Digital Foundry's Best Game Graphics of 2021 - PC, Xbox, PlayStation - Another Amazing Year!

[@gabedamien]

00:00 [intro] 01:21 Demo shoutouts (RTX Marbles, Matrix) 03:28 Kena: Bridge of Spirits 06:30 Resident Evil: Village 11:00 The Ascent 14:13 Metroid: Dread 17:40 Deathloop 21:20 Guardians of the Galaxy 26:10 Metro Exodus (Enhanced Edition) 31:16 Forza Horizon 5 38:05 Returnal 43:32 Lego Builder's Journey 47:47 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 56:33 [outro]

[@iurifd3478]

Thank you for the timestamps

[@ajayvailaya2091]

Thank you

[@shinsetsusha]

Thank you so much.

[@kieran.grant_]

It's been a good year to own a PS5!

[@bigdaddyumi]

thxs bro

[@erikhendrickson59]

Kena is seriously impressive for a studio's first offering.

[@yourbuddykevin]

Currently playing Kena, great game! Some stuttering in frame rate when controlling the Rot hurt my eyes tho lol

[@vincevirtua]

It was a beauty, and a great game aside from that played at master difficulty.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Flawed though. The combat could've been better

[@HugoStiglitz88]

@@vincevirtua even on hard its a bit egregious. Difficulty hurt that game for sure. I'd assume normal is okay but not from what I've heard. Might need to play on easy to get a normal game lol

[@vincevirtua]

@@HugoStiglitz88 It’ll come down to the individual I think. I like a challenge and it wasn’t egregiously so for me, though I used a guide to help on the last two bosses.

[@isaacddestroy3674]

Maybe it’s just my circle but I feel like people aren’t really getting just how impressive it is that we have gone from sub 1080p at a struggling 30fps up to a mostly solid 4K at a near perfect 60fps across the board. That is actually huge

[@ValerieFire]

You're right. I thought they would shift to 1440p first but they jumped straight into 4K.

[@spacecoffee6706]

They have been using fake 4k for a while now on the PS4 pro and one x... And have to keep it that way even with all that "power" lol at consoles.

[@ValerieFire]

@Keelan Even most console games that use dynamic resolution(I think thats the name) render at higher than 1440p then upscale to 4K but I get what you mean.

[@isaacddestroy3674]

@Keelan maybe it’s cuz I don’t play much in the way of 3rd party (or at least I haven’t yet) but this far the only exception to that I can think of was Ratchet & Clank which was for me running at 40fps.. honestly though between how much weaker the PS5 is and how heavy those rays were tracing it ran well enough to me Also insomniac games fees soo smooth on their own that I don’t really miss 60FPS in their 30 or 40 fps modes.. particularly with Spider-Man

[@isaacddestroy3674]

@@spacecoffee6706 I will admit that the leap probably feels bigger for having had a OG Xbox One and then One S for the span of last Gen

[@duncanself5111]

Thanks for the past years monumental amount of content, Digital Foundry!

[@julianorozaa]

Amount, and quality. It's a really impressive output.

[@PizzaFriend]

Truly

[@vickybengali]

Something is wrong with digital foundry

[@colemin2]

The most bespoke KZbin channel.

[@beatbonjon1384]

Definitely 👍

[@griffgames9538]

Using 120hz to lock 40fps in a Max Fidelity mode on console is pretty awesome. Obviously not for racers or fighters or competitive shooters where you want 60 and up, but for third-person action adventure titles a locked 40fps plays surprisingly smooth and responsive as a midway point, while allowing stunning image quality and ray-tracing.

[@phant0mdummy]

I'm confused by the fact that you think a racing and fighting game require 60fps and higher, but a third person shooter doesn't. That just is not the case. The situation is that Ratchet itself works well enough, as a cartoon shooter that is not about precision. Where most weapons blast an AOE of some sort and require little touch or finesse. It would not be the same for most other shooters in any perspective. I think Ratchet gets the pass for the style of combat it has, but that scenario would not pan out as well for nearly any other third person shooter title.

[@griffgames9538]

@@phant0mdummy Agreed. Just saying the 40fps option that divides into 120hz is an interesting opportunity on Series X and PS5. I'm usually playing games at 60fps~, but a locked 40 is tangibly better-feeling than 30fps -- so max image quality preset 2160p 30fps modes would play better at this 40fps tier. With actual 60/120 performance modes still available.

[@TheProphegy]

It’s crazy to think of what Ember Lab did with Kena as their first game on UE4. Imagine what they could make with UE5.

[@thesprawl2361]

I was a bit disappointed with it visually. It was nice-looking, but compared with the gameplay footage from the initial reveal it seemed less fluid and had many more rough edges. It went from being 'gorgeous' to being 'very good'. For a small team it's visually impressive though, and it's a decent-ish game.

[@kylerclarke2689]

The graphics roundup is always my most anticipated DF video. Love hearing the guys gush about their favourite tech of the year.

[@kutdownongaming1935]

i'd have to disagree with their video b/c to have nintendo in the same breathe as ps & xbox who is out putting more in terms of graphics is alarming, it's like say a kia can stand toe to toe in value with a mercedes benz and lexus.....metroid looks good but no where on the level of games ps & xbox has put out this year. if this was about best gameplay yes put metroid on the list but graphics nah don't see it.

[@dpmjmun]

@@kutdownongaming1935 I'm yet to see this part, but as they said, they're all gorgeous on their own terms, and yes if you compare Metroid with Matrix for example, there's no comparison, but that's because they try to achieve very different things. I think that with Metroid, they were taking about the whole visual identity of the world and characters of the game.

[@dpmjmun]

This really became a tradition for me. Love this nerds going through the year like this

[@niks660097]

@@kutdownongaming1935 graphics are not just pretty "shaders" and brute forcing, its mostly art-direction and vision..

[@uncleurda8101]

@@kutdownongaming1935 Honestly games that have less clutter and more defined art direction can be very pleasing to the eye, compared to new games with realistic shaders and several light sources that obfuscate the foreground from the background. Some games make me feel like I'm on too many psychedelics to be able to focus on the task at hand.

