With each year, it is more difficult to impress players with graphics alone, because even in the last-gen, some titles have already achieved photorealistic visuals with amazing overall detail. In contrast, this generation has been less about increasing polygon counts (but not without it) and more about making big changes in lighting, moving towards fully dynamic lighting simulations, and leaving old tricks like baked lighting in the past. This means more freedom and flexibility to create fully dynamic worlds in gaming that feel natural and alive.
The best next-gen open-world games with ultra-realistic graphics
These great open-world titles really show what the current generation of platforms is capable of in terms of visuals.
Today, there are many Visually stunning titles of various genresBe it an open world, a tightly curated linear experience, a character-driven story, multiple cutscenes, or a fast-paced dynamic shooter with real-time destruction and physics, each is determined by its own strengths. Below are the games of this generation which The most “next-gen” feel while offering great visuals Which shows how far the gaming industry has come. To keep things different, we tried to select titles powered by different genres and different technologies, each offering brilliant highlights in specific areas.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
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Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
7
Star Wars Outlaws
Snowdrop engine
As the first true open world Star Wars game, prisoners It may not live up to fan expectations, but it's impossible to deny that it's one of the most beautiful titles of this generation. Powered by Massive's Snowdrop Engine (also used in Division 2 and Avatar: Pandora's Border), Star Wars Outlaws With each new planet more impressive than the last, it's easily one of the most beautiful open-world games ever made.
SW Outlaws It's equally strong in depicting diverse planets with unforgettable, stunning landscapes, bustling settlements with detailed interiors, massive outer-space battles, and close-up character interactions. Unfortunately, the game got off to a pretty bad start, killing it's impression for first time players, but as the dust settles, fans of the gorgeous looking title shouldn't ignore it anymore.
6
Alan Wake 2
Northlight Engine
Even before the launch, the treatment has been rather convincing Alan Wake 2Marketing it as the best-looking game of the year — and it wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. Alan Wake 2 Truly quite a sight to behold, using its relatively small exploration spaces to its advantage, pumping the level of detail to new extremes, and blurring the line between iconic TV show and video game.
8 beautiful game worlds that make Earth look ugly in comparison
Our planet looks dull and gray in comparison.
Players can't forget their scary uncomfortable night run in the forest Alan Wake 2Beautiful sunsets against the backdrop of small, atmospheric hamlets, and the dark streets of a winding, dreamlike version of New York. Another thing is worth mentioning Alan Wake 2's The perfect use of FMV (Full Motion Video) in the cutscenes and even directly in the gameplay, the cinematic look of the game is second to none.
5
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Motor Engine (ID Tech 7)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Could use an older version of the id tech engine (called Motor here due to its extensive rework by MachineGames) Doom: The Dark AgesBut that doesn't mean it's any less – it's just different and almost equally impressive. Instead of acting quickly and unopposed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle It's all about intense exploration of vast, stunningly detailed locations with unforgettable action sequences to give any Hollywood blockbuster of yesteryear a head start.
With its deliberately cinematic appeal, vivid characters that look and feel straight out of the movies, a wide range of places and countries to visit with their distinct feel and layered maps, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle For its technical and gameplay aspects, it deserves a lot of recognition.
4
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
Unreal Engine 5
two years later, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Still a great showcase of Unreal Engine 5 capabilities, though the title sacrifices a lot to achieve that. Only a game in the traditional sense, it's a very tight and linear experience, with almost non-existent exploration and only a handful of fight scenes – but each one is as memorable as it is visceral.
Free games that have ridiculously impressive graphics
Money isn't everything, and while many big releases boast stunning graphics, these free-to-play games have the visual chops to keep pace.
Hellblade 2 The most realistic-looking characters that react when hit in real-time, landscapes and environments that look and feel indistinguishable from real places, seamless transitions between cutscenes and gameplay without any quality dip, and packs some truly spectacular visuals and effects to highlight Senua's troubled state of mind. Players are guaranteed to keep their hand on the capture button during the entire playthrough to never miss another great shot.
3
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Anvil Engine
rival Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin's Creed Shadows This is no less a remarkable achievement in terms of the technologies used to bring its stunning open world to life. The latest version of Ubisoft Anvil, also used by Ubisoft in almost every AAA game, offers stunning results across the board: from characters and costume details to landscapes with impressive draw distances, bustling cities with hundreds of NPCs, realistic clothing physics and destruction, and convincing dynamic weather effects.
Assassin's Creed Shadows It's also a great game for delivering dynamic seasons on such a scale, delivering several equally stunning versions of its massive world, decorating its entire map in new colors for spring, summer, autumn and winter. For hours, it's a simple joy to wander the grounds, appreciating how natural and authentic every corner feels.
2
Doom: The Dark Ages
ID Tech 8 Engine
Widely acclaimed as the most technically impressive blockbuster of last year, Doom: The Dark Ages Delivers exceptional visuals packed with flawless performance to deliver an endlessly dynamic FPS experience, no matter the platform. One of the best examples of ray tracing and path tracing implementation to date, offering wild flexibility for settings in the PC version. Doom: The Dark Ages Modern Technology is a benchmark that outshines what few other titles can compete with.
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If you've been away from the latest technology in gaming, keep an eye out for these upcoming titles releasing in early 2026.
Using the latest id tech 8 engine version (no other game uses it yet), Dark Ages Crystal is a combination of crisp character, enemy, and weapon models and textures, layered maps, mind-boggling visual effects like explosions and magical attacks, and a wide range of physical destruction and gory pieces—all set in a gorgeous, responsive world with an impressively grand scale.
1
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Decima Engine
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Currently the game stands in a league of its own in many areas, including its stunningly realistic visuals. Powered by a Decima engine (also used in Horizon Forbidden West — one of the best-looking games ever to run on PS4) that both Guerrilla Games and Kojima Productions have been developing in close partnership for years, Death Stranding 2 What stands out as perhaps the most compellingly realistic game of this generation will probably have an impact for years to come.
Starting with high-fidelity character models brought to life by actors through state-of-the-art photogrammetry scanning technologies, to desolate landscapes of unmatched beauty and spectacular draw distances, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach A visual feast that is bound to impress. Very few modern games can offer a comparable “next level” experience that leaves players and spectators literally in awe.
Open-world RPGs that could define the next console generation
Here's a look at some of the most promising open-world RPGs full of potential, even if they're still years away from release.
