The Most Realistic-Looking Video Games Ever

Many people argue that gameplay is more important than graphics. And while that is arguably true, the importance of a game’s visuals should never be overlooked. For starters, it’s the first thing you notice about a title. When you see a trailer for a game, you don’t know all the gameplay mechanics, nor do you know how it feels to play. But if they’re using real game footage, you can see how the game looks. And good graphics can capture your attention and even serve as a visual stimulant.

The type of graphics that garner the most attention are realistic ones. This is because they’re the most impressive since creating truly lifelike characters and environments is incredibly difficult to achieve. However, the following games manage to do it.

Updated January 22, 2025, by Ben Jessey: Video game graphics have never looked exactly like real life, but they’re getting increasingly closer. When we made this list, we included several games that had the most realistic-looking visuals. Now, we’ve updated it to add a few more.

13

Resident Evil 4

Much Better-Looking Than The Original

The visuals of the original 2005 Resident Evil 4 aren’t too impressive anymore. Yet, the 2023 remake is very eye-catching. Character faces, in particular, are excellent. The likes of Leon, Ashley, Ada, and Luis look a lot like real people. The animation helps this, as the facial expressions are captured perfectly.

As this is a horror game, the realistic visuals make the adventure even scarier. It’s easy to be immersed in what’s happening when you’re roaming around places that look very real.

12

Bodycam

Looks Like Real Body Cam Footage

Sometimes, graphics can perhaps be too realistic. After all, the FPS, known as Bodycam, can be pretty harrowing because of how real the experience feels.

The game attempts to replicate bodycam footage, meaning the camera is positioned on your character’s chest. What really sells it as bodycam footage, though, are the almost picture-perfect visuals. It really looks like you’re using real guns to shoot real people in real environments. Therefore, getting a kill in this game feels more off-putting than it does in Halo.

11

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Like Playing A Movie

The first Hellblade was no visual slouch, but Hellblade 2 reaches an almost absurd level of visual detail. Newer games always look gorgeous before we start to notice where it could be better, but Senua’s Saga reaches a new peak in graphics. You should be aware of what type of game it is before jumping in, though.

The game is fully focused on its narrative and stresses cinematic features before smooth gameplay. If that’s the type of game you want and understand it is a shorter AAA game experience, then Senua’s Saga has a lot to offer.

10

Alan Wake 2

We Expect Nothing Less From Remedy’s Visuals

Remedy always makes pretty games that balance the film influences while also never forgetting they’re video games first and foremost. Alan Wake 2 is purposefully slower and more methodical than Max Payne or Control, and its graphics are also more detailed.

The visuals have to hold up under a microscope considering the heavy use of live-action footage in the game, but it wouldn’t work if the in-game models weren’t recognizable as the actors portraying them. The visual fidelity makes the transitions between in-engine cutscenes and live performances smooth and not jarring.

9

House Of Ashes

Choose Your Own Adventure

All of Supermassive’s narrative-focused games, most of which fall into the Dark Pictures anthology series, boast gorgeous visuals, but House of Ashes’s environments and characters shine the brightest.

It could have something to do with the more enclosed spaces or the use of lighting. There are great shots of people walking through the labyrinthine caves with just a torch and it highlights how great the visuals are. Lovers of good graphics should be warned that these games are scary, so boot it up at your own risk.

House of Ashes and the other games of the Dark Pictures series feature several cooperative modes for one other person or a group of several friends.

8

Red Dead Redemption 2

The Wild West Never Looked So Good

Red Dead Redemption 2 is known for being one of the most detailed games of all time, both in its mechanics and visuals. The latter means it’s also one of the most realistic-looking games ever. This is best observed by looking at all the animals that populate the land. The critters seem so lifelike.

It’s easier to notice because the game doesn’t move at too fast a pace. You’re encouraged to take in the open world and explore while you witness the slow demise of the iconic Van Der Linde gang.

7

Forza Horizon 5

Open-World Arcade Racing Bliss

An area where the Forza series continually improves is in its visuals. Every new installment sets the standard for graphics. It has gotten to the point in Forza Horizon 5 where if you see a bit of 4k footage from the game, it can trick you into thinking you’re looking at something real for a second.

Most of this is because of how incredibly lifelike the vehicles look. However, the game’s virtual representation of Mexico where you can drive around also looks beautiful. The realistic-looking weather effects certainly help the visual appeal of the game.

6

Death Stranding

Traverse A Barren World With A Baby Stuck In A Container

In Death Stranding’s first teasers, you got to see a virtual version of actor Norman Reedus that looked just like the real thing. From that point on, it was clear that this action game was going to be very visually impressive. And the graphics are certainly a sight to behold, and not just for the protagonist.

Every character’s face in the game looks so real. It’s easy to notice because most are modeled after real people, such as Mads Mikkelsen, Guillermo del Toro, and voice-actor extraordinaire Troy Baker. It isn’t just good face-scanning tech that allows this game to have realistic visuals, though. The environments you traverse while making your many deliveries look outstanding also.

5

Gran Turismo 7

Worth The Price Of PSVR 2

Gran Turismo is one of the most popular racing game series in history. It has been around for many years by this point. And it has typically set the standard for realistic visuals in racing games.

Yet, the early installments don’t get anywhere near competing with Gran Turismo 7 in the graphics department. There are certain scenes where the game shows you a few different shots of a car. And if see them out of context, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re watching a real car commercial, as they look that realistic.

4

Detroit: Become Human

These Androids Clearly Dream Of Electric Sheep

The story of Detroit: Become Human is about a bunch of highly advanced androids who are sick of the disrespect they receive from humanity. Several scenes in the game involve these androids going incognito by pretending to be humans.

Even if they somehow came through the screen and lived in the real world, their blending-in methods would still almost work. This is because both the androids and humans in the game look so realistic, which helps to further suck you into a story that touches on real-world history and politics. And the visuals also help make a world filled with highly advanced tech feel real.

3

Horizon Forbidden West

Alloy Versus Giant Robotic Dinosaurs

There are many games set in a post-apocalyptic world. In most cases, the worlds in them are bleak and run-down, and certainly not a treat for the eyes. Things are different in Horizon Forbidden West, though.

This is a post-apocalyptic RPG set in a bright and vibrant world that has mostly been taken over by machines. So, the predicament isn’t great for humanity, but it’s hard to think about that when you’re admiring the beautiful and realistic-looking wilderness in the game. The character models look fantastic, too.

2

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Not Only Is It Beautiful, But It Runs Smoothly Too

If you simply look at the gameplay of 2022’s Modern Warfare 2, you will appreciate the Call Of Duty game’s impressive visuals. But if you take a look at a cutscene, you will be blown away. The realism is unbelievable. In fact, during some scenes, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that you’re not watching a live-action movie.

This starts with the characters, who look a lot like real people. They’re complemented by the incredibly detailed environment, from bright deserts to grassy fields. They’re perhaps the most impressive cutscenes from a visual standpoint in gaming history.

1

The Last Of Us Part 2

Realistic Displays Of Brutality

An area gaming graphics have long struggled with is facial expressions. Games have typically had nice-looking faces that don’t look too real when a character speaks. This is understandable since making a face look real when it’s moving means getting the minute details correct, like the movement of the mouth and creases in the skin.

The Last Of Us Part 2, though, proves that realistic faces can be created with today’s technology. As such, you can recognize what some characters are feeling just from their facial expressions alone. This allows for more subtle storytelling than you see in the average game. So, while it’s a divisive entry in the popular series, nobody can deny its technological prowess.

The Last of Us Part 1 is a remake of the original game made to look as graphically powerful as the sequel. The gameplay, however, remains similar to the original release