10 Amazing Video Games With TERRIBLE Graphics

8. Master Of Orion II

I’ve tried to avoid entries where the game has just aged poorly in the graphics department but this 1996 masterpiece is not only a good example of a game that while it does indeed look pretty bad now, it’s still one of the greatest 4X games of all time.

Your gamer Dad’s favourite game, or at least my gamer Dad’s favourite game, Master of Orion 2, was made by Microprose.

As a strategy-heavy space sim gameplay took precedence over graphics. This was even more true for its predecessor, the original Master of Orion, which was heavily criticised for its graphics which were often repetitive or entirely absent. The menus of Master of Orion 2 will be a bit of an eyesore for players, especially those who haven’t played a game from the mid-90s for a spell, but it’s well worth getting used to to appreciate what’s under the hood.

Essentially, the game is a dream for hardcore strategy fans and set the gold standard for the genre. It’s plenty challenging in really satisfying ways, offers up a space age playground with an incredible amount of features to engage with, and perhaps most importantly, it’s still worth your time all these years later, even if its graphics are absolutely lacklustre.

To have built a legacy in the way this game has with graphics that were even criticised when it originally released, let alone how dated it looks now, is a real testament to its strengths.