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* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise in general has nice artwork, so much that some games, like ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Classic Collection]]'' as well as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' for the Platform/NintendoDS have a proper "Gallery". This even carried over to the post-VideoGame/SonicAdventure era, as the distinctive cartoony style of said artwork is [[BuffySpeak Sonic-ish]] enough to be considered part of what made Sonic the character we know today. So much, in fact, an official website [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Channel is mainly known for its official artwork.]] The [[Platform/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] games faithfully recreated this style with its sprites, pinnacling with ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''. The concept art for the 3D games, such as [[http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sonic-Forces_Concept-Art_War.jpg this one]] for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', look like they belong to a museum. This extends to the games, with various stages featuring stylized, surreal environments, most famously GreenHillZone.
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* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise in general has nice artwork, so much that some games, like ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Classic Collection]]'' as well as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' for the Platform/NintendoDS have a proper "Gallery". This even carried over to the post-VideoGame/SonicAdventure era, as the distinctive cartoony style of said artwork is [[BuffySpeak Sonic-ish]] enough to be considered part of what made Sonic the character we know today. So much, in fact, an official website [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Channel is mainly known for its official artwork.]] artwork]]. The [[Platform/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] games faithfully recreated this style with its sprites, pinnacling with ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''.''VideoGame/SonicAdvance3''. The concept art for the 3D games, such as [[http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sonic-Forces_Concept-Art_War.jpg this one]] for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', look like they belong to a museum. This extends to the games, with various stages featuring stylized, surreal environments, most famously GreenHillZone.
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* Yoji Shinkawa's art for the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is instantly recognizable because his ukiyo-e-esque style. His work is ''very'' stylized and abstract, yet still technically accurate. Some of the most gorgeous cover art you'll see out there.
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* Yoji Shinkawa's art for the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is instantly recognizable because of his ukiyo-e-esque style. His work is ''very'' stylized and abstract, yet still technically accurate. Some of the most gorgeous cover art you'll see out there.
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* ''VideoGame/DeadAheadZombieWarfare'': The unique art style of Dead Ahead is often considered the main reason behind its success. Even a lot of those who don't like the game acknowledge how great and appealing the game's visuals are. The way it tastefully combines cute, stylized anatomy with edgy militarism and body horror has attracted attention of all sorts of people to the game. It even inspired plenty of fans to become pixel artists themselves, thanks to the art style of their favorite game being relatively easy to copy.
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* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise in general has nice artwork, so much that some games, like ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Classic Collection]]'' as well as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS have a proper "Gallery". This even carried over to the post-VideoGame/SonicAdventure era, as the distinctive cartoony style of said artwork is [[BuffySpeak Sonic-ish]] enough to be considered part of what made Sonic the character we know today. So much, in fact, an official website [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Channel is mainly known for its official artwork.]] The [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] games faithfully recreated this style with its sprites, pinnacling with ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''. The concept art for the 3D games, such as [[http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sonic-Forces_Concept-Art_War.jpg this one]] for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', look like they belong to a museum. This extends to the games, with various stages featuring stylized, surreal environments, most famously GreenHillZone.
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* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise in general has nice artwork, so much that some games, like ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Classic Collection]]'' as well as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS Platform/NintendoDS have a proper "Gallery". This even carried over to the post-VideoGame/SonicAdventure era, as the distinctive cartoony style of said artwork is [[BuffySpeak Sonic-ish]] enough to be considered part of what made Sonic the character we know today. So much, in fact, an official website [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Channel is mainly known for its official artwork.]] The [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance [[Platform/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] games faithfully recreated this style with its sprites, pinnacling with ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''. The concept art for the 3D games, such as [[http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sonic-Forces_Concept-Art_War.jpg this one]] for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', look like they belong to a museum. This extends to the games, with various stages featuring stylized, surreal environments, most famously GreenHillZone.
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* ''VideoGame/WarioLand4''. The sprites are amazingly well put together to the point where Wario looks like he's actually moving. You wouldn't believe that it's sprite-based at all. And what platform did it come out for? UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance. Yup.
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* ''VideoGame/WarioLand4''. The sprites are amazingly well put together to the point where Wario looks like he's actually moving. You wouldn't believe that it's sprite-based at all. And what platform did it come out for? UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance.Platform/GameBoyAdvance. Yup.
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* ''Videogame/ChronoCross'' has very good graphics for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, with colorful and varied designs done in pre-rendered graphics which haven't aged much. [[https://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Official_Art_(Chrono_Cross).html Even the character art is amusing]].
** Its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, was no slouch, either. Nintendo knew what it was doing with the pixel art for this one. Every animation is beautifully done and the game looks like it could have come out yesterday.
** Its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, was no slouch, either. Nintendo knew what it was doing with the pixel art for this one. Every animation is beautifully done and the game looks like it could have come out yesterday.
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* ''Videogame/ChronoCross'' has very good graphics for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, Platform/PlayStation, with colorful and varied designs done in pre-rendered graphics which haven't aged much. [[https://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Official_Art_(Chrono_Cross).html Even the character art is amusing]].
** Its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' for theUsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, was no slouch, either. Nintendo knew what it was doing with the pixel art for this one. Every animation is beautifully done and the game looks like it could have come out yesterday.
** Its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' for the
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* ''VideoGame/MasterDetectiveArchivesRainCode'' is beautifully designed in that practically every artistic element of the game is absolutely superb, including the character and environment designs, the music, the animation on both the models and in the cutscenes, and the texture rendering.
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* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfAether'' has been praised for its large, detailed, and fluidly animated pixel art sprites.
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* Creator/RetroStudios of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns''[=/=]''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze Tropical Freeze]]'' fame have gained prestige for this. And they have unlockable concept art in every game they have released, for players to enjoy.
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* Creator/RetroStudios of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns''[=/=]''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze Tropical Freeze]]'' fame have gained prestige for this. And they have unlockable concept art ConceptArt in every game they have released, for players to enjoy.
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* ''VideoGame/ZniwAdventure'' has excellent hand-drawn animation inspired by cartoons from The90s. The movement is so fluid and expressive, the character designs are unique and lovable, and the worlds are lush and detailed.
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* ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' has an absolutely ''stunning'' sepia-toned [[CelShading Cel-Shaded]] art style with gorgeously cartoony lighting and hand-drawn textures and outlines. It essentially looks like an early 30s black and white cartoon.
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* ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' has an absolutely ''stunning'' and amazingly detailed sepia-toned [[CelShading Cel-Shaded]] art style with gorgeously cartoony lighting and hand-drawn textures and outlines.outlines that give it a sketched look. It essentially looks like an early 30s black and white cartoon.
