One of the many reasons why FPS games are so fun is because of how amazing the graphics are. The FPS genre is one of the few that constantly tries to capture realistic visuals with each entry. Not only does having realistic graphics make the game more fun, but it also helps with immersion. It is difficult to get immersed in a game that is supposed to have realistic ballistics, and have highly detailed weapon textures, but the world it's situated in doesn't share this realism. Besides, we are now on the verge of 2022, and with the capabilities of modern systems, realistic graphics are a must. If you are searching for a new game to play, and appreciate or long for FPS games with incredibly realistic graphics, here are 15 of the best.
15. Metro Exodus (PC / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / macOS / Linux)
Metro Exodus - E3 2017 Announce Gameplay Trailer
There’s just something about a slow-paced game with the promise of threat that is ever present that gets the heart pumping. Metro Exodus was developed by 4A Games, published by Deep Silver, and is the third game in the series. You will play as Artyom, a soldier trying to find life outside of the Metro, and he finds it, but it's not as peaceful as he expected.
As you scavenge from dead enemies, and fight against creatures that have been mutated by radiation, you will be blown away by the detailed, realistic graphics the game offers. Metro Exodus offers some of the best atmosphere an FPS game can, and has, as well as fluid, gritty combat.
The game simultaneously places you in an open map, giving you the opportunity to explore, but also manages to make every encounter feel close-quarters and strategic.
14. Far Cry 6 (PC / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series S and X)
Far Cry 6 - Game Overview Trailer
Ubisoft has become well known for its gameplay formula; a huge open world, strongholds to take over, side missions to complete, and guns to upgrade until eventually you take on the villain that makes his presence known at the beginning of every game. Far Cry 6, which released in 2021, is no exception to this.
This isn’t to say that it is a bad game. It’s really fun, the combat is great, the world is immersive, and the characters are very fleshed out. You will take control of Dani Rojas, a Yaran rebel, whose mission is to bring peace back to the beautiful nation, and beautiful it is.
Ubisoft has created one of the most visually breathtaking worlds, and it's easy to forget that you’re playing a game. From beautiful beaches to vibrant forests, you could get lost just taking it all in, if it wasn’t for all the action that awaits you.
13. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC / PS4 / Xbox One)
Red Dead Redemption 2 Trailer
There can’t be a list of FPS games with realistic graphics that doesn’t include Red Dead Redemption 2; Rockstar Studios, the developer, really went above and beyond when creating this game. Yes, while it is true that Red Dead Redemption 2 is intended to be played from a third person perspective, it has the option of first-person perspective too, and it should definitely be used.
You play as Arthur Morgan, a charming outlaw, who is a member of the Van der Linde gang that is comprised of a bunch of misfits that work well together, better than they would alone. The Wild West is changing, and society is becoming more civil, which is something that you and the gang need to contend with, along with the lawmen that are chasing you from your previous botched heist.
Along with realistic graphics that instantly immerse you in the game, the world around you feels alive. From the quiet little homesteads to the bustling cities and towns, dusty caves, and forests, it creates the feeling that there is always something just waiting to be discovered, and from a first-person perspective it's even better.
12. Enlisted (PC / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series S and X)
Enlisted Closed Beta Trailer
When it comes to free to play shooters, it is often hit or miss, most of the time being miss. However, Enlisted is one of those free to play shooters that hits the nail on the head, and has everything that a shooter should include. The game was released in 2021, published by Gaijin Entertainment, and developed by Darkflow Software.
If you have played CRSED: F.O.A.D. then you basically know what to expect since it uses the same engine. That being said, the graphics of Enlisted are some of the best that FPS games have to offer, especially free to play ones. The game has influences of some of the best FPS multiplayer games, such as Battlefield and Call of Duty, and is set during the World War II era. This means that you can expect to see weaponry of that time, as well as vehicles.
If you aren’t prepared to buy a Battlefield game just yet, then Enlisted is one of the best choices for a similar feel, fast-paced action, and all out warfare.
11. Beyond the Wire (PC)
Beyond The Wire Early Access Gameplay Trailer
Very few FPS games out there capture the atmosphere and intensity of World War 1, except Beyond the Wire. The game was published by Offworld Industries, developed by Redstone Interactive, and is currently available on Steam as an Early Access title.
