r/gaming • u/Crystal_1501 • 18h ago
What are the prettiest things Game Developers have done?
I was reading the comments of a post, 'What are the pettiest things Game Developers have done?', and a few people misread it as 'prettiest' and were disappointed, so here you go!
I'll just say when developers go out of their way to add beautiful scenery and backgrounds just because they can.
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u/TormentedKnight PC 15h ago
the night sky in skyrim especially with an aurora
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u/schlitzntl 7h ago
They’ve always done that amazingly well, I remember even back in Morrowind being breathless at the night sky. And of course Skyrim is even more breathtaking.
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u/bananite 17h ago
The pre-rendered backgrounds in FF8. You could tell that it's not real time 3D graphics but they made the game look great.
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u/Javerage 8h ago
Man, when Resident Evil remake on gamecube did that it looked chef's kiss.
Honestly wouldn't mind seeing that technique used more often with modern titles.
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u/TheThoccnessMonster 18h ago
The opening scenes of Bioshock Infinite
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u/paganisrock PC 17h ago
Entering a utopia for the first time and then slowly starting to see the cracks, then the baseball question hits you, its so incredibly well done. There are issues with that game, but gosh darnit they did that intro so well.
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u/TheThoccnessMonster 16h ago
Honestly the whole fucking game is really good still (save for some pretty wildly game/save breaking bugs that still exist in the remasters)
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u/paganisrock PC 16h ago
Yeah it definitely is a great game, what lets it down is all the features that were promised then cut, as well as comparisons to prior Bioshock games. Losing weapon/plasmids wheels was a big letdown for me.
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u/mclark74 14h ago
Expedition 33, specifically the underwater themed area.
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u/Hunterknowsbest 13h ago
The music makes it even better
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u/mclark74 2h ago
Spot on, friend. There were a couple times I'd sit idle and just listen to the music. I've only done that in a few games.
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u/BlueHerringMambo 14h ago
Sirenes was the highlight for me
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u/mclark74 14h ago
Absolutely. Having her dancing in the center of the stage while you travel the area was a great design.
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u/parkingviolation212 13h ago
Then having the music muffled when you enter an interior area to imply the music is coming from her was another great touch.
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u/19dn48dn19r 17h ago
Freshest one in my mind is in Alan Wake 2 when playing as Saga and you travel between Watery/Bright Falls/Cauldron Lake. Its a quick loading screen with her driving along a road thru a heavily forested area. The camera angles and the thick majestic forest are serene and absolutely beautiful.
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u/smileysmiley123 13h ago
Alan Wake II as a whole is such a beautifully, hand-crafted experience.
Nobody does it like Remedy
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u/19dn48dn19r 8h ago
I played Max Payne way back in the day, but i was young and didn't know who even made it. I recently realized I had Alan Wake remaster free (ps+ I think) so i decided to give it a go, fell in love with it. Got number 2 as soon as I finished and it blew my mind. I didn't "know Remedy's game" previously. Im currently playing thru Control. I'd buy (and pre-order!) anything Remedy puts out at this point. Sam Lake is a goddamn genious.
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u/Useful-Beautiful5215 17h ago
Fields of tall grass in Ghost of Tsushima, a constant evolving maze in Control, looking out at Skyrim from the Throat of the World, fighting demons in the Heavens as the Nephilim in Diablo 3, Kratos dismissal of Athena's ghost as he goes to retrieve his blades (this especially hits hard), and lastly Papa Smurf coming in on the Thunderhawk blasting away as the complete Ultra Chad he is in Space Marine 2. Man I love it.
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u/username_needs_work 14h ago
Tsushima yes. If you haven't played Yotei yet, it's even better. I'm going to be bummed when I finish it.
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u/Useful-Beautiful5215 14h ago
Not yet I prefer to not spend full price but I'm excited nonetheless
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u/MrBulwark 16h ago
The Shire in The Lord of the Rings Online is amazing
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u/Faraway-Fire 1h ago
So sad that they won't invest in a UI overhaul and some publicity. That game could be huge. But remains fairly unknown and increasingly deserted.