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* ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' has an absolutely ''stunning'' sepia-toned [[CelShading Cel-Shaded]] art style with gorgeously cartoony lighting and hand-drawn textures and outlines. It essentially looks like an early 30s black and white cartoon.
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Uncanny Valley is IUEO now and the subjective version has been split; cleaning up misuse and ZCE in the process
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* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' provides an excellent demonstration of Bethesda's Creation Engine. Compared to ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', the game is much more colorful and vibrant while still maintaining its haunting post-apocalyptic aesthetic. In addition, characters are animated much more fluidly than in previous game, helping most of the people of the game world climb out of the UncannyValley.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' provides an excellent demonstration of Bethesda's Creation Engine. Compared to ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', the game is much more colorful and vibrant while still maintaining its haunting post-apocalyptic aesthetic. In addition, characters are animated much more fluidly than in previous game, helping most of the people of the game world climb out of the UncannyValley.game.
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* Ayami Kojima's official art for ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''... well, what can we say? For two specific examples, see the page images for ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'' and the ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Sorrow]]'' duology.
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* Ayami Kojima's official art for ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''... well, what can we say? For two specific examples, see the page images for ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'' and the ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Sorrow]]'' ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' duology.
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Up To Eleven is a defunct trope
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* '''''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'''''. The areas are of a very grand scale yet finely detailed, and each has a well-defined ecosystem and weather effects. They must be seen to be believed. ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' takes the beauty of the first game and cranks the scale UpToEleven with an entire breathtakingly beautiful world to explore, all of which is seamlessly rendered in-game.
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* '''''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'''''. The areas are of a very grand scale yet finely detailed, and each has a well-defined ecosystem and weather effects. They must be seen to be believed. ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' takes the beauty of the first game and cranks the scale UpToEleven up with an entire breathtakingly beautiful world to explore, all of which is seamlessly rendered in-game.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/summer_aesthetic_wallpaper_iphone_15.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Left-Column: Paintings from [[Creator/ZdzislawBeksinski Zdzisław Beksiński's]] ''Fantastic'' series.\\
Right-Column: Landscapes from ''VideoGame/TheMedium''.]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Left-Column: Paintings from [[Creator/ZdzislawBeksinski Zdzisław Beksiński's]] ''Fantastic'' series.\\
Right-Column: Landscapes from ''VideoGame/TheMedium''.]]
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AwesomeArt found in VideoGames.
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* One of the things people love so much about ''VideoGame/TheMedium'' is its world-design, many comparing it to the works of Creator/ZdzislawBeksinski.
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AwesomeArt found in VideoGames.
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* ''VideoGame/LuminoCity'' is a stunning puzzle game with a bright, colorful visual style that's literally built by hand out of paper, cardboard and various bits and bobs of mixed media. Only a few elements, such as the characters, appear to be CGI.
* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey IV'', ''Untold 1'' and ''2'' have gorgeous artwork, with the latter two succesfully enhancing the visuals of the respective first two games in the series. Most notable in the first stratum of the first game, and the fourth stratum of the second game. This is carried over in the games released since then, with ''Beyond the Myth'' having gorgeous locations like Tutelary Forest and Untamed Garden, and ''Nexus'' having not only visually-improved dungeons from ''IV'' and the ''Untold'' games once again, but also giving an exceptional treatment to the designs of the strata from ''The Drowned City'' (which is sadly the only game from the original Nintendo DS that was never remade like the other two were).
* Yoji Shinkawa's art for the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is instantly recognizable because his ukiyo-e-esque style. His work is ''very'' stylized and abstract, yet still technically accurate. Some of the most gorgeous cover art you'll see out there.
* Creator/RetroStudios of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns''[=/=]''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze Tropical Freeze]]'' fame have gained prestige for this. And they have unlockable concept art in every game they have released, for players to enjoy.
* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise in general has nice artwork, so much that some games, like ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Classic Collection]]'' as well as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS have a proper "Gallery". This even carried over to the post-VideoGame/SonicAdventure era, as the distinctive cartoony style of said artwork is [[BuffySpeak Sonic-ish]] enough to be considered part of what made Sonic the character we know today. So much, in fact, an official website [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Channel is mainly known for its official artwork.]] The [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] games faithfully recreated this style with its sprites, pinnacling with ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''. The concept art for the 3D games, such as [[http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sonic-Forces_Concept-Art_War.jpg this one]] for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', look like they belong to a museum. This extends to the games, with various stages featuring stylized, surreal environments, most famously GreenHillZone.
* Amongst RunAndGun games, ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' stands out for its incredibly detailed animation and spritework, going so far as to include wacky animations for the enemy vehicles and even regular {{Mooks}} which other games would have simply glossed over in the interest of saving man-hours. According to [[http://www.tvga.me/extra/msa-interview.html#three a staff interview with NAZCA Team]], each frame of animation is hand drawn by a team of artists before being carefully inspected -- and sometimes personally edited -- by the art leads to ensure a tight consistency between all assets. And that's [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms3/sheet/37874/ not]] [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms/sheet/33818/ even]] [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms/sheet/36666/ getting]] [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms5/sheet/36508/ into]] the [[SceneryPorn stage]] [[SceneryGorn backgrounds]], which are nigh-photorealistic despite being rendered in cartoony ''pixel art''. The result? An incredibly seamless-looking, beautiful game.[[note]]Too bad they started using painted Photoshopped background assets beginning with the 6th title, though.[[/note]]
* The ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series combines this with SceneryPorn, with ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze Tropical Freeze]]'' setting the bar even higher.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', not only does each character potrait sport the fighters in a dynamic pose with vastly improved textures from previous games, but [[https://www.ssbwiki.com/File:SSBU_Panoramic.png the official box art used to promote the game]] is an astonishing, panoramic mural that includes every character in the game, and marks the first time the box art for a smash game was ''hand-drawn'' since the original.
* The dev-team of the high-profile FanGame ''VideoGame/SuperSmashFlash 2'' goes above and beyond with its high-quality custom sprite work. Each fighter that was in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' has had their appearance faithfully recreated in pixel form, and the ones that weren't fit in seamlessly. Of course, the stages continue this standard of quality as well.
* While the character art from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' is often debated, the background art from ''Mountain of Faith''is absolutely gorgeous, and the background art from ''Ten Desires'' is just well-animated all around.
