Most visually impressive Open World game [WARNING: Massive Inlined Image Dumps]

[Shifty Geezer]

Most/all of them? They recognise they can't get photorealistic and go for a stylised look instead. I suppose for this thread, one can freely specify that as the criteria to avoid 'best looking' arguments. You could actually objectively measure that by showing screenshot samples and having non-gamers vote if they think it's a photo or a computer game. I'll put in for a €50,000 EU research grant...

 

[eastmen]

um the witcher 3 pc and dying light aren't here.

Also why do we have unreleased games in the OP haven't we learned our lesson with games like watch dog and ac unity ?

witcher 3 8k

dying light 8k

 

[ultragpu]

Well going by gg and insomniac's track record they're highly reliable in terms of not only keeping the final product on par with the pre release footage but also improved upon. Unlike ubi they don't do downgrade.
I also mentioned the witches 3 blood and wine, it's lighting is however outdated in comparison, feels too flat for me. Rendering at 8k does not give you better lighting, shaders, poly count or density though. It's bullshot quality for sure but that only takes you so far.

 

[618116]

If this thread is about visually impressive game and not technically, I think I can mention Xenoblade Chronicles X.

 

[Clukos]

I would add Forza Horizon 3 to that list, game is looking lovely and is probably the best looking open world racing game, even rivaling most non-open world racing games. From what I've seen in 2017 i'm looking forward to Horizon (obviously) and GR2 in early 2017 then later on a game that will most probably impress is RDR 2:

 

[ultragpu]

Yeah RDR2 looks really good from what little that we've seen. FH3 also looks stunning and totally forgot about it being an open world game too, but the lighting is still not overly impressive so it's just missing that extra oomph.

 

[AzBat]

so it's just missing that extra oomph.

Not being playable on PS4? Also, with this being a console forum post I'd figure The Division PC wouldn't be included. Guess that just leaves this being a open-world games on PS4 thread. :/

Tommy McClain

 

[ultragpu]

Not being playable on PS4? Also, with this being a console forum post I'd figure The Division PC wouldn't be included. Guess that just leaves this being a open-world games on PS4 thread. :/

Tommy McClain

I specifically included PC in the op even though we're in console forum and even listed The Division PC Ultra as 3rd best looking in case you didn't read the whole op. FH3 lighting is not volumetric so it definitely lacks that extra realism compared to the ones that do.

 

[function]

So this has indeed turned into a "no Xbox, best screenshots" thread.

 

[Nesh]

So this has indeed turned into a "no Xbox, best screenshots" thread.

Why do you say that?

 

[ultragpu]

So this has indeed turned into a "no Xbox, best screenshots" thread.

Any platform is welcome here, not stopping you from posting FH3's screenshots to prove me wrong. Again, it's about visuals, animations and anything technical that complements the visuals. Of course you can always mention what makes that particular open world game impressive to you, I'm sure we can appreciate the reasons. But the topic centralizes on the visuals here and screenshots, gifs, vids or vimeo all help.

 

[homerdog]

Here's another vote for GTA5. It's maybe the best looking game I've ever seen apart from The Witcher 3.

 

[Davros]

So shouldnt you vote for The Witcher 3

 

[homerdog]

The two are tied in my book.

 

[Albuquerque]

Out-of-the-box and at max settings, I also believe GTAV (on the PC) is a serious contender for gorgeous open world / sandbox. It's not just one key area either, there is such diversity of geographic regions with their own unique traits and "feel." It's just all around a great looking game.

 

[Malo]

So.... how are unreleased games in a list for best [insert something] game (other than best looking unreleased game)?

 

[AlNom]

Search your feelings

 

[Albuquerque]

Search your feelings

 

[Lightman]

From the games I've played, I pick The Witcher 3!
I had so many 'oh wow! this is amazing' moments while playing this game, that nothing else beats it.
Disclaimer: I have yet to play GTA V or FarCry 4 but the vastness and variety of TW3 world will be hard to beat!

 

[Jupiter]

Unfortunately, I have to respectfully disagree with most of you here. ^^

Watch Dogs 2 (1) by X-RAY-89, auf Flickr

Watch Dogs 2 (2) by X-RAY-89, auf Flickr

Watch Dogs 2 (3) by X-RAY-89, auf Flickr

Watch Dogs 2 (4) by X-RAY-89, auf Flickr

Watch Dogs 2 (5) by X-RAY-89, auf Flickr

Watch Dogs 2 (6) by X-RAY-89, auf Flickr


GTA V looks good on PC maxed out but compared to more modern games like The Division and Watch Dogs 2 it loses. To that GTA V has an ugly/small shadow box

WItcher III is technically only "okay" in my opinion. The animations are good but the engine itself has graphically many weaknesses and the vegetation is very shallow/flat. GI in indoors does not exist.

I think that Red Dead Redemption 2 might be graphically better than GTA V and Witcher 3 but it also does not look much better than the somewhat outdated GTA V from my point of view.

Days Gone looks good but not very good. Let's see what will come of it. It still takes a while.

There are already more videos about Horizon Zero Dawn. I find this better than the four games mentioned above but I see also many weaknesses in the pop ups especially compared to PC titles. In GTA V and The Division, for example, I see almost no pop ups. In GTA V I can even fly with a plane. I can increase the distance and LOD quality extremely. The ground in Horizon Zero Dawn could also use more details and POM. Technically it is probably very good. More modern than almost all other open world games.

I can only say a little about Spiderman but I doubt that it can compete against these huge PC games such as The Division or Watch Dogs 2.

Far Cry Primal looks technically better than most other open world games. It has an extremely dense vegetation. Here however, the art design is not that interesting. I would rate it over Witcher III and GTA V.

AC: Unity is also very good but with distance definitely below Horizon Zero, Watchdogs 2 and The Division.

Watchdogs 1 looks better than GTA V on the PC but it performce really horrible.


What remains to say. From my point of view The Division and Watchdogs 2 are the graphically best released open world games. In my opinion, they will also win against Horizon Zero Dawn which will also impress a lot technically. Underneath those games there is a technically large blank.

But Star Citizen will most probably beat them all. If I look at the Alpha I see nothing with a comparable level of detail (assets and textures). The tech is propably even more modern than in the other mentioned games. And it is an open galaxy game.