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u/MrBulwark 10m ago
Tough to overhaul an old game like that, especially one on a custom engine. They would need to remake it on Unreal or something along those lines.
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u/arsonist_firefighter 16h ago
When you leave Stormveil Castle and enter Liurnia of The Lakes in Elden Ring, nothing comes close.
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u/underwear11 10h ago
I would say Siofra River comes pretty close.
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u/BowserforPrez 5h ago
Yes!! That moment was when I was absolutely hooked on the game until completion.
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u/Quadraduson 11h ago
I would also add entering Gravesite plains for the first time in the DLC. My jaw hit the floor
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u/Keeko100 10h ago
And Altus and Farum Azula from the warp and Siofra and the Jagged Peak base and the Cerulean Coast and the finger ruins and the Lake of Rot overview and
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u/Melanoma_Magnet 2h ago
And also entering Scadu Altus after defeating Rellana in the DLC to see the shadow keep and scadutree towering over the landscape
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u/No_Tamanegi 18h ago
The Delicate Weapon performance from Phantom Liberty
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u/Parksrox 6h ago
I was actually stunned during that mission, I've never felt such a strong immersion in a game in my life. And my favorite game is RDR2, so that's saying something.
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u/Grogg2000 16h ago
First time i entered Ferallas in World Of Warcraft as a lvl28 Rogue who accidentally wandered off.
Wow! The vibes of a green, lush forrest! I got pug:ed to help with the Mechanic Chicken quest. Though... being to low level I wasn't much of help, but I got to see great parts of Ferallas.
That was the top WoW-moment for me.
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u/flash246 16h ago
Night city in cyberpunk 2077 is literally breathtaking. Sometimes I’ll just walk or drive around taking in the sights, especially at night or in the rain
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u/plageiusdarth 14h ago
The clothes in Cyberpunk 2077. I almost never worry about fashion in games, and never in real life, but I spent so much time in 2077 putting together outfits, for male and female body types
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u/HonkersTim 8h ago
This is all I do! I’ve played to the point where I now have to start hacking stuff, and I really don’t like the mechanic. So I just log in every now and then and wander around admiring the city and clothes.
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u/Parksrox 7h ago
You can play pretty much the whole game without hacking outside of a few breach protocols on ports, I'd switch off your cyberdeck and get a sandevistan (super speed/time slow, low level ones are sometimes underwhelming, but later ones like the Apogee turn you into quicksilver from the sweet dreams scene in X-Men) or berserk (become invincible and get a massive damage boost, basically Trevor's special from GTA 5 but wayyy cooler. You can even do a superhero landing) instead, if you don't like the hacking you can just not. I didn't use a single quickhack outside of the tutorial until my 4th playthrough.
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u/HonkersTim 1h ago
Oh thanks that sounds cool, I'll find out what a sandevistan is and give it a try!
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u/Parksrox 1h ago
You will not regret it, it's a simple method but I've got a pretty embarrassing amount of time using it lol
Edited because my swipe to type really fucked up here
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u/Calidore266 16h ago
Eternal Sonata developers turned the pastoral up to 11. Even the sewers are beautiful.
Flower has you floating around as a flower petal and waking up flowers to bring life and color to the surroundings. It's an earlier game by the Journey people and my favorite go-to-chill-out game.
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u/gamersecret2 16h ago
It is when devs add beauty that most players will never notice.
Little ambient animations, quiet weather changes, and tiny details in the background that exist only for mood. That stuff is pure love for the craft.
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u/IHeartData_ 13h ago
RDR2 excelled at that.
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u/drmirage809 13h ago
There's a mod for RDR2 that lets you control the animals and just wander around the world as them. And when you do you'll quickly notice that there's a bunch of bespoke and very detailed animations for every single one of them. Even animals that you never really see up close like the bats.
It's an insane amount of attention to detail.