* ''[[VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo Advanced V.G. II]]'': For such an old game, it has amazing [[TheNineties '90s style]] anime visuals and character designs, to compliment its gameplay. And with such detailed narrative [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl9YvGKTyAM cutscenes]] ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOTaSivc1Mc like these]]'', it's no wonder they finally decided to just make an {{OVA}} of it.
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' is known for its distinctive, beautiful style. To think, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen they were originally planning]] to make the game realistic. It's a good thing they didn't.
* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' was praised for its [[SceneryPorn beautifully detailed backgrounds]] and smooth character animations. Even people who haven't bought the game admit that it looks amazing. Creator/MichelAncel and co. went for a unique and striking look so as to stand out from other games on the market, and ''man'' did they succeed. ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'' is looking to take this further by giving it a more painterly feel, and lighting the 2D characters with 3D lighting.
* ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'' is not only powered by the same engine that brought us the visuals shown in ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' and ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'', but also has an art style that lends to a presentation not unlike a moving picture book, leading to some [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuDaxVfe12o absolutely breathtaking shots]].
* ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt'' was a 2D platformer... with hand-drawn, {{anime}}-style graphics and cinematics by Creator/ProductionIG.
* ''VideoGame/WarioLand4''. The sprites are amazingly well put together to the point where Wario looks like he's actually moving. You wouldn't believe that it's sprite-based at all. And what platform did it come out for? UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance. Yup.
* Anything by Vanillaware (examples: ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' and ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade'') is hardcore scenery porn. It's like playing a moving painting.
* Even [[HGame eroges]] and {{Visual Novel}}s aren't immune to this. Just look at ''VisualNovel/EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGnJdvt0dcQ OP]]. Justified that the OP's directed by [[Creator/MakotoShinkai Makoto]] [[SceneryPorn Shinkai]].
* Ayami Kojima's official art for ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''... well, what can we say? For two specific examples, see the page images for ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'' and the ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Sorrow]]'' duology.
* ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' is responsible for bringing CelShading to the mainstream in video games. No other game at the time of its release looked anything like it; the sharp shadows and thick outlines around character models made the game look like a slick, stylized anime come to life.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' is no slouch in this department. The art direction and character designs are incredibly stylized, with thick outlines and the right amount of shading to help make the environment feel even more lively, giving the game a very pleasing comic book like aesthetic that still holds up even to this day.
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has plenty of awesome concept art and well done character models and animation, and truly pushes the limits of the Unreal Engine's graphics capabilities, to boot.
* '''''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'''''. The areas are of a very grand scale yet finely detailed, and each has a well-defined ecosystem and weather effects. They must be seen to be believed. ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' takes the beauty of the first game and cranks the scale UpToEleven with an entire breathtakingly beautiful world to explore, all of which is seamlessly rendered in-game.
* ''VideoGame/{{Albion}}'' has some amazing graphics for a sprite based game.
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series:
** Say what you want about ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', but it still has breathtaking backgrounds and character designs. [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57088/finalfantasy/images/c/c2/FFXIII_crystal_lake.jpg Lake Bresha, for an example]].
** When you think of the earlier ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, Amano's work will usually come to mind. They're breath-takingly beautiful, you'll forget they're video game art.
** VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV has some of the best art direction in any MMO ever, with a completely unique and frankly gorgeous aesthetic with dozens of amazing, memorable designs.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' onwards featured some ''amazing'' background art, not to mention Final Fantasy 6's sprite work.
* ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'' has absolutely amazing background art of its lovingly-crafted world, as well as many very impressive character arts.
* Pick a ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' game. '''Any''' ''Kirby'' game. Chances are, if you're playing one with SNES-style graphics, looking at the [[SceneryPorn painting-style backgrounds]] ''[[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20509 will]]'' [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20510 make]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20511 you]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20512 drop]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20513 your]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2973 jaw]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2976 on]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2975 the]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2977 freaking]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2978 floor.]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2979 Wow.]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2980 Just]] [[https://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbyandtheamazingmirror/sheet/40118 wow.]] [- And the ones you've seen are just the most relevant ones, although some from ''VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad'' are missing. The first five links are from ''Squeak Squad'', the following seven are from ''[[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure Nightmare In Dreamland]]'' and the final one showcases the backgrounds from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror''. Alternatively, [[http://www.google.it/search?q=kirby+backgrounds+site%3Aspriters-resource.com&hl=it&gbv=2&rlz=1R2ACAW_it&um=1&tbm=isch&tab=wi&oq=kirby+backgrounds+site%3Aspriters-resource.com&gs_l=img.3...7438.14844.0.15156.35.31.4.0.0.0.250.4562.0j24j2.26.0...0.0...1c.1.tmFD6QmhYqU have fun with these search results.]] -]
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''. Yeah, it's a 2D sprite game in an age of photo-realistic 3D, but don't be fooled: these aren't ordinary sprites. Each character's sprite set include ''1000'' frames, all meticulously made for high-definition. And don't ''get me started'' on the stage backgrounds... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGk7cSKK1iE Here's a gameplay sample]].
* Long before ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', there was ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear''. While the first game wasn't really anything to write home about in terms of asset design[[note]]Capcom had substantially better spritework during the same period[[/note]], ''Guilty Gear X'' upped the ante by switching from the usual 320x240ish screen format used by most fighting games, instead going for a whopping ~640x480 in order to showcase higher definition sprites and backgrounds, a practice which carried over to its [[CapcomSequelStagnation pseudo sequels]]. Then after several years of silence following ''Guilty Gear 2: Overture'', Creator/ArcSystemWorks pulled out all the stops by painstakingly rendering ''Guilty Gear Xrd'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhGjCzxJV3E in gorgeous cel-shaded 3D]] using the Unreal Engine as a base, making the entire game look like an ''anime movie''.
* ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterz'' is made by Arc System Works (see ''Guilty Gear'' and ''[=BlazBlue=]'' above) using the Unreal Engine in the same way as ''Guilty Gear Xrd'', which fits Akira Toriyama's art style like a glove; the game looks very much like an anime come to life.
* Anything on the Gambryo engine used most notably by Bethesda from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' on through the remaining [[Franchise/TheElderScrolls TES]] and into ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Though the textures and models displayed can always be improved on (and usually are, quite significantly, by modders,) the engine itself has fantastic potential to provide breathtaking panoramas.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' provides an excellent demonstration of Bethesda's Creation Engine. Compared to ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', the game is much more colorful and vibrant while still maintaining its haunting post-apocalyptic aesthetic. In addition, characters are animated much more fluidly than in previous game, helping most of the people of the game world climb out of the UncannyValley.