[@samuelcunningham7045]

The nuts and bolts even right down to the reflection of the eyes are fully ray traced in rift apart, the game is insane, EASY best graphical showcase by far I have ever seen

[@pl3459]

Those closeups from Rift Apart are absolutely stunning. 😍

[@phanatic215]

It was like playing a Pixar movie. The facial animations were so incredible.

[@sonicadv27]

Rift Apart didn't get the recognition it deserved in terms of awards. It was such a great looking and performing game and it refined the already amazing ganeplay, i think it took that gameplay loop to new heights.

[@peterGchaves]

I'm a Ratchet and Clank fan since the original game on PS2, back in 2002. It brings me an undescribable joy and happiness to see Insomniac getting this big and respected all over these years. They've been working so hard and they absolutely deserve all the love and recognition. Rift Apart is an insane achievement all around, only God knows how Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine will turn out !! 😊 The future is bright!

[@peperosel2263]

It did not get recognition because it didn’t introduce anything exceptional. Listen, most games nominated were great and could be awarded, but they choose the one that delivered something exceptional that others didn’t. I didn’t enjoy Rift Apart that much I didn’t finish it. I liked the first Ratchet title a little bit more, I played it twice.

[@philth7587]

I'd never played Ratchet and Clank games before, but have 2.5 play throughs in Rift Apart. Once at 40 fps RT, 1.5 at 60 fps RT. Still prefer the higher frame rate. Such a stunning game overall.

[@tristman8413]

@Fitzy a bit like the same old halo or the same old forza or the same old gears of war

[@Mayorofsexytown1303]

Loved the game but the gameplay loop i think is what hurt it. The story, and visuals were brilliant but i think it lost a lot of people on the samey gameplay. Nothing that really stood out gameplay wise. Which to be fair to some is exactly what they wanted from a Ratchet game.

[@vyasrushi5177]

Ratchet and clank, Forza Horizon 5 and Metro exodus enhanced addition are top 3 for me this year....The best thing I love about DF graphical analysis is that they don't rank games on the basis of just how beautiful it looks, they also take in the account of what different and more demanding things they are doing in terms of technology to achieve those final results and that's what makes DF unique compared to other such lists

[@certified6342]

Yeah I think most would struggle to argue with that.

[@glenmcl]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider on XSX

[@vyasrushi5177]

@Fitzy yah, FH5 is in my top 3 as well but as I said, they also take into the account of what kind of new and demanding technology the game is using to achieve their visuals, and that game is using high quality RT, that's why it's so high on their list....I don't agree with it but I can totally understand it

[@deagle7602]

This was my first time seeing metro exodus. The game looks amazing and I’ll probably give it a try on ps5.

[@wg8561]

I can agree eith forza and ratchet but I just don't think metro looks that great at all. It has its moments sure but sometimes it looks pretty bad. Have you tried guardians? The whole game looks mind blowing.

[@samuraishuyin]

The best thing about seeing this get posted is knowing that maybe, just maybe, the next John Linneman Collection will be getting released soon. ❤️

[@brotherbodhi237]

It’s out now if you’re a Patreon supporter. So rest assured, it’s coming soon for the general public

[@goob8945]

THE JOHN LINNEMAN EXPERIENCE ™️

[@certified6342]

R&C surely, it's jaw dropping in places. Edit - how did deathloop get on the list? Not technically impressive in the slightest.

[@richardtucker5938]

Df always have really hq capture too, i have seen footage before but it really does look so insanely polished and dense at all scales. Particles, reflections, geometry, material quality and consistency. Density of the frame.

[@certified6342]

@@richardtucker5938 it really is, it's rare I get genuinely impressed by graphics these days but that's another level. The matrix demo was impressive but just a tech demo.

[@scottd7222]

@Fitzy 16 hours to be fair

[@piotrpp5478]

great to see Returnal and R＆C get the credit they deserve, definitely 2 favourite games of mine in 2021, and the gameplay is amazing too.

[@johnpliskin2102]

Too bad those games are ass.

[@Rithysak101]

@@johnpliskin2102 hello xbot

[@Amhoj1]

@@johnpliskin2102 you got legit reason why they are ass? Are you just a clown trying to be tough. Those games litteraly gets good reviews All over, but here you are 😂

[@Rithysak101]

@@Amhoj1 don't reason with him. It's lurking in every video talking trash.

[@TheCrewExpendable]

@@Rithysak101 Yeah some people never matured beyond the console warrior mindset.

[@MEHDIMIKEPORTNOY]

11-Kena Bridge Of Spirits 10-Resident Evil Village 9-The Ascent 8-Metroid Dread 7-Deathloop 6-Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy 5-Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition 4-Forza Horizon 5 3-Returnal 2-Lego Builder's Journey 1-Ratchet & Clank A Rift Apart

[@hugon6717]

Thanks.

[@lofi1598]

hhhh thats fake list

[@billygunn6185]

that list is wrong, only top 3 have an order, the rest are in no particular order.

[@griffgames9538]

*Dear DF You logged a very impressive 2021 of coverage and analysis, and you should be proud of the work* Thanks for all your efforts. Keep the integrity high and the output rolling strong - we'll be waiting for more! 👍💥 Edit: you're all a bunch of ColecoVision shills.

[@hmamsb1150]

Insomniac is probably gonna push graphics to a level we haven't seen before with wolverine.

[@L4AH4N1889]

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart took my breath away really when I played it the very same day it was released ! God it's amazingly great !

[@lamsmiley1944]

I’m half way through playing it atm, it’s incredible and also importantly fun to play.

[@L4AH4N1889]

l am Smiley I agree 100% ! It's a true next gen game we've never seen before!

[@grtcara8386]

Not the same level as Forza and for this bunch to give Returnal such a high rating shows you the level of fanboys they are. I played it on my 85” Samsung QLED and yes the lighting pops but it’s also a blurry mess as that size and way too dark. Forza though on my 85” is a dream with its printing 4K ultra sharp and detailed visuals. Same problem with Ratchet not great on a large screen

[@tristman8413]

@@grtcara8386 forza look good until you see the character models 😂

[@grtcara8386]

@@tristman8413 I don’t think they gave much sh*t about them and nor do I. It’s the cars, scenery and draw distance

[@pipgoesthepossum]

In regards to GOTG's improvement in (facial) animation over Mankind Divided, I think it's easy to forget that inbetween those two, they (Eidos Montreal) worked on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which has great facial capture, and I think they learned a lot working on that title, and then brought that along to Guardians.