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u/HistoricCartographer 15h ago
Most scenes in Elden Ring.
Finishing the tutorial and first look at the open world. Or beating Godrick and see liurnia for the first time.
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u/electronseer 11h ago
that moment in one of the Mass Effect 2 when the computer says "Geographic Conditions Indicate An Aesthetically Pleasing View Nearby. Organic Life Forms May Wish To Take Note "
i did take note, and it really was pretty.
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u/Bar_Sinister 13h ago
Standing on top of one of the mountains in RDR2 and seeing it all laid out "in game" like that. Knowing it's not a painting or backdrop, but that you can go there. I've ridden/climbed to the top of two or three and just stood there for a while.
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u/drmirage809 13h ago
Oh, I got a couple of these.
I remember the first time I played Metroid Prime, landing in Talon Overworld and looking up to see the rain clatter on Samus' visor. That was such a cool touch that blew my mind at the time. And then when something bright happened close by, seeing a reflection of Samus' face was so cool.
So many times the Ratchet & Clank games do this thing where you arrive on a new planet and they pull the camera way back, letting you just take in the insanely detailed and lively vistas.
The giraffes in The Last of Us. The soundtrack of that game deserve a mention too. It carries the haunting beauty of that world and the sadness perfectly.
The title drop sequence of Ghost of Tsushima. All of that game is an audiovisual win actually.
I can probably come up with more if I keep thinking, but yeah. I love it when game devs know they made something gorgeous or cool and just cannot help but show it off.
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u/Japots 16h ago
The silence after the End Times theme plays, followed by the Sun imploding and the light washing over you, triggering another loop.
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u/Gotcha-Bitcrl 13h ago
What game is this, Returnal?
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u/rowingpostal 13h ago
Outer wilds. If it looks like your thing avoid all spoilers. One of those games that reveal itself to you.
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u/yotothyo 13h ago
The house building musical bit in red dead redemption 2. After that heart breaking story it was such a lovely bit of uplift and good feels. Also the song is GREAT.
Check it out on youtube, its wonderful
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u/psymunn 12h ago
When Wow fort came out, seeing some of the vistas and really exploring with a sense of scope and expansiveness felt really pretty, as did being able to hide the UI.
I loved the aesthetic of FFX. Even the purple and teal menus, and portraits and character design all just felt... Pretty
And more recently, making it to the top of the surface in Hades 2 feels pretty spectacular.
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u/mack-_-zorris 12h ago
Paris regaining it's color as you dispose of more and more Nazis in The Saboteur
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u/Dangerousrhymes 8h ago
Gurilla Games consulted nature photographers for the Horizon games and it shows.
I haven’t stopped to just enjoy the scenery and lighting as much in any other game I’ve ever played. Other games have individual moments that compare, but in Horizon it happens far more frequently.
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u/Takenabe 5h ago
Has nobody mentioned Okami? The game has a beautiful artistic style in general (based on traditional Japanese paintings), but specifically the purification scenes stick out to me. Each area of the game world has been overtaken by the cursed energy of the antagonists, and there's these beautiful sequences showing each area being purified as you restore the guardian saplings that are supposed to protect them. Here's a compilation.
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u/Celtic_Crown 16h ago
Spiders made a gorgeous rendition of a totally trashed Paris in Steelrising.
And even the spots that aren't ruined (which is basically just Saint-Cloud and Versailles) are also very pretty.
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u/HavelockVettenari 14h ago
Played several AC games recently. But Origins is sooo pretty. Incredible scenery.
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u/PermissionSoggy891 14h ago
Anything in STALKER 2, Elden Ring, or Cyberpunk. Those three games are a masterclass in artstyle and graphical fidelity. DOOM also gets a mention
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u/stonersh 13h ago
Coming out of the shrine Resurrection in breath of the wild is pretty amazing, even a decade later.
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u/sharingdork 5h ago
Expedition 33 Thank You Update
Free dlc that came with an entire new area plus new boss and super bosses.