* Though not consciously seeking to be visually bombastic as other Nintendo games, ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has shown several beautiful landscapes and exotic character designs over the years. Two well-known examples are ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', with the former using cel-shading visuals with realistic effects (like heat haze and motion blur) that are usually too difficult to program in a normal cel-shading game, and the latter showing an impressive realistic style with some cel-shading effects (such as the animations of the bomb explosions or the disappearance of the deceased enemies). It helps that both games were actually made with the same engine. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' takes it even further, showing a visual style that offers many beautiful landscapes that can easily remind people of the scenery seen in Studio Ghibli films.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' shows amazing craftsmanship, with the artists at From Software being great at creating memorable and just downright awesome designs for monsters, armor, locales, etc. The concept art is breathtaking in how beautiful the paintings are, which just makes the amazing designs stand out even more.
* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' has absolutely gorgeous hand-drawn artwork, done simply because [[DoingItForTheArt the dev team wanted to, even if it was more expensive than 3D models]]. The art style was based off 1930s ArtDeco and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. And while the art is great, the best part is the animation: the characters are better animated than many major releases that use full 3D models, with incredibly smooth animations (see, for example, [[http://i.imgur.com/Qydeo7t.gif Filia's run cycle]]) with a ''ridiculous'' amount of frames. In fact, ''Skullgirls'' holds the world record for most animation frames per character in a 2D fighting game. Yes, '''more''' than the 1000+ frames of the above mentioned ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''.
* Any of the ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'' Games. ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' didn't look very good for the most of it, being a NES game, but the battle sprites are very good looking. But ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' deserves a special mention.
* ''VideoGame/{{Transistor}}'' has amazing visuals. The empty city of Cloudbank is beautifully drawn.
* Say whatever you want about ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'''s tone, gameplay, and story, but it's hard to deny that Alessandro "Talexi" Taini's [[http://digital-art-gallery.com/oid/116/954x960_20004_Eva_Death_2d_fantasy_angels_picture_image_digital_art.jpg artwork]] is [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcu5w4PDU71qa5c1eo2_500.jpg gorgeous]] and [[http://i.imgur.com/LlJHR.jpg stylish]].
* ''Videogame/ChronoCross'' has very good graphics for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, with colorful and varied designs done in pre-rendered graphics which haven't aged much. [[https://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Official_Art_(Chrono_Cross).html Even the character art is amusing]].
** Its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, was no slouch, either. Nintendo knew what it was doing with the pixel art for this one. Every animation is beautifully done and the game looks like it could have come out yesterday.
* Two words: [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei Kazuma. Kaneko]]. Regardless of whether it's his ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' or ''[[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII II]]'' [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/a/aa/Smt1herooldart.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130622033331 early]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/9/99/SMTII-Aleph.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090623073858 cyberpunk]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/2/2c/MT2_Armoured_Protagonist.png/revision/latest?cb=20140120055507 style]], his ''VideoGame/Persona1'' style (which, admittedly has [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/5/50/Reiji1.png/revision/latest?cb=20170304053304 some minor growing pains, but is still fantastic in it's own right]]) or his ''VideoGame/Persona2'' [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/93/d2/b593d24d91bb4e0221d2d6ed5d360616.jpg onwards]] [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/49/dd/44/49dd4498eb9bc92aeffc4bde9eaf1a2e.jpg art]][[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/6f/01/2d6f015ec7eba71c8ed3b93b6caaa4b6.jpg style]], it is impossible to go wrong with him.
* ''VideoGame/GargoylesQuest'' was always about pushing the limits of whatever system the games were on, with ''Gargoyle's Quest II'' and ''Demon's Crest'' having absolutely gorgeous, beautifully animated sprites. ''Demon's Crest'' was so impressive in its level of detail that the game is prone to lagging when there's an excess of enemies on the screen.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'':
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qQPNO9D8rw&t=21s Bounce's animation]] now reminds one of an orbital cannon, somehow.
** Most of the moves and Pokémon animations are quite impressive, most notably the Honedge line.
** [[SecretArt Oblivion Wing]]. It's essentially a black and red WaveMotionGun that Yveltal blasts the enemy mon with, then drains 75% of the damage to heal itself with.
** The Brave Bird attack animation makes every flying type look amazing.
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn3vKF3P1ag animation]] for Palkia's SignatureMove, Spacial Rend, utilizes a flurry of slashes and an array of effects, ending with a striking visual that makes it seem as if you're not just cutting into space/subspace, but rather ''shattering the very fabric of reality itself''.
** Arceus' SignatureMove Judgment has finally shed its rather underwhelming (considering that it is the trademark technique of a Pokémon that is fabled to have created the universe and has a higher BST than all others) animation from the Gen IV and V games, and now has a much more impressive animation that resembles its appearance in the Jewel of Life movie -- in that it ''[[HolyHandGrenade rains down a barrage of light]] [[OrbitalBombardment from the sky]].''
** Seismic Toss now resembles the iconic "around the world" shot that was popularized with Ash's Charizard in the ''Pokemon'' anime, much to the nostalgic delight of veteran fans.
* ''Website/{{Smogon}}'':
** The custom Generation V sprites made for the Generation VI mons look very impressive, to the point that sites like /vp have been known to "steal" them for their own use.
** The site has a surprisingly large group of artists that make works for The Smog web magazine or just like to post their stuff on the forums. Special mention goes to long-time member [[https://www.smogon.com/smog/issue28/arterview Yilx]], [[https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/yilx-first-place-artist.70101/ who makes a ton of amazing pieces]] for The Smog and himself.
** Many CAP Pokémon have great designs and look like actual Pokémon Creator/GameFreak would make. For Gen. VI, the CAP community has been developing 3D models with extremely accurate renders.
* The entire ''VideoGame/WorldOfMana'' franchise has very meticulously detailed and colored hand drawn graphics.
* The in-game posters of ''VideoGame/WarOfTheMonsters'' are so bad it's glorious. Have a few examples [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/warofthemonsters/images/c/c6/BATTLE~2_00.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120331174723 here]], [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/warofthemonsters/images/f/fa/Terror_in_Paradise_Loading_00.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120331175105 here]], and [[http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.44107524.5905/flat,1000x1000,075,f.jpg here]].
* The art style of ''VideoGame/RainWorld'' is absolutely gorgeous and gives the right sense of an abandoned industrial environment and contrasts it with good animation and colorful inhabitants.
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'': The game is entirely hand drawn. With the way everything moves, it's like a painting come to life.
* ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' used traditional hand-drawn cel-animation and is inspired by the 1930s cartoons, especially the [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Brothers]]. This is one reason that the game won Best Art Direction at [[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2017-winners-headlined-by-zelda-br/1100-6455467/ The Game Awards 2017]], as well as Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game.
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', which is made even more impressive when you know that it was done by a team of just three people. The dark but serene environments, background art and character designs are all beautifully done. It's made more gorgeous to look at by the animations and cinematic cutscenes, which look like something out of a full-length animated movie or a cartoon series.
* The indie MagicalGirlWarrior strategy RPG game ''VideoGame/{{IMGCM}}'' has stunning visuals, especially the 2D [=CG=]s and the [[https://youtu.be/TTcTfQ32jTk opening animation]]. The character art is well-made, its themes are vivid. This game has cool [=UI=]s like ''VideoGame/Persona5'', and it gives you some ''Anime/{{Promare}}'' and ''VideoGame/MuseDash'' vibes too! This includes the SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome from some heroines' attack animations.
* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has incredibly detailed animation, splash art, and login screens. Of particular note is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOxkGD8qRB4 K/DA music video]] with ''amazing'' lighting effects and coordination.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' is well known for having an extremely stylish and awesome art style, from its character portraits to the UI, even making what would otherwise be mundane option and shop menus extremely appealing to look at without sacrificing practicality. It's to the point where the battle menu itself underwent MemeticMutation because it's simply ''that'' cool looking. Special mention goes to the "finishing touch" splash screens that display if an [[CombinationAttack All Out Attack]] successfully kills every enemy during a battle, unique for each party member.
* The entire ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' franchise after Ayami Kojima took over. Starting with ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'', she delivered both gorgeous [[https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/474496510713254802/ concept]] and [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/4bj8ae/symphony_of_the_night_why_the_hell_does_dracula/ in-game]] art, which kept strong for many of its sequels. Ayami Kojima's style, with its angelic faces and grotesque forms, and landscapes full of meticulous detail, has become synonymous not only with the franchise, but with GothicHorror itself.
* ''Videogame/BioShock1'' and [[Videogame/BioShock2 its sequel]] combine ArtDeco with DieselPunk, and are thus set in a gorgeous-looking UnderwaterCity stuck in the mid-20th century, with the [[SceneryGorn broken and defaced environments]] only helping the atmosphere. ''Videogame/BioshockInfinite'' goes a different way that's equally impressive on its visuals, a brightly-lit [[FloatingContinent floating city]] straight out of TheGildedAge.
* While ''VideoGame/MightyNo9''[='=]s in-game visuals has been criticized for its lackluster 3D graphics and the fire effects has been a subject of ridicule due to Deep Silver's infamous "Masterclass" trailer, if there's something even some of the game's detractors can admit, is that the game's art looks amazing. The game's official artworks and concept art by KIMOKIMO evokes a style that is strikingly colorful yet retains the cartoony feel of the classic ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'' series, and even Keiji Inafune's earlier sketches for the game proves that his artistic talents hasn't gone rusty. [[https://i.imgur.com/snMFEfF.jpg These]] [[https://i.imgur.com/EixDlqx.png are]] [[https://i.imgur.com/eOuW6dq.png just]] [[https://i.imgur.com/x9KB39O.jpg a]] [[https://i.imgur.com/xemYIG7.png few]] [[https://i.imgur.com/D8U1qxq.png examples]].
* ''VideoGame/TetrisEffect'' bases basically its entire identity around this and its [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic incredible score]]. The player is surrounded by pulsing, flowing particle effects that resemble things like cityscapes, stars in space, deserts, mountains, oceans, sea creatures, birds, mermaids, and so much more. And all of this is only enhanced when it's taken into consideration that all of this art ''reacts to how you play, and to the music''. Bubbles can flow from your Tetris clears, jewels can sway in the breeze with your movements, the ocean can rotate when you turn a piece, it goes on and on.
* While it is a bit of a ContestedSequel, one thing nearly everyone agrees on is that the weapon reload animations in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019'' are some of the ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome best in the entire FPS genre.]]'' Even more impressively, they were all ''hand-keyed, not mo-capped''. So good that in fact, later games such as ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' and ''VideoGame/Battlefield2042'' seem to have taken influence from ''MW 2019'' in terms of their reload animations.
* ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' is one of the early prerendered game whose graphics have aged the best, still looking pretty sharp to this day even without CRT filters. In addition, it's one of the few games to make use of the system's shadow and highlight feature to produce gorgeous transparency and shading effects.
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* ''VideoGame/LuminoCity'' is a stunning puzzle game with a bright, colorful visual style that's literally built by hand out of paper, cardboard and various bits and bobs of mixed media. Only a few elements, such as the characters, appear to be CGI.
* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey IV'', ''Untold 1'' and ''2'' have gorgeous artwork, with the latter two succesfully enhancing the visuals of the respective first two games in the series. Most notable in the first stratum of the first game, and the fourth stratum of the second game. This is carried over in the games released since then, with ''Beyond the Myth'' having gorgeous locations like Tutelary Forest and Untamed Garden, and ''Nexus'' having not only visually-improved dungeons from ''IV'' and the ''Untold'' games once again, but also giving an exceptional treatment to the designs of the strata from ''The Drowned City'' (which is sadly the only game from the original Nintendo DS that was never remade like the other two were).
* Yoji Shinkawa's art for the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is instantly recognizable because his ukiyo-e-esque style. His work is ''very'' stylized and abstract, yet still technically accurate. Some of the most gorgeous cover art you'll see out there.
* Creator/RetroStudios of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns''[=/=]''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze Tropical Freeze]]'' fame have gained prestige for this. And they have unlockable concept art in every game they have released, for players to enjoy.
* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise in general has nice artwork, so much that some games, like ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Classic Collection]]'' as well as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS have a proper "Gallery". This even carried over to the post-VideoGame/SonicAdventure era, as the distinctive cartoony style of said artwork is [[BuffySpeak Sonic-ish]] enough to be considered part of what made Sonic the character we know today. So much, in fact, an official website [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Channel is mainly known for its official artwork.]] The [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance GBA]] games faithfully recreated this style with its sprites, pinnacling with ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''. The concept art for the 3D games, such as [[http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sonic-Forces_Concept-Art_War.jpg this one]] for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', look like they belong to a museum. This extends to the games, with various stages featuring stylized, surreal environments, most famously GreenHillZone.
