There’s no other aspect of gaming where it’s easier to see consistent progression than visual fidelity. While games have become more realistic, they have also learned to use all these new tools and technology to create amazing worlds and settings that we are immersed in. 2022 is proof that it just keeps getting better as we have a great crop of games to celebrate.
These are the nominees for TechRaptor’s Best Visual Design Award for outstanding and cohesive aesthetics.
Check out our other award categories and nominees here.
Readers’ Choice Winner – Elden Ring
Developer: FromSoftware | Release Date: February 25, 2022
FromSoftware is the developer to beat these days, as they have honed their talents to a dangerous limit. elden ring he took everything in his pedigree and increased it to 11. Exploration and curiosity are rewarded with limitless Elden Ring, as each location is now a visual spectacle. Is easy to see why elden ring took home the vote with our readers.
Third Place – Horizon Forbidden West
Developer: Guerrilla Games | Release Date: February 18, 2022
Written by Tyler Chancey
guerrilla games Forbidden Horizon West has been underrated among the biggest profile entries this year. This sequel not only improves on its predecessor, but also raised the bar for visual fidelity and design aesthetics. This is a game that pays attention to every little detail, from how exposed flesh freezes or sweats in the appropriate weather, to the ebb and flow of water, to the practicalities of each character’s clothing.
Combine that with a warm, vibrant color palette that gives each location its own visual identity, stunning visual vignettes like a sunken Las Vegas, and the imaginative design of the various robot dinosaurs Aloy fights, and Forbidden Horizon West it becomes a moving visual masterpiece.
Second place: God of War Ragnarok
Developer: Santa Monica Studio | Release date: November 9, 2022
Written by Andrew Stretch
If there’s one big thing that PlayStation’s first-party titles are known for, it’s their excellence in visual fidelity and design. god of war ragnarok iIt’s no stranger to this level of quality, which explains why it’s our 2022 Best Visual Design runner-up.
From the soft fall of the snow to the branches swaying in the wind, to the way Kratos tears a poor barbarian apart for daring to venture into his forest, each frame is a visual feast for your eyes. No doubt there will be huge arenas and intense combat that will stick with players for years to come.
While these larger aspects of the world show off incredible visual design, it’s also in the more subtle aspects of the world, like the movement of a character while running or how the environment plays with those present, that makes the world come alive. A truly foreign land filled with Norse gods and doomsday prophecies has been brought to life in this product.
Winner – Elden Ring
Developer: FromSoftware | Release Date: February 25, 2022
Written by Austin Suther
One could spend days talking about the visual design of elden ringso to limit my words on what it does elden ring such a beautiful game is almost criminal. Still, if there is an aspect of elden ring I can look at it and say “that’s why it deserves this award”, it’s because of its incredibly robust Legacy Dungeons.
Legacy dungeons are more faithful to souls experience we’ve come to expect from developer FromSoftware, creating interconnected yet open-ended death traps within a confined area. From the golden Leyendell, Royal Capital, to Volcano Manor, the visual design of these areas is executed with deadly precision, creating intriguing, varied and surprising environments to make your way through. Among the others, the Raya Lucaria Academy stands out, an area filled with so much mysticism and mystery that if I could, I would erase my memory and explore it again.