Best graphics in games 1998-2009

Well well looks like im back on the KMC forums heh.

Anyway I've been gaming alot in my spare time, and I decided to make a little tribute to the games that have had well above the average graphics (that year) over the last years since 1998. Basicly a video of 1 game for each year.

However Im not all knowning and I have not played every game out there nor seen/heard of them for that matter.

So I was wondering what you think of the list I have made so far, I had a simillar thread on another forum and so far this list seems to be pretty solid.

1998: Half Life
1999: Quake 3
? 2000: Soldier of Fortune/No One Lives Forever
2001: Serious Sam
2002: No One Lives Forever 2
2003: Unreal 2
? 2004: Half Life 2 - Far Cry - Doom 3
? 2005: F.E.A.R - Call of Duty 2
2006: Oblivion
2007: Crysis
2008: Far Cry 2
2009: Cryostasis

As you might assume the years with a ? infront of them are years im still not sure about.

So you think anything should be different with the list or perhaps can argue for why a certain game looks better then the other in the (?) years I will deffinatly think about it, and ask others if they think it's a good choice based on your post 🙂

Just need a little input from the outside you know 🙂

FPS'es just have that extra "close" feel that always tends to give them the edge in graphics heh. but if there is a game in any given year that looks better please say so because even the tiniest of variety can make it awhole lot more interesting 🙂

2009 should be Killzone 2, I think.

And 2008 should be Gears of War 2 or Crysis Warhead.

Though really, Crysis is still better looking than any game out there.

I agree but I'd rather not take Crysis Warhead again in 2008 even tho it beats everything out, just need something else as its basicly the same as Crysis, same engine and all only optimized to run better.

Not sure exacly how I should record Killzone 2 though... But I've looked at some screens and I dare to say Cryostasis holds it own, the physics alone are just breathtaking aswell as the water and lightning in it. But thats my opinion I do also like what I've seen of Killzone 2 however there comes the problem of recording :/

Surprisingly, the none Japanese games have had the best graphics, IMO.

'04 - Half Life 2

'05 - BF2 (PC), COD2, Doom3

'06 - GOW, Sonic the Hedgehog, Lost Planet

'07 - Crysis, COD4, BioShock, Assasin's Creed, Mass Effect, NBA Street: HomeCourt

'08 - DBZ: Burt Limit, GOW2, Soul Caliber 4, GTA4, Fallout 3, Madden '09, SW:TFU, NBA 2k9, MK v. DCu,

'09 - Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter 4

Originally posted by Bluesteel
Well well looks like im back on the KMC forums heh.

Anyway I've been gaming alot in my spare time, and I decided to make a little tribute to the games that have had well above the average graphics (that year) over the last years since 1998. Basicly a video of 1 game for each year.

However Im not all knowning and I have not played every game out there nor seen/heard of them for that matter.

So I was wondering what you think of the list I have made so far, I had a simillar thread on another forum and so far this list seems to be pretty solid.

1998: Half Life
1999: Quake 3
? 2000: Soldier of Fortune/No One Lives Forever
2001: Serious Sam
2002: No One Lives Forever 2
2003: Unreal 2
? 2004: Half Life 2 - Far Cry - Doom 3
? 2005: F.E.A.R - Call of Duty 2
2006: Oblivion
2007: Crysis
2008: Far Cry 2
2009: Cryostasis

As you might assume the years with a ? infront of them are years im still not sure about.

So you think anything should be different with the list or perhaps can argue for why a certain game looks better then the other in the (?) years I will deffinatly think about it, and ask others if they think it's a good choice based on your post 🙂

imho, it's a cool list. I'd take a couple out and replace 'em, but it's not a corney list at all.

1998: Gran Turismo
1999: Gran Turismo 2
2001: ICO

2009-Resident evil 5, for now.

Originally posted by Bluesteel
I agree but I'd rather not take Crysis Warhead again in 2008 even tho it beats everything out, just need something else as its basicly the same as Crysis, same engine and all only optimized to run better.

Not sure exacly how I should record Killzone 2 though... But I've looked at some screens and I dare to say Cryostasis holds it own, the physics alone are just breathtaking aswell as the water and lightning in it. But thats my opinion I do also like what I've seen of Killzone 2 however there comes the problem of recording :/

Can you link some stuff showing Cryostasis, I've searched for it on gaming websites and found nothing, which is odd because I saw some screens for it not long ago. Was the game canned or something?

No I got it here in my hands 🙂 It has not been released in NA yet, release date there is late april last I checked.

The game's strongest points are imo: physics, lightning and WATER.

It has this awesome "realisim system" or whatever you want to call it that just takes realisim up a notch or more (depending on how you look at it)

This game takes place on the north pole so there is ice there ofc. and to be more specific it takes place on a huge russian icebreaker, most of the crew onboard is dead by unknown reasons (I JUST started playing it myself so dont know much, but your some dude coming onboard to check it out I wont say more about the story)

So anyway you will fx. turn on some engines in the ship to get light and what not, and these are big engines that get hot, when they get hot you can see the ice on the walls melt and the walls get wet and the melting ice runs down the walls til they they get dry eventurly.

Also some of the water which is not frozen is very liquided not just drops that come down and then they disapear like in every other game, they stay there and gather up just like it dose in reality.

There are many smaller details that just add up and make the whole game seem very realistic. (you can see your chars breath in the cold, frost on his storm googles, frost particles in the air, shadows interacting very good with directions from the source/s of light etc.)

This I reckon should be one for you BF, its a very scary survival horror game 🙂

Anyway here is some footage and screenshots.

P.S the video's im linking are in HD so be patient to let them load 🙂

TECH DEMO

In this video you see some of the cool things that make this game special in terms of graphics (water, physics, lightning etc.)

Also I recomend you watch it all the way through the last 10 secs or so show a undead dude trow some barrels at this stretched out sheet that is supported on 4 poles. the way the barrels and sheet interact just looks so real 🙂

Water/Lightning and some gameplay

A gameplay trailer

Screenshots

98' is Ocarina of Time.

After doing some testing I have updated the list.

1998: Half Life
1999: Quake 3
2000: No One Lives Forever
2001: Serious Sam
2002: No One Lives Forever 2
2003: Max Payne 2
2004: Far Cry
2005: F.E.A.R
2006: Oblivion
2007: Crysis
2008: Far Cry 2
2009: Cryostasis

I atleast feel that it's a very complete list.

Hmm funny thing I just managed ot get ahold of alot of Killzone 2 HD footage, and I don't know, it dose look good, but better then Cryostasis? hard to say both have their strenghts from what I can see. perhaps some of you would like to shed some light on your thoughts about teh matter? you got plenty of Cryostasis stuff from my post above. and I imagine you folks can dig up quite a bit about Killzone 2

That's definitely a looker, Bluesteel, I'll check it out.

Though so far I'd still say Killzone 2 is the better looking game.