[@alexatkin]

No mention of how the animation on Ratchet & Clank is so insanely good? Its a huge part of what makes the game feel so much like a good CGI movie and makes it utterly breathtaking. It blows my mind every single time I boot it up.

[@Snoy_Fly]

Insomniac Games is incredibly talented and it has to be one of Sony's best acquisitions.

[@siphillis]

And an absolute steal at $200 million.

[@subjectivereviews]

Indeed

[@subjectivereviews]

Indeed

[@thelarry383]

Indeed

[@gamerrap23]

Indeed.

[@Destxni]

I bought Metro Exodus when it came out on the PS4 and it wasn’t running great. I picked it up again earlier this year, now that I have a PS5 and oh boy it looks and plays amazing. I highly recommend it to everyone who wants a challenging yet enjoyable FPS.

[@rahnyc4]

youll be blown away by the PC version with max level Ray tracing and much higher fps..

[@kjj367]

i have the game i just need ps5

[@1999origamiguy]

That's the thing that blew my mind, I bought it for the ray tracing benchmarking on pc, but ended up finishing it over my reading week because it was such a good game

[@Tyler-hs9eu]

It definitely plays smoother. I played it on ps4 and felt it sluggish, just recently tried it on xsx and is much more enjoyable especially with how good it looks

[@mtdubdachamp6917]

@@kjj367 it's a free upgrade also when you do get the PS5

[@alihouadef5539]

Always a blast to watch these yearly rankings!

[@davidludwig7501]

Returnal is amazing! Merry Christmas everyone.

[@VampireNoblesse]

Agree, Returnal is a must on 60fps!

[@adev3028]

@Michael its not meant to be played at 30fps, probably a big reason why its not on ps4... 30fps would kill its gameplay mechanics dead. a game like returnal is meant to be played with a smooth frame rate

[@VampireNoblesse]

if it were 30, than the game wouldn't work as intended, with that fast passed action (unlike Demon's Soul, that can still work well at 30fps in some areas)

[@dav2-094]

Can't wait to see what Insomniac achieves with Spider-Man 2. But it's Wolverine that really excites me as a "graphical fidelity" showcase, it looks like it might be a more linear or semi-open experience like TLOU2 or GoW(2018) which allows more level specific level detail.

[@khalidamajoud4114]

I wonder if that distinction makes sense now that you have a super fast SSD on top of an incredibly robust I/O complex...Would the possibility of streaming large chunks of high quality assets in a second or two not nullify that argument, at least partially?

[@goncaloduarte4683]

@@khalidamajoud4114 if I'm not mistaken Insomniac in the enterview with DF, they confirmed that the game's assets are loaded similarly to Spider-Man and it makes sense, if on PS5 you can theoretically load on average 11gbps, then there is no reason to do it in a different way. The biggest difference now between open world and linear games is that most open world games have a dynamic day cycle unlike linear games, though Spider-Man isn't dynamic.

[@AlejandroLZuvic]

@@khalidamajoud4114 the distinction between linear and open world maps may not be crucial in terms of streaming performance, but a it does make a difference in terms of art direction. A linear adventure makes for more precisely crafted levels (artists have more time to design each asset), less repetition of assets (which looks more authentic to life) and the possibility to give a more cinematic direction (camera angles, specific shaders at specific events, pre-calculated animations and effects, etc).

[@Clay3613]

Given what they did with portals in Ratchet, they should make a No Way Home/Spider-Verse game, hopping from universe to universe!

[@khalidamajoud4114]

@@AlejandroLZuvic Good point.

[@itsRecreational]

John and Alex together. Doesn’t get any better honestly. Merry Christmas y’all!

[@TRADESMAN-xt4ce]

Glad you guys talked about returnal , sublime game

[@권용대-b5v]

I mostly played old games this year, but your roundup of the recent games is a joy to watch. 2022 will be a great year with many fascinating releases, and DF will fly high!

[@waycoolscootaloo]

I couldn't agree more with Digital Foundry's assessment with Ratchet And Clank Rift Apart. After seeing impressive games like Forza on Series X and Resident Evil and such, hands down Ratchet was the most impressive visualy this year. The ray tracing is absolutely incredible and unlike anything else seen on console to date. The detail in things like leather boots and in metal objects is second to none. Just no other game to date screams next generation quite like Ratchet does. It is a showcase title that just shows how much more powerful of a system PS5 really is, when compared to the last generation systems. I'm not quite surprised however that Digital Foundry picked Ratchet as the most visually stunning game of 2021 after they mentioned in the past that Ratchet was the most impressive game visually that has come across their desk to date in their review of Ratchet. Now for best looking Xbox game, I would say Forza in my opinion when running on Series X. The detail is incredible and the design choices really lend to the game's presentation visually. The game really is a showcase title for the Xbox. While it does have some graphical anomalies and a bit more pop-in than I would like, it doesn't have too much overall to complain about from a visual perspective. It's a very beautiful game. And for Switch, I think Metroid is a no brainer. Basically, as Digital Foundry said here. The team behind the game just really knew how to get the most from the Switches aging hardware. I'm always impressed with what developers can do with the Switch hardware.

[@Spartan_83]

FH5 for me the environments just looked real and R&C looked good but in a cartoony way and people say it looks like a pixar movie but I didn't get that vibe.

[@waycoolscootaloo]

@@Spartan_83 Yeah, Forza looks good. No doubt about it. To each their own though. It's Just not as good as Ratchet in my personal opinion. Ratchet is a technically superior game, where Forza is still able to run on last-generation hardware. Ratchet was built with the next generation in mind, which is why it's not on PS4, and which is already more powerful than the base Xbox One which Forza runs on. This is why Forza was never considered the best game visually as it's still made for last generation hardware. And just doesn't look as good to most people's eyes. But like I said, to each their own. Forza does look good. Not denying it. But not quite true next generation. 🙂

[@Spartan_83]

@@waycoolscootaloo to each their own as they say but FH5 looks realistic and R&C looks cartoony to me. I much more prefer the look of FH.