* Amongst RunAndGun games, ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' stands out for its incredibly detailed animation and spritework, going so far as to include wacky animations for the enemy vehicles and even regular {{Mooks}} which other games would have simply glossed over in the interest of saving man-hours. According to [[http://www.tvga.me/extra/msa-interview.html#three a staff interview with NAZCA Team]], each frame of animation is hand drawn by a team of artists before being carefully inspected -- and sometimes personally edited -- by the art leads to ensure a tight consistency between all assets. And that's [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms3/sheet/37874/ not]] [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms/sheet/33818/ even]] [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms/sheet/36666/ getting]] [[http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms5/sheet/36508/ into]] the [[SceneryPorn stage]] [[SceneryGorn backgrounds]], which are nigh-photorealistic despite being rendered in cartoony ''pixel art''. The result? An incredibly seamless-looking, beautiful game.[[note]]Too bad they started using painted Photoshopped background assets beginning with the 6th title, though.[[/note]]
* The ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series combines this with SceneryPorn, with ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze Tropical Freeze]]'' setting the bar even higher.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', not only does each character potrait sport the fighters in a dynamic pose with vastly improved textures from previous games, but [[https://www.ssbwiki.com/File:SSBU_Panoramic.png the official box art used to promote the game]] is an astonishing, panoramic mural that includes every character in the game, and marks the first time the box art for a smash game was ''hand-drawn'' since the original.
* The dev-team of the high-profile FanGame ''VideoGame/SuperSmashFlash 2'' goes above and beyond with its high-quality custom sprite work. Each fighter that was in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' has had their appearance faithfully recreated in pixel form, and the ones that weren't fit in seamlessly. Of course, the stages continue this standard of quality as well.
* While the character art from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' is often debated, the background art from ''Mountain of Faith''is absolutely gorgeous, and the background art from ''Ten Desires'' is just well-animated all around.
* ''[[VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo Advanced V.G. II]]'': For such an old game, it has amazing [[TheNineties '90s style]] anime visuals and character designs, to compliment its gameplay. And with such detailed narrative [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl9YvGKTyAM cutscenes]] ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOTaSivc1Mc like these]]'', it's no wonder they finally decided to just make an {{OVA}} of it.
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' is known for its distinctive, beautiful style. To think, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen they were originally planning]] to make the game realistic. It's a good thing they didn't.
* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' was praised for its [[SceneryPorn beautifully detailed backgrounds]] and smooth character animations. Even people who haven't bought the game admit that it looks amazing. Creator/MichelAncel and co. went for a unique and striking look so as to stand out from other games on the market, and ''man'' did they succeed. ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'' is looking to take this further by giving it a more painterly feel, and lighting the 2D characters with 3D lighting.
* ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'' is not only powered by the same engine that brought us the visuals shown in ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' and ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'', but also has an art style that lends to a presentation not unlike a moving picture book, leading to some [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuDaxVfe12o absolutely breathtaking shots]].
* ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt'' was a 2D platformer... with hand-drawn, {{anime}}-style graphics and cinematics by Creator/ProductionIG.
* ''VideoGame/WarioLand4''. The sprites are amazingly well put together to the point where Wario looks like he's actually moving. You wouldn't believe that it's sprite-based at all. And what platform did it come out for? UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance. Yup.
* Anything by Vanillaware (examples: ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' and ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade'') is hardcore scenery porn. It's like playing a moving painting.
* Even [[HGame eroges]] and {{Visual Novel}}s aren't immune to this. Just look at ''VisualNovel/EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGnJdvt0dcQ OP]]. Justified that the OP's directed by [[Creator/MakotoShinkai Makoto]] [[SceneryPorn Shinkai]].
* Ayami Kojima's official art for ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''... well, what can we say? For two specific examples, see the page images for ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'' and the ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Sorrow]]'' duology.
* ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' is responsible for bringing CelShading to the mainstream in video games. No other game at the time of its release looked anything like it; the sharp shadows and thick outlines around character models made the game look like a slick, stylized anime come to life.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' is no slouch in this department. The art direction and character designs are incredibly stylized, with thick outlines and the right amount of shading to help make the environment feel even more lively, giving the game a very pleasing comic book like aesthetic that still holds up even to this day.
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has plenty of awesome concept art and well done character models and animation, and truly pushes the limits of the Unreal Engine's graphics capabilities, to boot.
* '''''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'''''. The areas are of a very grand scale yet finely detailed, and each has a well-defined ecosystem and weather effects. They must be seen to be believed. ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' takes the beauty of the first game and cranks the scale UpToEleven with an entire breathtakingly beautiful world to explore, all of which is seamlessly rendered in-game.
* ''VideoGame/{{Albion}}'' has some amazing graphics for a sprite based game.
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series:
** Say what you want about ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', but it still has breathtaking backgrounds and character designs. [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57088/finalfantasy/images/c/c2/FFXIII_crystal_lake.jpg Lake Bresha, for an example]].
** When you think of the earlier ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, Amano's work will usually come to mind. They're breath-takingly beautiful, you'll forget they're video game art.
** VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV has some of the best art direction in any MMO ever, with a completely unique and frankly gorgeous aesthetic with dozens of amazing, memorable designs.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' onwards featured some ''amazing'' background art, not to mention Final Fantasy 6's sprite work.
* ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'' has absolutely amazing background art of its lovingly-crafted world, as well as many very impressive character arts.
* Pick a ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' game. '''Any''' ''Kirby'' game. Chances are, if you're playing one with SNES-style graphics, looking at the [[SceneryPorn painting-style backgrounds]] ''[[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20509 will]]'' [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20510 make]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20511 you]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20512 drop]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/ds_dsi/kirbysqueaksquad/sheet/20513 your]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2973 jaw]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2976 on]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2975 the]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2977 freaking]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2978 floor.]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2979 Wow.]] [[http://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbynim/sheet/2980 Just]] [[https://spriters-resource.com/game_boy_advance/kirbyandtheamazingmirror/sheet/40118 wow.]] [- And the ones you've seen are just the most relevant ones, although some from ''VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad'' are missing. The first five links are from ''Squeak Squad'', the following seven are from ''[[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure Nightmare In Dreamland]]'' and the final one showcases the backgrounds from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror''. Alternatively, [[http://www.google.it/search?q=kirby+backgrounds+site%3Aspriters-resource.com&hl=it&gbv=2&rlz=1R2ACAW_it&um=1&tbm=isch&tab=wi&oq=kirby+backgrounds+site%3Aspriters-resource.com&gs_l=img.3...7438.14844.0.15156.35.31.4.0.0.0.250.4562.0j24j2.26.0...0.0...1c.1.tmFD6QmhYqU have fun with these search results.]] -]
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''. Yeah, it's a 2D sprite game in an age of photo-realistic 3D, but don't be fooled: these aren't ordinary sprites. Each character's sprite set include ''1000'' frames, all meticulously made for high-definition. And don't ''get me started'' on the stage backgrounds... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGk7cSKK1iE Here's a gameplay sample]].