If you have a beefy enough computer and can push the graphics to the max settings, the graphical atmosphere of the game alone is stunning. More than this, the visual effects, the sounds, the camera shudder all help to simulate a truly at the edge of your set experience that is hard to come by with many FPS games with World War themes.
There is nothing quite like an explosion right next to you, seeing an enemy through the dispersing sand, and knowing that all it takes is one shot to end it all for the both of you, so you better not miss.
10. Escape from Tarkov (PC / macOS)
Escape from Tarkov - Battle in the Streets Gameplay Trailer
There are many FPS games that promise realism, intense gunplay, diverse weapon customization, and a general feeling of hopelessness, but don’t deliver. Escape from Tarkov is not one of those games, and is reserved for a special group of players. Think PUBG meets Stalker, with the realism of Arma. The game was released as a closed beta in 2017 by developer and publisher, Battlestate Games.
It isn’t just the ultra-realistic graphics that makes the tension in Escape from Tarkov feel so real, it’s also the fact that the game is kind of like a battle royale, but with real consequences. Before going on a raid, you will need to select the gear that you take with you, which doesn’t sound so bad. However, if you don’t find the extraction point before the timer runs out, or you are killed, you can lose all of that gear if it wasn’t insured.
If you are tired of feeling like a bullet sponge, having more ammunition than you can carry, and want to truly immersive yourself in an experience that no other FPS game currently offers, Escape from Tarkov is definitely for you.
9. Battlefield 5 (PC / PS4 / Xbox One)
Battlefield 5 Official Reveal Trailer
It is becoming more and more difficult to find someone who hasn’t heard, seen, or played a Battlefield game, and it can be argued that the series has set the tone for the FPS genre, particularly the multiplayer aspect of it. This is no different for Battlefield 5 which was released in 2018, published by Electronic Arts and developed by DICE.
If you aren’t aware of the Battlefield series, this entry puts you in the World War II setting where, more often than not, two 64-player teams will fight it out on the ground, and in the air. You will be able to earn attachments for your weapons and be able to upgrade your vehicles.
Battlefield 5 is probably one of the most visually appealing of all the games in the series, and the detailed design of the maps really bring the game to life. Battlefield 5 managed to create both a realistic looking world, filled with detail from the buildings to the landscapes, and arcade like gameplay, that synchronize quite well.
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (PC / PS4 / Xbox One)
Official Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® - Reveal Trailer
When rumors emerged that a new Call of Duty game was in the works after the release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in 2016, many speculations emerged as to what it could be. Then when players found out it would be a reboot of one of the developers’, Infinity Ward, most popular game in the series, the excitement was palpable.
Needless to say, that Infinity Ward didn’t fail to deliver when releasing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in 2019. The visuals of the game are some of the best that the FPS genre has to offer, and having a new engine built specifically for the game allowed for the gameplay to exceed expectations and standards of FPS games.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was a breath of fresh air for the series, and the enhanced visuals which have ray tracing capabilities, along with smooth movement and engaging combat makes this an FPS game that you simply can’t not try out.
7. Arma 3 (PC / macOS)
ARMA III - Launch Trailer
From the developers Bohemia Interactive comes one of the most immersive and graphically realistic military sims ever created; Arma 3. The scale of the game is just enormous, with many moving parts that come together to form a magnificent, realistic experience, both in mechanics and visuals.
You are U.S Army soldier Corporal Ben Kerry, and you find yourself on the islands of Altis and Stratis, although there are other islands to play on too. Arma 3 is set in an open-world, waiting to be explored, with many objectives and missions to undertake, weaponry to choose from which will vary mission to mission, and vehicles to ride.
The new stance system is absolutely amazing; there are 9 stances to choose from which means that you can find cover behind almost any surface. There’s nothing quite like leaning from behind cover, aiming down the sights to find a glint in the distance, and seeing dust being dislodged from the wall next to you as a bullet ricochets off into the distance.
6. Post Scriptum (PC)
Post Scriptum - Launch Trailer
One thing that FPS fans might have noticed in the last few years is a demand for realistic military shooters, and one game has risen to the occasion; Post Scriptum. This game actually began as a mod for Squad, which is also on this list, and after being developed by Periscope Gamesand published by Offworld Industries, it was released as a standalone game in 2018.