[@waycoolscootaloo]

@@Spartan_83 And that's fine. I'm just stating that most people think Ratchet looks better. And from a scientific point of view, it is a technologically superior game compared to Forza. That's why it's winning the best graphics awards. But I'm not trying to change your mind. That's entirely up to you. You know your eyes best. 🙂

[@Spartan_83]

@@waycoolscootaloo Most people? how are you getting that? I've seen several YT videos saying that FH5 looks better and even gamingbolt gave the win to FH5 over R&C lol seems like it's pretty split at best but I'm seeing a few more leaning towards FH5.

[@parasolo89]

Ratchet & Clank is imo the first game to flex the nextgen capability. Well deserved win.

[@TheProphegy]

Thank you for the Returnal pick. The particle effects are so damn good. Game is smooth and I love the color variations. It might not have the best resolution but the smoothness and lighting makes it beautiful.

[@philth7587]

I've got 60 hours in Returnal, but outside of the particle effects it's quite average, in my opinion. There is slowdown later on when battles pick up, too. Still, very good game.

[@tristman8413]

@Fitzy forza 5 is no different to 4... its just a racing game... besides returnal looked better than halo infinite which cost over half a billion to make and 6 years development time.

[@AKSBSU]

@Fitzy "Returdnal" How old are you?

[@scottd7222]

Returnal was the most unique exhilarating game I've played in a long time. Non stop action. Sweaty hands is an understatement lol

[@dribblepi5554]

@Fitzy have you even played returnal no

[@chimeron260]

I would love to see a retrospective of early PS3 games. It came to mind when you were talking about Ratchet and Clank, and remembering how in awe I was playing Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. I also remember killzone 2 blowing me away.

[@AdiusOmega]

Digital Foundry has made an entire video focusing on the visuals of Killzone 2. That game still holds up remarkably well, I recently replayed it and am still blown away by what those developers were able to accomplish. It's everything from set dressing, animation fluidity, lighting post process effects, it's a seriously good looking game.

[@D71219ONE]

@@AdiusOmega This 100%. I’m still impressed with KZ2. It’s in the top 5 list for me personally being blown away by a game’s graphics when it released. Also on that list, Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4, RDR2, and Crysis.

[@charoleawood]

For anybody who has a PS3 or 360, the graphics hold up much better on smaller 720p televisions. I'm still very impressed by Forza Horizon 1, just don't connect it to a large 4k television or even a large 1080p tv. Assassin's Creed Rogue on 360 also looks really amazing on the proper display.

[@AdiusOmega]

@@D71219ONE Crysis is just ridiculous how far they were able to push shader fidelity in fucking 2007!

[@AdiusOmega]

@@charoleawood Agreed, best played on a device that is the same native resolution as the game. Super good.

[@charlierose1708]

Insomniac is just so far ahead of other studios it's crazy

[@griffgames9538]

Wolverine and Spidey 2 as pure native PS5 titles should be rather powerful, if you consider Rift Apart is a first-gen PS5 game and what Insomniac managed.

[@weaverquest]

Crazy how much Insomniac upped their game in terms of graphics in the last few years. Winning DF's second best graphics last year and the first spot this year with R&C. Can't wait to see how much they are going to push PS5 with Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine.

[@unclesam7853]

Spiderman 2 is gonna be insane Heck they might even match up to the matrix demo but at 60fps and ray tracing and a much higher resolution Insomniac are just the 🐐🐐s at this point They're efficiency is unmatched and makes every other AAA studio look like chumps

[@FFTM155]

@@unclesam7853 add to that new vrr update and they will make wonders. 😉

[@sprintingsnail9492]

@Lov Mir the games weren't designed around the ps5 console, and thus the engine dfies not take full advantage of the console. Which is why cross gen limits the series x and ps5.

[@PlayStationInquisition]

@@FFTM155 why would you want to reduce image quality to youtube compression levels just to hit a slightly higher framerate?

[@talalahsan6824]

@Keelan Spiderman 2 and Wolverine are confirmed as only ps5 games.

[@FiliSuperDuty]

I just finished Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition on Series X and I was really impressed. The RT GI went so far to creating believable atmosphere that I couldn't believe it. What's more, I couldn't believe that it ran at 60fps... What a fun experience.

[@apexsosapex1014]

everyone talking about great graphics and 60fps with rtgi on consoles but no one is talking about terrible controller control, stick sensitivity is worse out of all game I've played

[@griffgames9538]

Huge open world Assassin's Creed games had zero chance of hitting 60fps on the PS4/Xbox One family thanks to the fragile Jaguar CPU cores. Now on Series and PS5 consoles we're playing so many complex AAA games at 60fps. It's the paradigm shift we wanted. ... and these remain MSRP $299/$399/$499 consoles. Good value.

[@anasshahid224]

Ratchet and clank rift apart was my favorite game in 2021 in terms of graphics, so colorful and beautiful! Guardians of the Galaxy also looked stunning on PS5, Knowwhere was a particular highlight graphically 👏👏👏 Deathloop had a amazing art style in terms of graphics too 🙌

[@carlosnascimento9269]

Kudos to Alex for including Kena.

[@ryanwaignwright6857]

I like their personalized games list but hope we still get this joint one for 2022.

[@Schizm1]

I'm exited for new technologies etc. but to be honest... Year by year I'm more and more convinced that stylized artstyle > photorealistic artstyle. Games like Kena or Ori (I know it didn't came out this year) are far more eye pleasing for me than something like Matrix demo.

[@_Chad_ThunderCock]

@KB_YeEt the praise was for the fidelity, not so much the performance. I like both stylism and photorealism. After all what would the world be like without variety... Don't you agree? I feel ratchet & clank was the best of both worlds imo, it whent for semi realism and I really liked the blend of photorealism and stylistic design choices. Maybe that's why it won? best of both worlds¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@jamesparkinmusic]

I've been looking forward to this video for weeks. Thanks for your comittment, humour and knowledge sharing over the past year. I am looking forward to DF content in 2022. Cheers!

