3 Video Games That Pushed Their Consoles to the Absolute Edge and Still Look Great Today

Some video games have managed to stand the test of time and could even pass for games released in 2025. All mediums evolve in ways big and small, allowing some pieces of art to become dated. Movies and TV have evolved a tremendous amount to have color, CGI, and much more, allowing you to easily distinguish when some films were even made. Video games arguably show their age way more due to their graphics. The video game industry is still very much in its infancy and is evolving at a rapid rate thanks to new technologies and methods that allow developers to keep pushing the envelope.

With that said, in the last decade or so, it feels like the industry started to hit the wall in just how much better graphics can get. While a better focus on art direction and overall detail has allowed some games to gain an edge, developers have come close to achieving lifelike visuals without becoming too uncanny. It has even partially caused some criticism that some games feel too much like movies or TV shows rather than video games. With that said, we thought it would be fun to round up a few games that are a bit older, yet pushed their platforms to new heights and still hold up today.

3) Ryse: Son of Rome

Ryse: Son of Rome is an underrated launch game for the Xbox One. It’s not the most innovative game in terms of its gameplay, but my god, did it look gorgeous. This was one of the very first games revealed for the Xbox One and was a brilliant demo game for the console. When you see demos at shows like E3, you sometimes expect the rug to be pulled out from under you at release and get a game that suffered from some downgrades. However, Ryse: Son of Rome was the real deal.

It had a level of visual fidelity that hadn’t been seen in a real working game up to that point and felt like a true next-gen moment. It captured all the gory details of sword fights, had gorgeous lighting effects, and created an impressive, cinematic experience that was unlike anything else at the time. Visually, the game still holds up to this day and is worth playing if you have an Xbox or PC, even just to admire its beauty.

2) Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight took complete advantage of the then-new consoles. There was a four year gap between Arkahm City and Arkham Knight along with a generational transition, allowing Rocksteady to build its DC finale from the ground up with the new hardware in mind. It had an expansive open-world that finally let you drive the Batmobile around, causing all kinds of destruction in the process, and a beautifully lit and detailed version of Gotham City that was unlike any other.

One of the real highlights from Arkham Knight was the rain in the game. You could see individual rivers of rainwater trickling down Batman’s suit, all of which would pool on the ground. It all resulted in a highly immersive experience that showed Rocksteady’s evolution from a creepy asylum to a massive city. Unfortunately, Arkham Knight was also the subject of controversy thanks to a botched PC port, but it was later fixed. However, Batman: Arkham Knight still struggles to run on Nintendo Switch, despite the console releasing a couple of years after the game.

1) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Naughty Dog always knows how to make a premium, prestigious video game. The studio continues to one-up itself with every game from a technical level and Uncharted 4 was probably the biggest leap it has ever made. Every nook and cranny of Uncharted 4‘s world felt delicately handcrafted, giving the environment a jaw-dropping level of authenticity. It’s easy to get lost in Nathan Drake’s house just observing all of the little details, for instance.

Naughty Dog also added its signature cinematic flair to the game’s visual presentation with unprecedented cinematography, vivid lighting, and some of the most detailed facial animations we’ve ever seen. It helps that the game was incredibly well acted, but Naughty Dog managed to pick up all the nuances of the performances and highlight them into the game. It’s an unbelievable piece of work that set the bar for not just the PS4 era, but all PlayStation games going forward.

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