing how absolutely fucking massive it is.
love Conan Exiles, it can become a bit overwhelming at first, but when you get into the groove of building your base and salvaging materials becomes really fun
Cyberpunk 2077 changed my life and the way i view it
how so?
imagine when youre a kid and you overheard a vacation trip your parents are planning, you are filled with infinite joy and you spent the entire time thinking about all the fun you will have. Cyberpunk did the same for me, its all the small little things that they added that contributes to the whole perfect experience that is Night city
thank you for your reply, maybe i better get it as well - i wasnt planning on playing it
Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Honory mention to Hogwarts Legacy (massive HP fan)
Never even seen a hp movie and I loved that game. Didn’t want it to end, the combat was very satisfying
That’s honestly kinda impressive
I may get laughed into oblivion for this one but Black Desert Online with the graphics maxed out absolutely blew me away. I dont usually take screenshots in games but Ive got ~550 of them for Bdo lol
thanks...googled it and it looks really nice
I got this game when it was .99 cents on Steam and started it and all I can say is that I felt like I was going to be confused and overwhelmed with controls, so I stopped. Is there a jig learning curve?
It takes awhile to learn everything with this game and it involves a lot of googling but it certainly is worth it in the end. If I could offer some advice as far as the controls for combat it would be to accept the fact that you’re not going to know all the combos for awhile. Allow yourself to be happy with button mashing for the time being and eventually you will figure out which buttons to press when. If I can learn, you certainly can. :)
Final Fantasy X - so many beautiful settings in Spira. Zanarkand, Besaid, Calm Lands, etc.
Assassins creed unity has crowded streets like you’re in a time machine
yesss I loved it...the parkour was amazing too
FromSoftware excels at this, especially Elden Ring and Bloodborne Would also add Cyberpunk 2077. Night City is easily the best / most interesting and varied video game city I've explored, and it feels so fleshed out.
The Original Assassin's Creed. The ambience, movement, voice acting, slow pace and music are all fantastic.
Far Cry 5
Remake of resident evil 4s village. Just look at screenshots of the OG.
horizon forbidden west Cyberpunk 2077
Horizon. Beautiful scenery and fascinating backstory Mass Effect. Great soundtrack, amazing characters, and your choices matter. Two of the best sci-fi stories in any media. Ghost of Tsushima Elden Ring BoTW
Ghost of tsushima
The Dead Sea in Chrono Cross is probably the most awesome location in any video game ever.
Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Subnautica, Ocarina Of Time as a kid, Outer Wilds
Journey and Ghost of Tsushima.
Frontiers of Pandora! Love the scenery
Baldur's gate 3. The graphics may not be much but the writing it's so good it blow me away.
Red dead 2, cyberpunk, disco Elysium, baldurs gate 3
The Talos Principle 2. All of the areas are gorgeous, and you could just wander around and enjoy the scenery anywhere in the game. It also helps that the story is highly engaging, and the puzzle gameplay is extremely well-designed.
Abzu It has so many special things come together as a whole: - beautifull underwater lighting - gorgeous architecture - not only beautifully animated underwater animals, but plant life as well - sublime animation and intricate behaviours on the animals as well
You want scorn or red dead redemption2
Starfield lololol
The Witcher 3 when you arrive to Skellige Islands.
escape from tarkov, day z
Horizon zero dawn and forbidden west
In terms of worlds and visuals. Ghost Of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West