[@carnage4907]

I’ve adjective looking forward to it too! 😁

[@Rebelscum264]

I’ve consonant looking forward to this too!

[@accelement3499]

the metro series is the only one i can think of that starts off really good and gets significantly better with each entry

[@arda7881]

Witcher, Half Life Red Dead Redemption?

[@accelement3499]

@@arda7881 subjective I guess but I'd say no metro has one solid story without any real holes imagine if dyas gone 2 was better than the 1st(no sequel coming) I'd really like to read the books I bet they were great

[@malazan6004]

I heard people hate on Exodus so I skipped it. I saw it was cheap on ps5 so I am tempted to get it

[@squiddly007]

Its one of my favourite series. I love the story, characters and especially the world. I dont think any other game does dirt and grime like these devs do. Like when you are walking through the spider webs and a spider walks over your mask - it really makes you squirm. Its a shame that people skip over it and buy COD every year for the campaign but they would get such a rich and involved game with Metro.

[@nicolemonrue]

After 2 years, I finally got a ps5 and the first game I bought was Ratchet and Clank Drift Apart. Literally my jaw dropped because of how spectacular it is. It really is like playing a Pixar movie. And don't get me started on loading screens.....uh what loading screens. I was 2 hours in when I realized I hadn't seen any. For those who don't have a PS5 yet or plan on getting one, once you get one you'll never go back. I'm spoiled now lol

[@chinoifikation9568]

Well deserved number one! I absolutely think Ratchet and Clank was an amazing game. My first Ratchet and Clank game.

[@AdiusOmega]

Metro Exodus is my graphics game of the year by far. Their implementation of RTGI is mesmerizing to say the least.

[@vickybengali]

Mine to , looking forward to stalker 2

[@AdiusOmega]

@@vickybengali Ah man I'm so excited.

[@vickybengali]

@@AdiusOmega giving me metro Exodus vibe

[@erikhendrickson59]

Have you been lucky enough to play in HDR? Ray tracing looks absolutely GORGEOUS with the extremely high contrast that HDR offers.

[@AdiusOmega]

@@erikhendrickson59 I actually didn't play it in HDR unfortunately although I do have a 1000nit HDR tv, I opted for my higher hz monitor instead. I would have played with a controller but it was super janky.

[@damienkrawczuk1435]

Incredibly enjoyable to watch and makes me appreciate how far we've all come since before 8 bit graphics, wow look were we are now, incredibly life like fluid graphics and performance, looking forward to what you'll cover next, my goodness can you imagine if they had modern day interpretations of the god of war sectology, O my cod kratos's bald head would be a sight to behold

[@lordchikage9015]

Not showing Returnals 3rd Level during a video like this is really a shame. That level was so stunning when it comes to art design. It was unbelievable

[@thesprawl2361]

The whole game is astonishing. It's one of the greatest games I've ever played. For me its highpoint is the 'Don't Fear The Reaper' boss - the combination of audio and visual elements, the strangeness of it, the way the theme builds and builds as you climb up the mountain to face him/it. It's one of the weirdest, most brilliant bosses ever. He's just sat at an organ the entire fight! It's bonkers. An amazing game, that a lot of people slept on because they either didn't play it, or did play it but gave up because they thought it was too hard. Really the review scores should've been in the 90s, but that initial difficulty spike seems to have put a lot of people off. Which is a shame because it really isn't a hard game.

[@1984rockabilly]

I think Gears of War 5 remastered should be on this list, too. It was impressive as Forza Horizon 5 on Series X.

[@dxjjw]

Insomniac keep knocking it out the park. Miles Morales and Rift Apart were phenomenally to me, they truly felt next-gen.

[@originalityisdead.9513]

Playstation exclusives always are, I've just played the Uncharted collection and the fact that the games still look good to this day is a testament to the level of skill the devs have and i truly believe this generation is the one that i myself as a long time gamer have being wating for and i think we will see games this generation we never thought possible. If they can make a game that looks as good as TLOU P2 run on the base PS4 then what the PS5 is capable of with definitely be a defining moment in gaming. I've been a PC gamer for years and still to this day what the devs at Sony can achieve is mind blowing.

[@certified6342]

@@ammanus356 no it's not, much higher res, higher texture Res, better lighting, body deformation using ML, car and public are much more numerous, the PS5 version is leagues ahead.

[@dxjjw]

@@ammanus356 This isn’t true, the fidelity and textures are way better on then the PS4 Pro version. Also the fact that is has a 60fps RT mode sets it apart from most games.

[@MikeBisonTX]

@@ammanus356 not true. Even PS5's performance mode was better than Pro.

[@certified6342]

@@ammanus356 I suppose we should just ignore IGNs, DFs comparison videos then because your a professional, don't take drugs kids this is what happens.

[@37Kilo2]

Ratchet and Clank was the first game I played on my new PS5. I was blown away by the visual fidelity and the controller features; it actually felt like next gen.

[@37Kilo2]

You mention Nvidia's history of demos. Every time it upgraded my GeForce card I would download the demos appropriate for that card and just watch them in amazement for an hour or so.

[@37Kilo2]

The Ascent looks like a modern Blade Runner, which was gorgeous for it's day (still impressive looking).

[@CTBell-uy7ri]

I played the Ascent based on seeing it on this channel and it was fantastic! Visually and gameplay. Glad to see it get a mention.

[@sean7332]

The colours just pop so much looks so nice visually all the neon signs and lights

[@TerraWare]

I was hyped the first time they showed it in one of the Xbox presentations a while ago and while the performance issues on PC were disappointing at launch the game was awesome and stunning. Played it solo and co-op.

[@00Clive00]

@@sean7332 Looks fantastic, a real shame it doesn't have HDR support, considering all the neon lights and flashing police lights, it could look even better.

[@tristman8413]

@Fitzy it a typical garbage xbox game you're impressed with that because xbox games are so bad. only noteworthy game for xbox next year is starfield if it actually makes it out on time. Xbox are going to get left in the dust again.