* Long before ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', there was ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear''. While the first game wasn't really anything to write home about in terms of asset design[[note]]Capcom had substantially better spritework during the same period[[/note]], ''Guilty Gear X'' upped the ante by switching from the usual 320x240ish screen format used by most fighting games, instead going for a whopping ~640x480 in order to showcase higher definition sprites and backgrounds, a practice which carried over to its [[CapcomSequelStagnation pseudo sequels]]. Then after several years of silence following ''Guilty Gear 2: Overture'', Creator/ArcSystemWorks pulled out all the stops by painstakingly rendering ''Guilty Gear Xrd'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhGjCzxJV3E in gorgeous cel-shaded 3D]] using the Unreal Engine as a base, making the entire game look like an ''anime movie''.
* ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterz'' is made by Arc System Works (see ''Guilty Gear'' and ''[=BlazBlue=]'' above) using the Unreal Engine in the same way as ''Guilty Gear Xrd'', which fits Akira Toriyama's art style like a glove; the game looks very much like an anime come to life.
* Anything on the Gambryo engine used most notably by Bethesda from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' on through the remaining [[Franchise/TheElderScrolls TES]] and into ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Though the textures and models displayed can always be improved on (and usually are, quite significantly, by modders,) the engine itself has fantastic potential to provide breathtaking panoramas.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' provides an excellent demonstration of Bethesda's Creation Engine. Compared to ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', the game is much more colorful and vibrant while still maintaining its haunting post-apocalyptic aesthetic. In addition, characters are animated much more fluidly than in previous game, helping most of the people of the game world climb out of the UncannyValley.
* Though not consciously seeking to be visually bombastic as other Nintendo games, ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has shown several beautiful landscapes and exotic character designs over the years. Two well-known examples are ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', with the former using cel-shading visuals with realistic effects (like heat haze and motion blur) that are usually too difficult to program in a normal cel-shading game, and the latter showing an impressive realistic style with some cel-shading effects (such as the animations of the bomb explosions or the disappearance of the deceased enemies). It helps that both games were actually made with the same engine. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' takes it even further, showing a visual style that offers many beautiful landscapes that can easily remind people of the scenery seen in Studio Ghibli films.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' shows amazing craftsmanship, with the artists at From Software being great at creating memorable and just downright awesome designs for monsters, armor, locales, etc. The concept art is breathtaking in how beautiful the paintings are, which just makes the amazing designs stand out even more.
* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' has absolutely gorgeous hand-drawn artwork, done simply because [[DoingItForTheArt the dev team wanted to, even if it was more expensive than 3D models]]. The art style was based off 1930s ArtDeco and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. And while the art is great, the best part is the animation: the characters are better animated than many major releases that use full 3D models, with incredibly smooth animations (see, for example, [[http://i.imgur.com/Qydeo7t.gif Filia's run cycle]]) with a ''ridiculous'' amount of frames. In fact, ''Skullgirls'' holds the world record for most animation frames per character in a 2D fighting game. Yes, '''more''' than the 1000+ frames of the above mentioned ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''.
* Any of the ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'' Games. ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' didn't look very good for the most of it, being a NES game, but the battle sprites are very good looking. But ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' deserves a special mention.
* ''VideoGame/{{Transistor}}'' has amazing visuals. The empty city of Cloudbank is beautifully drawn.
* Say whatever you want about ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'''s tone, gameplay, and story, but it's hard to deny that Alessandro "Talexi" Taini's [[http://digital-art-gallery.com/oid/116/954x960_20004_Eva_Death_2d_fantasy_angels_picture_image_digital_art.jpg artwork]] is [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcu5w4PDU71qa5c1eo2_500.jpg gorgeous]] and [[http://i.imgur.com/LlJHR.jpg stylish]].
* ''Videogame/ChronoCross'' has very good graphics for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, with colorful and varied designs done in pre-rendered graphics which haven't aged much. [[https://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Official_Art_(Chrono_Cross).html Even the character art is amusing]].
** Its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, was no slouch, either. Nintendo knew what it was doing with the pixel art for this one. Every animation is beautifully done and the game looks like it could have come out yesterday.
* Two words: [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei Kazuma. Kaneko]]. Regardless of whether it's his ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' or ''[[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII II]]'' [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/a/aa/Smt1herooldart.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130622033331 early]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/9/99/SMTII-Aleph.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090623073858 cyberpunk]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/2/2c/MT2_Armoured_Protagonist.png/revision/latest?cb=20140120055507 style]], his ''VideoGame/Persona1'' style (which, admittedly has [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/5/50/Reiji1.png/revision/latest?cb=20170304053304 some minor growing pains, but is still fantastic in it's own right]]) or his ''VideoGame/Persona2'' [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/93/d2/b593d24d91bb4e0221d2d6ed5d360616.jpg onwards]] [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/49/dd/44/49dd4498eb9bc92aeffc4bde9eaf1a2e.jpg art]][[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/6f/01/2d6f015ec7eba71c8ed3b93b6caaa4b6.jpg style]], it is impossible to go wrong with him.
* ''VideoGame/GargoylesQuest'' was always about pushing the limits of whatever system the games were on, with ''Gargoyle's Quest II'' and ''Demon's Crest'' having absolutely gorgeous, beautifully animated sprites. ''Demon's Crest'' was so impressive in its level of detail that the game is prone to lagging when there's an excess of enemies on the screen.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'':
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qQPNO9D8rw&t=21s Bounce's animation]] now reminds one of an orbital cannon, somehow.
** Most of the moves and Pokémon animations are quite impressive, most notably the Honedge line.
** [[SecretArt Oblivion Wing]]. It's essentially a black and red WaveMotionGun that Yveltal blasts the enemy mon with, then drains 75% of the damage to heal itself with.
** The Brave Bird attack animation makes every flying type look amazing.
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn3vKF3P1ag animation]] for Palkia's SignatureMove, Spacial Rend, utilizes a flurry of slashes and an array of effects, ending with a striking visual that makes it seem as if you're not just cutting into space/subspace, but rather ''shattering the very fabric of reality itself''.
