12 of the most astonishingly beautiful games of all time

What makes a game beautiful? Is it the art, the sound, the gameplay or the character design? Maybe it’s all of the above, but it takes an almost magical combination of the aforementioned to create a truly beautiful game. However, some games stand out on their own as pure art dripped straight from the master’s paintbrush. These games represent beauty in the digital form and below you’ll find 12 I’ve chosen that make our eyeballs scream “more!”

Zork (1980)

Look at that yummy text set against a jet-black background. Feast your eyes on the DOS lettering. Welcome to Zork, a game with no graphics at all.

Yet Zork is beautiful all the same. As text appears on-screen, you immerse yourself in this fantastical world and navigate it by responding with typed commands. Zork is beautiful because it’s one of the earliest examples of an intelligent interactive experience – and for that reason, it doesn’t need graphics or sound.

Does it still look good today? Of course. White text has never looked so charming.

Another World (1992)

The French have always had an appreciation for beauty, which is fitting, because Parisian studio Delphine is responsible for Another World, a game that redefined video game aesthetics.

This platform game was simple in construction but delightfully presented, and featured picturesque backdrops at every turn. Furthermore, it was animated using a technique called rotoscoping. The latter, an obscure practice most commonly used in old cartoons, meant that whenever you moved across the screen, there was an almost liquid beauty to your movements.

Does it still look good today? Sadly, no. But happily, a recent HD remake retains the iconic look of the game, but smooths out the rough edges.

Myst (1993)

Let’s face it, Myst was a bit of a bore to play. You explored static environments frame by frame, scene by scene, scanning the world for clues. But boy did it look good. Created in StrataVision 3D and refined in the original Photoshop, Myst was the first games of its time to truly nail the spectacle of 3D gaming in first-person.

Does it still look good today? For a game that was made twenty years ago, Myst stands the test of time rather well. It’s easy to see why it was lauded for its looks.

Blade Runner (1997)

It’s odd that it took fifteen long years for a game to be made based on Ridley Scott’s classic film, Blade Runner. But Westwood’s 1997 adventure game was worth the wait, delivering a rich world that perfectly suited the vision of the film. As arguably one of the most under-appreciated games of the 1990s, Blade Runner served up one rich locale after another, draping its levels in a moody atmosphere with neon lights and cyberpunk frills never far away.

Does it still look good today? While it looks undeniably dated in places, Blade Runner is still very much worth playing for its cyberpunk look.

Unreal

The birth of the Unreal Engine began with, you guessed it, Unreal. This 1998 shooter was utterly beautiful and served as a truly eye-watering example of the strides being made in-game technology. Sadly its technical achievements were marred by frame rate issues and bugs galore, but Unreal was a watershed moment in gaming nonetheless.

Does it still look good today? Unreal is proof that the passing of time can be a cruel, erosive force. Unreal has withered over the years, but its place in history is assured.

Grim Fandango (1998)

In late 1998, Grim Fandango was released. The work of Tim Schafer and LucasArts, Grim Fandango oozed style and was influenced by the Mexican Day of the Dead festival. This was a game brimming with art deco influences, and owed much to film noir.

Does it still look good today? Yes and no. Grim Fandango still pops, but the rough edges and boxy resolution could do with an HD overhaul.

Max Payne

Max wears an ugly constipated frown throughout the duration of Remedy’s 2001 shooter, but the game he stars in is really rather beautiful. New York is under heavy snow and Max is colouring the city red; spilling blood against a backdrop of grey.

Not only was Max Payne underpinned by state-of-the-art technology, it also featured a dapper art style (most notably, the comic book panels\cutscenes).

Does it still look good today? Max has aged rather well indeed, though he could do with smiling once in a while.

Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

I love Butcher Bay’s looks. I can’t explain it. It might be the bump mapping, or the rich texturing, or the way both work in tandem to render Hoxie’s green emperor suit in all its gleaming glory. It might be the way the levels pop with detail, or the way the prison seems like a living, breathing entity. Or maybe it’s all these things. Either way, Escape from Butcher Bay is darn good looking.

Does it still look good today? You bet. Best of all, it was re-released with spruced visuals in 2009 (alongside its inferior sequel, Assault on Dark Athena). If you’re yet to play this masterpiece, don’t delay.

Half-Life 2 (2004)

When I picture Half-Life 2, I always think back to its setting. It starts with City 17, a world forged from the bricks and wrought iron of classic dystopian fiction. It moves on to Ravenholm, a derelict mining town where buzzsaws drip with zombie blood. And as you venture further afield, you discover Highway 17, which cuts through the undulating landscape, hugging the coastline.

Black Mesa was the setting of a shooter that was developed with limitations in mind. City 17 is the perfect blockbuster follow-up: a world created without compromise.

Does it look good today? Yes. You’ll be struck by how well Half-Life 2 has aged.

Shadow of the Colossus (2005)

If there’s an argument to be made that games are art, perhaps Shadow of the Colossus should be the game we hold aloft; a game to sway the naysayers, the cynics, the pretentious who use the term “art” as an exercise in exclusivity, not inclusivity. Shadow of the Colossus is utterly beautiful, even mesmerizing. It is, by all accounts, art.

Does it look good today? The timeless, mystical art direction has lost none of its power, but the game looks technically dated today.

Limbo (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jJpcTgw5Vs

Much like the game above it, Limbo is defined by its striking art style. It plays out entirely in black and white and its shadowy imagery looks as if it’s being projected onto a wall by someone holding a torch to his hand in a darkened room.

Does it still look good today? As aforementioned, Limbo’s look is timeless.

Portal 2

Like Portal 1 before it, Portal 2 takes place in the Aperture Science Facility, only this time we get to see a world of far greater scope and variety.

As Wheatley begins to tear the facility apart, the once crisp, clean testing chambers starts to lose their sheen as vegetation and wildlife springs up, giving the formerly Spartan facility a beautiful touch of green.

Does it still look good today? Well, yes. It is only two years old after all.