[@tristman8413]

@@wetdon591 awe you'll be OK hun

[@FeatherDory]

John, I really think you guys should cover the Radiohead Kid A Amnesiac experience that Epic also made. I understand music is complicated on KZbin, but it deserves some spotlight. It’s an amazing experience

[@Fidolorous]

Yes please

[@habbinlad1]

No offence, but having unfortunately seen them supporting Swervedriver and Ride back in the early 90's, I'm quite happy they haven't.

[@legions7655]

So glad to see the ascent on the list, I fell in love with the game

[@glenmcl]

It's excellent.

[@D71219ONE]

I’ve heard bad things about the gameplay, but those could be wrong. Regardless, it’s so beautiful looking, even watching it on my phone.

[@mrsasshole]

Me too. I just tried it on a lark, then got completely obsessed with it until I beat it. I'm sure I'll go back and play through it again at some point.

[@00Clive00]

@@D71219ONE they are wrong, if you like any other twin stick shooters then you'll love it. Especially once you get to grip with some of its unique combat mechanics. There's good weapon variety that keeps things interesting even if you 100% all Quests like I did.

[@malazan6004]

I tried to love it but found it severely undercooked. It looked great though

[@devenezriche6929]

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[@alexmontrey5372]

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[@cryptocasey1083]

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[@casinosimsek2027]

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[@mav3420]

@@casinosimsek2027 Please how can I get more info about her services ? I’ve been trying to hire a professional for a long time after all it’s what really wealthy people do, they hire more experienced persons to do the job.

[@chrisjohn7823]

Wow I know her. Her platform maintains a unique perspective and is very transparent with their investors. Regardless of whether or not she outperforms i will always stay invested as her methods alone with keeping investors in touch with their strategies and outlooks are something that so few managers are capable of and they should follow suit.

[@matjakobs8612]

Ratched & clank has the best graphics I've ever seen in a videogame. Even performance RT mode in 1080p looks like a Pixar movie. Metro exodus is my no.2. The RTGI is amazing.

[@lysandros765]

60 FPS/RT mode is 1440P with DRS, there are occasional drops to lower bound of 1080-1296P but it's mostly 1440P.

[@scottd7222]

that aint 1080p lol it's got to be 1440p

[@spooder-man4782]

Rift Apart is by far the most beautiful game and really mops the competition easily

[@TempleofShaolin]

I’m on horizon zero dawn rn on ps5 and it looks amazing.

[@Qwahchees]

Lots of fun in this video, going through Ratchet and Clank today and I was wowed.

[@yunochan1849]

We need more studios to adopt the 40fps mode if the consoles are gonna struggle with 4k60 going forward. It really was incredible on Ratchet and Clank and I would use it every time if given the option.

[@D71219ONE]

Yeah, I could see PS5/XSX being 4K40 machines. Maybe if we get mid-gen refreshes, we’ll see 60fps, but I’m expecting it to go away once games get more demanding, unless you want 60fps at 1080p without ray tracing.

[@gnoclaude7945]

The only benefit is if you have a 4k 120hz tv which would have VRR as well so why have a locked low framerate mode? Just use VRR. I don't see the point unless your console doesn't do VRR which is built into the HDMI standard already.

[@MiguelRodriguez-lp9et]

@@gnoclaude7945 that and no sacrifice to resolution.

[@bodacious12]

@@gnoclaude7945 It's been retroactively removed from the hdmi 2.1 standard

[@scottd7222]

@@D71219ONE 60fps is not going anywhere bud.

[@SimplexPL]

I think you're the two best DF folks to discuss this topic. No disrespect to other team members :)

[@sean7332]

Richard is great

[@SimplexPL]

@@sean7332 Richard is bespoke.

[@NeutralGenericUser]

It's impressive that 2 of the top 3 games are PS5 exclusives. Now, if only I could actually buy one...

[@shinmentakezo2994]

Thank you for all the content and the insane speed you put those videos out! Also a special thanks for your deep analysis, explained so that the average Joe understands them! Merry Christmas!

[@rabbitenjoyer6320]

this is the yearly roundup I've been waiting for! Nice job this crazy year, DF!

[@p3wx4]

To think that Forza Horizon 5 is actually a cross gen game blows my mind.

[@timothylewis2527]

That Alex Battaglia scar is pretty bad ass. He's either a super hero or secretly a super villain.

[@mbsfaridi]

Bond villian.

[@JamanWerSonst]

Alex is probably the only German on KZbin I can listen to without cringing at the accent.

[@rodrigofreitas3288]

I understand that 2021 was just the beginning, but I wish there was more environment destruction, realistic AI that would really surprise you or something that changes the way we play it, instead of resolution jump to 4k.

[@weaverquest]

That's more of a game design challenge than a hardware related one. Devs won't add environmental destruction like that of Red Faction Guerilla for its potential to break level design and progression and realistic AI isn't always considered fun. For example Last of Us 2 changes its enemy AI behaviour depending on your difficulty settings and the highest settings are too challenging and frustrating for most people.

[@duncanself5111]

Yeah I hope to see a big increase in the way you can interact with various elements and the game world, better physics and the things you mention like realistic AI and destruction

[@duncanself5111]

@@weaverquest the better cpu's and improved ram should make things potentially more interesting now. I believe hardware has been holding back game design, at least on the console side

[@samarthkapil6579]

I think guilty gear strive also deserved to be here, with the art and esthetic. It's like the next gen version of dragon ball fighterz which was already beautiful.

[@Dknightxs]

Having played all of these games on ps5,pc and series x. Rift apart is imo the best looking game this year.

[@positivevibesyo]

Rift apart looks great. I can't wait to play it once I get done with final fantasy 7 remake and Kena Bridge of sprits.

[@yjh1004angel]

No halo infinite is

[@SOoFlyy_o]

@@yjh1004angel nice joke

[@cmdr101z8]

@@positivevibesyo I can almost guarantee you’ll enjoy it, great game. Also, if you’re playing Kena now, would you say the game is good? I’ve been looking at it but I’m not sure if I want to get it or not

[@pixeljauntvr7774]

@@yjh1004angel I like Halo. It's one of the better games I've played this year. But visually, it looks like ass.