** Arceus' SignatureMove Judgment has finally shed its rather underwhelming (considering that it is the trademark technique of a Pokémon that is fabled to have created the universe and has a higher BST than all others) animation from the Gen IV and V games, and now has a much more impressive animation that resembles its appearance in the Jewel of Life movie -- in that it ''[[HolyHandGrenade rains down a barrage of light]] [[OrbitalBombardment from the sky]].''
** Seismic Toss now resembles the iconic "around the world" shot that was popularized with Ash's Charizard in the ''Pokemon'' anime, much to the nostalgic delight of veteran fans.
* ''Website/{{Smogon}}'':
** The custom Generation V sprites made for the Generation VI mons look very impressive, to the point that sites like /vp have been known to "steal" them for their own use.
** The site has a surprisingly large group of artists that make works for The Smog web magazine or just like to post their stuff on the forums. Special mention goes to long-time member [[https://www.smogon.com/smog/issue28/arterview Yilx]], [[https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/yilx-first-place-artist.70101/ who makes a ton of amazing pieces]] for The Smog and himself.
** Many CAP Pokémon have great designs and look like actual Pokémon Creator/GameFreak would make. For Gen. VI, the CAP community has been developing 3D models with extremely accurate renders.
* The entire ''VideoGame/WorldOfMana'' franchise has very meticulously detailed and colored hand drawn graphics.
* The in-game posters of ''VideoGame/WarOfTheMonsters'' are so bad it's glorious. Have a few examples [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/warofthemonsters/images/c/c6/BATTLE~2_00.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120331174723 here]], [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/warofthemonsters/images/f/fa/Terror_in_Paradise_Loading_00.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120331175105 here]], and [[http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.44107524.5905/flat,1000x1000,075,f.jpg here]].
* The art style of ''VideoGame/RainWorld'' is absolutely gorgeous and gives the right sense of an abandoned industrial environment and contrasts it with good animation and colorful inhabitants.
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'': The game is entirely hand drawn. With the way everything moves, it's like a painting come to life.
* ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' used traditional hand-drawn cel-animation and is inspired by the 1930s cartoons, especially the [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Brothers]]. This is one reason that the game won Best Art Direction at [[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2017-winners-headlined-by-zelda-br/1100-6455467/ The Game Awards 2017]], as well as Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game.
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', which is made even more impressive when you know that it was done by a team of just three people. The dark but serene environments, background art and character designs are all beautifully done. It's made more gorgeous to look at by the animations and cinematic cutscenes, which look like something out of a full-length animated movie or a cartoon series.
* The indie MagicalGirlWarrior strategy RPG game ''VideoGame/{{IMGCM}}'' has stunning visuals, especially the 2D [=CG=]s and the [[https://youtu.be/TTcTfQ32jTk opening animation]]. The character art is well-made, its themes are vivid. This game has cool [=UI=]s like ''VideoGame/Persona5'', and it gives you some ''Anime/{{Promare}}'' and ''VideoGame/MuseDash'' vibes too! This includes the SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome from some heroines' attack animations.
* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has incredibly detailed animation, splash art, and login screens. Of particular note is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOxkGD8qRB4 K/DA music video]] with ''amazing'' lighting effects and coordination.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' is well known for having an extremely stylish and awesome art style, from its character portraits to the UI, even making what would otherwise be mundane option and shop menus extremely appealing to look at without sacrificing practicality. It's to the point where the battle menu itself underwent MemeticMutation because it's simply ''that'' cool looking. Special mention goes to the "finishing touch" splash screens that display if an [[CombinationAttack All Out Attack]] successfully kills every enemy during a battle, unique for each party member.
* The entire ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' franchise after Ayami Kojima took over. Starting with ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'', she delivered both gorgeous [[https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/474496510713254802/ concept]] and [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/4bj8ae/symphony_of_the_night_why_the_hell_does_dracula/ in-game]] art, which kept strong for many of its sequels. Ayami Kojima's style, with its angelic faces and grotesque forms, and landscapes full of meticulous detail, has become synonymous not only with the franchise, but with GothicHorror itself.
* ''Videogame/BioShock1'' and [[Videogame/BioShock2 its sequel]] combine ArtDeco with DieselPunk, and are thus set in a gorgeous-looking UnderwaterCity stuck in the mid-20th century, with the [[SceneryGorn broken and defaced environments]] only helping the atmosphere. ''Videogame/BioshockInfinite'' goes a different way that's equally impressive on its visuals, a brightly-lit [[FloatingContinent floating city]] straight out of TheGildedAge.
* While ''VideoGame/MightyNo9''[='=]s in-game visuals has been criticized for its lackluster 3D graphics and the fire effects has been a subject of ridicule due to Deep Silver's infamous "Masterclass" trailer, if there's something even some of the game's detractors can admit, is that the game's art looks amazing. The game's official artworks and concept art by KIMOKIMO evokes a style that is strikingly colorful yet retains the cartoony feel of the classic ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'' series, and even Keiji Inafune's earlier sketches for the game proves that his artistic talents hasn't gone rusty. [[https://i.imgur.com/snMFEfF.jpg These]] [[https://i.imgur.com/EixDlqx.png are]] [[https://i.imgur.com/eOuW6dq.png just]] [[https://i.imgur.com/x9KB39O.jpg a]] [[https://i.imgur.com/xemYIG7.png few]] [[https://i.imgur.com/D8U1qxq.png examples]].
* ''VideoGame/TetrisEffect'' bases basically its entire identity around this and its [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic incredible score]]. The player is surrounded by pulsing, flowing particle effects that resemble things like cityscapes, stars in space, deserts, mountains, oceans, sea creatures, birds, mermaids, and so much more. And all of this is only enhanced when it's taken into consideration that all of this art ''reacts to how you play, and to the music''. Bubbles can flow from your Tetris clears, jewels can sway in the breeze with your movements, the ocean can rotate when you turn a piece, it goes on and on.
* While it is a bit of a ContestedSequel, one thing nearly everyone agrees on is that the weapon reload animations in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019'' are some of the ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome best in the entire FPS genre.]]'' Even more impressively, they were all ''hand-keyed, not mo-capped''. So good that in fact, later games such as ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' and ''VideoGame/Battlefield2042'' seem to have taken influence from ''MW 2019'' in terms of their reload animations.
* ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' is one of the early prerendered game whose graphics have aged the best, still looking pretty sharp to this day even without CRT filters. In addition, it's one of the few games to make use of the system's shadow and highlight feature to produce gorgeous transparency and shading effects.
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