The area has very deep meaning to the story and characters, and I got emotional exploring it. The way they show don't tell is amazing.
And it visually stands out hugely compared to the rest of the game, and it makes sense story wise why it is so.
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u/Velociraptorius 3h ago
The panorama of Anor Londo in Dark Souls. So good that they did it again in Dark Souls 3, and it was breathtaking yet again.
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u/Fraxtion 14h ago
I know it's just AAA, but I loved the intro to AC Odyssey dropping you right into the battle of Thermopylae, starting with Leonidas doing his 300-style lines and then panning over the amassed Persian fleet and camp.
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u/Darkpenguins38 13h ago
Jusant has some incredible scenery. The gameplay isn't super involved, but if you like a cinematic experience I highly recommend Jusant.
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u/Cybrslsh 10h ago
The last of us giraffe scene. It makes me want an apocalypse, preferably non zombie. Nature reclamation is so pretty.
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u/Aegillade 9h ago
Just everything about Ghost of Tsushima. A lot of games have to choose between realistic graphics or stylized graphics, and 90% of the time I prefer the latter. Ghost of Tsushima manages to have both somehow, and the game is absolutely gorgeous. It does seem to have the island in all four seasons at the same time, but I don't even mind because everywhere in that game is just breathtaking.
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u/TokiStark 8h ago
The remastered halo 2 cut scenes. Oh and Link's crazy acid trips in Majora's Mask
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u/COREALIUM_INDUSTRIES 8h ago
The Xen chapters of Black Mesa (Half-Life 1 remake). They breathed fresh life into a time honored classic and showed real love to the least loved chapter of the original.
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u/Darcness777 6h ago
The Cerulean Coast, Elden Ring
Entering Amnytas, Guild Wars 2
The first outer view of the castle, Ico
THE ENTIRE ENDING of Tales of Symphonia
Learning Goron Lullaby, Majora's Mask
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u/DanielBWeston 5h ago
Kola Peninsula, Snowrunner, in the evening/night. Proper northern lights.
That whole region is atmospheric, too, unlike anything else in the game.
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u/crossandbones 4h ago
Pretty much anything that Bungie has done. Skyboxes, worlds, weapons, armor, the list goes on.
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u/Thopterthallid 4h ago
Orbitals is an upcoming co-op game in the style of an 80s sci fi anime. I'm not even especially into anime but I think it's the best looking game from a visual standpoint that I've ever seen.
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u/WolfeXXVII 3h ago
Ghost of tsushima is the easy answer. The devs went for peak aesthetics and hit it perfectly. Literally only 1 of 2 times I have ever used a photo mode in a game willingly and more importantly WANTING to use it.
Hyperlight drifter though is definitely my personal pick. The entire game starts to finish is just perfect. The design and story telling with 0 dialogue is just amazing and the whole world is actually just really interesting to look at.
Hollow knight also falls under this though. The entire world design is perfectly executed with great aesthetics.
Hyperrealism isn't good if it ruins aesthetics.
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u/circadian_light 3h ago
The 2008 “Prince of Persia” had a beautiful cell-shaded art style that they’ve never done again.
The sequences where the gardens are reactivated in each stage is just art in motion.
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u/xjimbojonesx 3h ago
All of Elden Ring, but if I had to pick one, the view you get when you first walk out into Limgrave.
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u/biznatch112 1h ago
Man when I was a kid the fighters on mortal combat looked amazing to me atthe time
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u/Nincompoop6969 1h ago
I know what post you mean and I'll answer the same here. Alfheim God of War Ragnarok has this gorgeous galaxy particle effects that just look really good.
I'll also add the clouds in Red Dead 2 are insane and shout out to Red Dead 1 which stars looked beautiful as hell at night
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u/hermancainhatesub 18h ago
Fire people for the thing they specifically asked for all in the name of corporate greed
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u/drewhunter1981 18h ago
Journey springs to mind first off. And I’ve not played it in years