[@topooly]

Thank you for rightly recognising Returnal as one of the standouts of the year both in terms of visual tech and just as a game. It is my game of the year and absolutely a special experience that I recommend to anyone who has a PS5.

[@ZzzremaerdzzZ]

The next naughty dog game will be insane

[@Stardomplay]

My mind literally cant process what their next big game will look like.

[@Kryptix0III]

I don't want to spoil Returnal but the amount of particles thrown at you in one of the boss fights is mind bending.

[@Stardomplay]

All right, comment 99999 mentioning how great this game is. I HAVE to play it at some point.

[@Kryptix0III]

@@Stardomplay slight warning... The game is going to piss you off a lot

[@spenny2cents]

@@Stardomplay I’ve heard it’s gotten much more forgiving with each patch

[@Stardomplay]

@@spenny2cents yeah they finally added save points.

[@joshfdesigns]

You should check out Solar Ash, love that game's art direction, plus excellent performance on PS5.

[@griffgames9538]

As first-gen software for a new game console, Rift Apart is a remarkable showcase. Beyond those hardware-exploiting chops, gotta' give credit to Insomniac for providing the perfect selection of 2160p/1620p/1440p image quality presets plus 30fps/40fps/60fps options -- and best of all, a combo Ray-tracing+60fps mode that doesn't significantly compromise the experience. Rift Apart makes a great case for beautiful stylized Pixar-like visuals. Not everything needs to be about trying to achieve photo-realism in the uncanny valley. There are some jaw-droppingly high geometry/high detail environments in Rift Apart to enjoy.

[@shreder75]

Your double chat background being a shot from the matrix cracks me up because i did the same thing on my series x! BTW, The Ascent had the coolest visual style I've seen in a long time. The layered nature of the backgrounds and surroundings is amazing.

[@siic]

Frickin love Returnal. Definitely my best game this year

[@NightOfTheLiving8bit]

The Ascent is mind blowing. Visually, it IS how Cyberpunk should have felt. It also reminds me a lot of the original art style in FF7 - this worn down semi-industrial cyberpunk aesthetic. The game is great, tons of content, tons of flair and tons of awesomeness.

[@matjakobs8612]

Ascent is solo unplayable. I had a lot of game breaking bugs. 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[@Mike-sf7ex]

Actually I really enjoyed CP77 visuals. The aesthetics, animation, vfx were all on point and suited the game. The Ascent is just a more dark and gloomy world. Neither is better than the other, just different and that's fine. If CP77 world is Robocop's Detroit, The Ascent is Judge Dredd's Mega-City One. Both awesome.

[@malazan6004]

Returnal was my game of the year (gameplay wise) and the graphics were pretty very impressive despite being scaled up from lower resolutions. The particle effects were truly something else and I am so excited to see what Housemarque make next since Sony acquired the studio.

[@chrisbyron8258]

Kena is one of my favourite games of the year. I've enjoyed playing indie games like that one much more than so-called "AAA" games.

[@user-dd6on5cr3u]

List is sorely missing Lost Judgement and Guilty Gear Strive. These games are absolutely jaw dropping when played on next gens. That said amazing list and picks, thank you all for the amazing content over the year.

[@AKSBSU]

I think a lot of what makes Guilty Gear look so fantastic is art direction rather than advanced graphics tech. Both are important of course, and Guilty Gear will age well because art direction tends to age much better than graphics tech.

[@00Clive00]

The Ascent is also a fantastic twin stick shooter, one of the best I've played in years, feels old school - which is a complement.

[@shmookins]

Fantastic looking game and is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks for the heads up, friend!

[@goob8945]

I remember playing it and being fully stunned with the level of detail. It seemed so unbelievably rich!

[@malazan6004]

Did we play different games? It was extremely average but it did look beautiful

[@GameslordXY]

@@malazan6004 Well it depends on the taste I guess. Perhaps you played a lot of such games and are difficult to impress , unlike that other person possibly.

[@00Clive00]

@@malazan6004 Yeah, you must of played something else mate 😅

[@uzeeinc]

Looking at all these Unreal Engine games has me really excited for UE5, and especially what studios like The Coalition can achieve with it.

[@thesprawl2361]

I must be the only person who isn't impressed by The Coalition's games on a graphical level. There was a marked downtick in graphical quality when Epic stopped making Gears and The Coalition took over. Gears 5 looked good, but I was constantly left wondering how much better it would look if Epic was still in charge of the franchise. I remember the original Gears being a graphical landmark for me, still in the top 3 or 4 most visually impressive gaming experiences of my life. The Coalition are just not in that league, for me anyway.

[@uzeeinc]

@@thesprawl2361 Graphics are somewhat subjective so it's completely understandable if you didn't prefer The Coalition's style. However, I was talking in a broader sense beyond just graphics and The Coalition has consistently pushed the capabilities of the engine on each system it targets while targeting advanced features. So it makes them one of the most interesting developers for me when it comes to extracting maximum performance out of any platform, specially a fixed one like consoles.

[@thesprawl2361]

@@uzeeinc I get you. I hear about Metro Exodus really pushing ray-tracing, but I don't actually think it's that good looking a game. But I can appreciate that it's doing some interesting things technically. I'd say technical oomph is about 30-40% of the beauty in a really goodlooking AAA game these days, and the rest is down to the brilliance of the developers themselves. Epic were always phenomenally advanced on the graphics side of things, but it was their visual design, grasp of colour tone, architecture, alien design, atmospherics; their overall philosophy of 'destroyed beauty', etc that made their Gears games a step above Coalition's for me. It wasn't that they did anything technically special.

[@2Beasty]

I absolutely agree. Ratchet and Clank looked absolutely amazing. I would have liked to have seen a nod to Death Stranding Director's cut as well. That game looks beautiful and sounds incredible especially when the rain starts coming down around you.

[@ketrub]

yeah but Death Stranding looks the same as PS4 just with a higher res and fps the biggest change is more content but thats not really graphics related

[@scottd7222]

@@ketrub how does higher res and framerate look the same? Its night and day in my eyes.