Post Scriptum offers some of the most intense combat and atmospheres of the World War II era, and what aids in this are the realistic graphics that the game shows off. If the game is set to epic quality, it turns into an almost cinematic experience, and it really helps to place you in the shoes of the soldier you are controlling.
If you are a fan of World War II games, great graphics, and grueling, realistic gameplay, then Post Scriptum is for you.
5. Insurgency: Sandstorm (PC / macOS / Linux)
Insurgency: Sandstorm - Launch Trailer
Insurgency: Sandstorm is one of the newer entries on this list, and as such, it naturally has some of the most realistic graphics seen in an FPS. The game was developed by New World Interactive, published by Focus Home Interactive, and was released in 2018.
It is one of the most intense, brutal and satisfying tactical FPS games to have been released, with great level design, amazing atmosphere, gameplay that is incredibly realistic, and has some of the smoothest animations.
Muzzle flashes are very easy to get wrong, but Insurgency: Sandstorm nails them perfectly, and this adds to the realism and graphics, especially when you see the dust raise when bullets hit the ground, and blood splatter and mist spray from an enemy's head when landing that perfect headshot.
4. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (PC / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series S and X)
Rainbow Six Siege E3 2014 Gameplay World Premiere
If there is an FPS online tactical shooter out there that had one of the biggest followings, it would be Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. The game was released in 2015, and was developed by Ubisoft Montreal, and published by Ubisoft.
To explain what the game is quite simply; it is search and destroy, but an expanded, tactical, and slightly more complicated version of it. What sets this game apart however, is that it uses a class-based system, which means that the different characters have different loadouts and abilities.
In addition to this, the visuals are incredibly realistic. This added with the fact that basically every surface is destructible means that there is an extra layer of fear and realism when walking through tight corridors, that can quickly become littered with debris and flying pieces of wood. In this FPS, peaking around corners is something that actually needs to be done.
3. Hell Let Loose (PC / PS5 / Xbox Series S and X)
Rainbow Six Siege E3 2014 Gameplay World Premiere
As mentioned, there is a demand for World War games, and one of Post Scriptum’s contenders is Hell Let Loose, developed by Black Matter, and published by Team17 in 2021. The major difference between Hell Let Loose and Post Scriptum is that Hell Let Loose is much more graphically realistic, whereas Post Scriptum is more realistic in terms of gameplay.
For many FPS fans, Hell Let Loose is what Battlefield 5 could have been, and what helps to create an environment that feels so alive is the breathtaking graphics of the game. The game uses interesting mechanics that ensure a strategic pace, such as respawn points in the form of outposts, which can only be built by squad leaders.
If you are looking for something that shares some of the realism of Post Scriptum, but isn’t as arcade-like as Battlefield 1 or 5, then this game is perfect for you.
2. Squad (PC)
Squad - Launch Trailer
Many hardcore FPS gamers will know of Offworld Industries from Project Reality, a Battlefield 2 mod. Squad, is the spiritual success of that, developed by Offworld Industries, and released in 2020.
Squad features realistic squad-based tactical gameplay, and is one of the best games for large-scale warfare. This large-scale warfare often presents itself in you having to crawl through fields of high resolution, extremely realistic grass, keeping an eye out for a glinting scope in the distance.
The fact that you will die often, and mainly by enemies you never saw, completes the realistically tense atmosphere the amazing visuals create. Added to that the complicated gameplay mechanics, and the result is an extremely satisfying, realistic and rewarding experience, if you don’t rage quit in the first hour of gameplay.
1. The Hunter: Call of the Wild (PC / PS4 / Xbox One)
theHunter: Call of the Wild | Announcement Trailer
Not everyone wants to take part in massive battles, hear the sound of tanks rolling along, or be the victim of a fly-by shooting. Some people would much prefer tracking an animal through dense forests, or trying to hunt the most dangerous animal. This is exactly why The Hunter: Call of the Wild has become so popular.
The game was released in 2017, published by Expansive Worlds and Avalanche Studios Group, and developed by Expansive Worlds. You won’t be taking control of anyone, instead you will create a character and enter an open world which contains missions that you can follow. You can also just hunt freely, and go wherever your heart desires.
The Hunter: Call of the Wild is an extremely beautiful game, and you can easily get sidetracked exploring swamps, snowy mountains, rugged mountain forests, woods and meadows that are inspired by real world locations.
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