PlayStation has a huge year of releases set up for the PS5 and while Sony has guaranteed a lot of exclusives there are also plenty of other outside titles guaranteed for the console. Regardless, it's those exclusive titles that are the focus here, many of which look to be rather striking.
The video game experience is evolving thanks to the next generation of consoles, alongside modernized technology, improved hardware, software, and development engines. Ultimately, these games are simply breathtaking and promise a cinematic story unlike anything fans would have seen on their screens before in the medium.
Horizon Forbidden West
The highly anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn looks even more stunning than its predecessor thanks to its next-gen graphics. The benefits of this fictional landscape are numerous despite some unpopular Horizon Zero Dawn opinions, but it's the mechanical creatures and their realistic movements that really stand out here.
The character designs are all superb, but it's clear from early footage that the natural backdrop of the piece is lusher than ever, focusing on the tiny details that bring an environment to life. Horizon Forbidden West from Guerrilla Games makes good use of the Decima engine it runs on.
God Of War Ragnarök
Another sequel lined up for a PS5 release, God of War Ragnarök is set to further expand God of War's world of Norse mythology that Sony has built up, but is doing so in even more exquisite detail. The landscapes are breathtaking and really manage to convey incredible scale.
But the nuances of the characters are the most important aspect of this title. The emotions conveyed on their faces are ultra-realistic, while the textures of their clothing help to build out the world. That's so important in this Santa Monica Studio game of gods, where some elements are grounded. In contrast, the monsters are more imaginative than ever.
Stray
Stray from BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna Interactive might be using Unreal Engine 4 instead of 5, but it's clearly aiming to tell the most visually gorgeous story possible, through the use of a simple yet realistic cat and its wonderous adventures.
The third-person adventure game has a lot of strengths but it seems to be the lighting that allows it to stand out, as early footage indicates that the tone and mood of the piece and the environments this stray cat ventures into are all conveyed through color and light. It might be one of the most artistic games of the PS5's 2022.
Forspoken
There are plenty of major games coming to the console that are sure to catch the gaming world by storm, but the magical land of Forspoken might be one of the most anticipated. Luminous Productions and Square Enix are really creating a spectacle here.
The franchise design is next-level with every inclusion having a clear thought process behind it. The studio is using their optimized Luminous Engine to create this unique magical mechanic while telling all of their stories through the elite settings and dynamic creatures.
Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection
Naughty Dog's Uncharted series has some of the best designs on show in the whole of the video game industry. It's no surprise that fans are clamoring to get some graphical updates to enjoy these titles on next-gen consoles and luckily 2022 is going to deliver just that.
Allowing these games to run at a better frame rate and utilizing the HD displays of the latest PS5s is a genius move and the Legacy of Thieves Collection really does bring the best out of all of these previous adventures. Audiences will view the titles and Uncharted's charismatic, intelligent characters in a different light.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo from Tango Gameworks and Bethesda Softworks is using Unreal Engine 4 to try to bring its neon cityscape to life with immense precision. It's rather effective as early images are demonstrating the iconic cinematic portrayal of this story.
Color is so important here with the neon doing a great job of helping to portray the tone of the piece. But the action-adventure also boasts a range of striking gameplay mechanics that really pop thanks to their innovative designs. The masks and costumes may seem familiar but the rest more than makes up for it.
Sifu
Sometimes the art choices within a title are so stylized that they completely move away from what's usually expected of a PS5 game. That's the case with Sifu, Sloclap's martial-arts-focused fighting game that boasts frames that parallel gorgeous paintings.
There's something very elegant about the style here, which Sloclap developed via Unreal Engine 4. This game would have worked on other platforms but it's the crispness of the graphics that bring the experience to life via the next-gen console.
Tchia
Tchia is a game that has put the art design at the forefront of its marketing and for good reason. While it's another title that uses a more stylized approach, it's incredibly effective in telling a story using natural imagery and simple shapes in the most stunning of ways.
There's a natural beauty to this title from Awaceb, who are using Unreal Engine 4 to try and bring their vision to PlayStation 5. The way the young protagonist interacts with the environments around her feels seamlessly authentic as the developers beautifully capture a moment of serenity.
Gran Turismo 7
There are plenty of open-world racing games worth checking out but the more focused elements of Gran Turismo 7 have allowed the title to really feature truly memorable graphics that bring racing to life in a way the series never has been able to before.
It feels as if a genuine competition is being filmed as Polyphony Digital and Sony Interactive used their next-gen technology to try to capture the shadows and lighting, textures, and movements of some of the most ferocious motor vehicles in the history of the sport. It's a stunning display of how visually far the saga has come.
Babylon's Fall
PlatinumGames and Square Enix have created the RPG Babylon's Fall which has taken a really unique approach to its design and tried to create something that feels very conceptual yet still vitally polished. It's once again the scale of the franchise that's so stunning.
The fantasy elements feel very tailored to this particular gaming experience and while some of the design elements, especially the buildings, take their cues from other franchises, they all have a unique flavor to them. Graphically it's not too advanced, but in terms of its tone and worldbuilding, it's stellar.