[@ketrub]

@@scottd7222 because it runs with the same resolution as PS4 Pro

[@scottd7222]

@@ketrub yes but the smooth framerate is a world changer imo

[@ketrub]

@@scottd7222 thats fair but i mean the most important part of directors cut is the new content and death stranding has *always* looked incredible lol

[@DanielPerez-hy6qi]

digital foundry.. and the guys are Legendary.. excellent content

[@I_AHNGUN_I]

PS5: ratchet and clank rift apart XSX: forza horizon 5

[@I_AHNGUN_I]

@Michael I also think Ratchet & Clank had the best graphics among this year's games, but Forza Horizon 5 was really good as the realistic background graphic. Ratchet and Clark were like watching Pixar's animation, and Forza Horizon 5 was like watching a documentary.

[@tiagonascimento4386]

@Michael hahahahaha hahaha you serious 🤣 against forza 5 seriously I mean seriously bro no matter what you are smoking but pl smoke less.

[@yjh1004angel]

@@I_AHNGUN_I Forza has a terrible car design is not realistic at all GT take the 👑

[@I_AHNGUN_I]

@@yjh1004angel metacritic score 75 is king?

[@yjh1004angel]

@@I_AHNGUN_I yes 86m copies sold says it

[@chuckbot4504]

favorite “bespoke” channel. keep it up!

[@ItsAkile]

Big agree with The Ascension, massive detail in top-down games is something I always wanted to see and waiting for more

[@gnawty4662]

Surprised to know there’s a top 3. What a list gentlemen!

[@TheHappyHumanist]

“One year ago I would have said this was impossible on a console…”. To conclude: “I wouldn’t say boundaries were pushed in any way…” Man the fact that ray tracing, 4K, and 60fps are even possible, let alone combinable in various gameplay modes created by developers, is absolutely mind blowing compared to projections from just a couple years ago. And on consoles!! 😱😱😱. My brain melts whenever I watch one of your videos, thank you so much for all your hard work and analysis! 😃🥳😃

[@ahmedsheh8366]

That's that I'm saying. Next gen is the best platform to play games.

[@djayjp]

Alex is wrong: it won't be 5-6 years until we see games equal the Matrix demo, it'll instead be 1-3 years.

[@mikebrown9051]

Finally The Ascent gets it's respect. That game is 🔥🔥. Like for real.

[@jonny-b4954]

The Ascent's clutter system reminds me of Witcher 2's rockwork. The density and geometry is ahead of it's time in my opinion. And Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition runs so damn well. I get like 90 fps at 1440p at Ultra with DLSS and Ultra ray tracing. Used to get like 50-60 fps on old version. In the DLC's I get like 120 fps. It's dope. I only have a 2070 Super too. 38:57 And yeah, I miss Phys-X and it's real-time particles and smoke systems. Like in Batman games and Mafia 2's destruction with bullets hitting surfaces.

[@do365nic]

with my last pc when i couldn't achieve 60 fps, I would just create a custom resolution in control panel. Forcing the screen to like 45hz. When you turned vsync on ingame. It would give me a locked 45fps, wich is a great way to have fluid gameplay and maxed out settings. Glad to see developers like insomniac also figuring this out, albeit in a slightly different way (like a third of 120fps, because a ps5 cannot create custom resolutions like a pc can and would not be compatible with a lot of tv's)

[@ReplayTJ]

Hopefully when the ps5 gets its vrr update, we’ll get even more of these kind of modes

[@dri_him]

I think you mean 40hz and not 45 :)

[@kieran.grant_]

@@dri_him 40hz is 2/3 of 60hz, 45hz is 3/4 of 60hz. If the point is largely trying to match the refresh rate I don't see why 45 wouldn't be the target.

[@weaverquest]

I am not sure if you are confusing resolution and frame-rate. Problem with 40 or 45 fps is that it is not evenly divided by 60 Hz refresh rate displays and therefore cause stutter because some frames persist more on the screen than others. 30 fps works because you show the same frame every two refreshes of the 60 Hz display. 120 Hz displays are what allowed Insomniac to go for the 40 fps route since it is evenly divided by 120 Hz (showing the same frame every 3 refreshes of the 120 Hz display).

[@do365nic]

@@weaverquest I am not confused. I made a custom resolution at 1080p 45hz and turned on v-sync so it ran at 45 fps in sync with my custom resolution at 45 hz, so it doesn't have to be 1/3 off 120hz. You can basically create any refresh rate you want and lock on to it.

[@bdre5555]

The high graphical detail and quality of Lego builders reminds me of the touryst on PS5

[@qwertmom]

God I gotta replay Ratchet and Clank

[@op1ekun81]

Aye! I've been really happy with Deathloop, Guardians, and Ratchet in 2021 :) PS5 was well worth it! Happy New Year!

[@LRon-ef7ni]

All the games on the list are gorgeous, but when Ratchet & Clank shows up, it’s a total holy crap moment. RC is on a whole other level.

[@xXSinForLifeXx]

52:05 the reflections in the eyes are crazy.

[@oppa1319]

Ratchet and Clank 40 fps is the best looking game this year and it plays so nice. All game devs should do this I love this 40 fps mode. You can save so much resources, it's a no brainer. Imagine doing 1440p temperal injection at 40fps.

[@paul1979uk2000]

They can save even more if they target 30fps which is what most do later on in the life cycle of the console. In any case, wouldn't 40fps be a problem for many tv's? unless it's VRR.

[@CH-bn7qb]

@@paul1979uk2000 for 40FPS to look good it needs HDMI 2.1 for 120HZ as the frames divide by 3 into 120 that’s what makes it look so smooth so if you have a 60hz Tv it won’t work

[@oppa1319]

@@paul1979uk2000 As you can see in the video 40fps runs smooth because it runs in 120hz mode and 40 is divisible by three in 120hz. Would be awful in 60hz.

[@CH-bn7qb]

@Fitzy have you played it ? You could say the same for every cod game and every battlefield game and every sports game. These games are for the story line and gameplay and R&C is excellent in both just a bonus that the graphics are incredible as well

[@lofi1598]

hhhhh nice joke