In 2023, we got some visually impressive PC games. The following ones have the best graphics that PC gamers can get on their platforms. PC gamers can use these games to impress their friends. However, we should note that we won’t be focusing on overall optimization here. So, without further ado, here are the best PC game graphics of 2023.
At number 10 we have RoboCop: Rogue City. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, this new RoboCop game offers some truly amazing environments. The reason it’s in tenth place though is due to its 3D characters. While all of them are quite detailed, their facial animations are kind of mediocre. The game also suffers from numerous pop-in issues, despite using Nanite. Then again, this is a double-A game. Thus, and mainly due to UE5, it punches above its weight.
Jusant is another game powered by Unreal Engine 5 that looks amazing on PC. This game showcases how transformative UE5’s Lumen can be. What’s also great here is that Jusant has a unique art style. Thus, we are pleased with what DON’T NOD has managed to achieve. This is a great-looking PC game, so don’t sleep on it.
Dead Space Remake dropped on PC in January 2023, and it blew everyone away with its awesome graphics. Even though it has a few technical issues, there’s no denying that it looks amazing, especially on PC. Powered by the Frostbite Engine, Dead Space Remake comes with high-quality assets. Plus, pretty much all the lights in the game cast shadows. And yes, you can dismember all of your enemies in gruesome ways.
The Last of Us Part I came out on PC in April 2023 and it still looks incredible. This was another game that suffered from major technical issues at launch. Despite those issues, though, it looked awesome on a high-end PC system. Naughty Dog has baked some truly amazing GI effects into the game, making its environments look great. Its remastered 3D character models also looked amazing.
And here is another Sony game. Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is one of the best-looking PC games of 2023. The game takes advantage of numerous Ray Tracing effects, making it look better than its PS5 version. Players can also break a lot of objects, with debris and particles flying all over the screen. Its main cast is also highly detailed. So, kudos to Insomniac and Nixxes.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is a graphical powerhouse on PC. Although it relies on rasterized techniques, it is easily one of the best-looking games of 2023. The characters are highly detailed, and the environments look stunning. Players can also interact with the game’s bushes and grass. Not only that but Capcom used Hair Strands to further improve Leon’s hair. RE4R showcases the capabilities of the RE Engine. So, if you are a fan of the series, you should definitely check it out.
Dead Island 2 is one of the best-looking games on PC as it offers one of the best pre-baked lighting we’ve seen. Yes, the game does not have Ray Tracing or a fully dynamic Time of Day. And, to be honest, that’s one of the reasons why it looks so good. Dead Island 2 looks consistently amazing, with high-resolution textures, highly detailed characters, and an incredible GORE system.
When it came out, Hogwarts Legacy gave me some “Assassin’s Creed Unity” vibes. Its pre-baked Global Illumination is among the best I’ve ever seen, and there are a lot of high-resolution textures. Its character 3D models are also among the best I’ve seen. And have started to see a pattern here? Most of our best-looking games either use pre-baked GI or Ray Tracing GI. That’s how important lighting is in modern games.
2) Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Here’s something unexpected. A Ubisoft game in the second-best place for game graphics? A game from the company that has been constantly downgrading its games? How is this possible? Well, this is all thanks to Massive Entertainment and the Snowdrop Engine. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora looks and runs on PC, pushing some of the best game graphics of 2023. Massive Entertainment has used a custom RTGI solution, similar to UE5’s Lumen. What this means is that even GPUs that do not support Ray Tracing can benefit from it. Not only that, but Avatar has the best forest environments we’ve seen to date. This feels like a new “Crysis” game. Plus, there are some incredible wind physics effects.
Without a doubt, Alan Wake 2 is the most impressive and best-looking PC game of 2023. Powered by the Northlight Engine, Remedy has implemented Path Tracing to it. Yeap, a modern-day game using Path Tracing. Truth be told, there are some limitations to it (especially regarding its BVH). Despite those limitations, though, Alan Wake 2 is a next-gen game on PC. Everything looks amazing here. The game has some gorgeous environments with amazing lighting effects. And then we have its highly detailed in-game characters. And the incredible physics-based sequences. This game will age well and will still be a looker in 2024.
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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