‘Adventure’ is sort of that key video game genre that completely defines the experience you get with the medium, for where would games be without any exploration or riveting levels that allow you to travel between locations? It’s grown quite a lot, and there are some titles that not only do it well but also look just as good.
With graphics cards constantly receiving new iterations and console systems likewise always being upgraded to the next best thing to offer the most outstanding technical specs and graphics, adventure games have become more and more high-budget and feel like Hollywood blockbuster projects.
Ratchet & Clankis a series that always has some fun and fantastic action-platforming adventures in store for the iconic titular duo, andthe latest outing brings some of the best story, visuals, and graphics to their new home on PS5 and PC. Truly, it’s the best-looking Ratchet & Clank game.
Part of the reason is the diverse biomes and planets the duo travel to caused by the dimensional rifts opened by the Dimensionator malfunction at the beginning of the game. This is also the first game to introduce a new protagonist, Rivet, who you’re able to also play as.
Baldur’s Gate 3is a sprawling adventure title based on the world and mythology of D&D, one of the longest you can playand endlessly replayto get all the different outcomes, and the graphics aren’t too shabby either. Broken into three long Acts, the areas and character models in Act 1 alone will have you as entranced as one of the spells a Wizard or Warlock can cast.
Your adventure starts on the Nautiloid, a tendril-like Lovecraftian Mind Flayer ship where you and several other passengers are trapped and infected with a tadpole. Your quest is to rid yourself of it and eventually venture into the town of Baldur’s Gate, with choices and exploration playing one of the most important roles.
Deciding to skip old-gen consoles,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorwas bound to be graphically even better than Fallen Order and greatly expand on the elements that made the original a cinematic achievement. The new planets, scenic environments, flora and fauna, and enemy variety are nothing short of spectacular.
The story directly follows the events of Fallen Order with a small time jump that sees the beloved characters in very different circumstances than when you last left them. There’s plenty more exploration and activities, as well as combat help from companions. It feels like you’re playing Uncharted: Star Wars Edition.
Speaking ofUncharted, the last two games, conveniently bundled in the Legacy of Thieves Collection for PS5 and PC, are the most visually gorgeous action-adventure games you can own. A Thief’s Endtakes you to Madagascar, emerald-green water Archipelagos, and the lush lands of the fabled Libertalia, while Lost Legacy is set amongst the mountain ranges of India’s Western Ghats.
Both games are extremely action-packed with plenty of memorable set pieces and moments and havesome of the best writing this genre has to offer. A Thief’s End follows Nathan Drake and Sully on their most personal adventure to save Nate’s older brother, and Lost Legacy is a sequel following antagonists-turned-protagonists Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross, with the return of Sam Drake.
BothPlague Talegames offer equally harrowing adventures in a rat-infested 14th-century France, though the sequel provides graphical improvements as well as increases the number of rats that can be generated on-screenfrom 5,000 to a whopping 300,000. That’s quite the rodent problem for Amicia de Rune and her companions.
Requiemalso expands the world of the series and takes you to many new environments and locations in the story while also introducing new characters there to help Amicia and her little brother Hugo along the way. It’s both hauntingly horrific and incredibly scenic in parts, with the graphics absolutely breathtaking.
Kratos' next story outing in theGod of Warseries entails the coming of Ragnarok, and to stop it, he and Atreus will have to go from the World Tree and take on quests all across the nine Norse realms. That means plenty more beautiful locations in places such as Svartalfheim, Asgard, and Vanaheim will appear.
The graphics of the 2018 game were epic enough, butGod of War Ragnarokpurely outdoes itself with the expanded map, story, and bestiary of creatures found in Norse mythology, not to mention the complementary Valhalla story DLCthat blends elements from the Greek saga.
Here, you have another excellent fantasy game with some really rich graphics, especially with the Next-Gen Update forThe Witcher 3. It just makes things look unbelievably more realistic and lifelike, despite the game’s premise and creature designs. The best part is that it’s also free!
The Witcher 3 is an adventure across the Continent, filled with some of the most unique beasts, characters, and locations from Sapkowski’s acclaimed book series. The environments and mythological creatures are phenomenally well-designed, and it’s a tale packed with emotion, romance, and suspense.
GTA 6 is guaranteed to come for this title, butRed Dead Redemption 2is perhaps the most visually gorgeous and detailed Rockstar video game to date. The historical setting is recreated seamlessly, and the immersive quality of the gameplay far surpasses that of the original 2010 game.
You move around a lot in the game with your gang led by the notorious Dutch van der Linde, setting up camp in each new spot as you avoid the law. In a prequel twist to the narrative, Red Dead 2 shows you the events that led to John Marston’s predicament in the first game through the point of view of Arthur Morgan.
Just when you thought Naughty Dog couldn’t top the graphics of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Lost Legacy,The Last of Us Part 2quickly blew those out of the water with the brutal and incredibly realistic details of its dreary post-apocalyptic world. The PS5 remaster version only further helps to heighten the quality.
From combat to level and environment design, Seattle, Jackson, Santa Barbara, and Salt Lake City all feel perfectly overgrown with vegetation and cordyceps fungi, with the ‘No Return’ roguelike modefurther showcasing these well-crafted levels in a whole new aesthetic. The designs and animations of the weapons, gore system, and grotesque infected are unlike any other adventure game.
Hideo Kojima is a developer known to push the boundaries of the medium and makes it a design goal to strive for the most innovative concepts, systems, and graphics with each new release (looking at you OD and Death Stranding 2). For now,Death Strandingis the most excellent example of just that and fits within the adventure genre!
What can be said about Death Stranding that hasn’t already been written? The game hasone of the weirdest and most mind-bending storiesyou can ever play through, coupled with some of themost detailed terrain and traversal physicsand graphics that are as out of this world as the BTs. Plus, there are enough famous stars with realistic models to convince you that you’re in a Hollywood production.
