7. Graphical Power
Its amazing to see how graphically powerful video games have gotten. With early games such as
Pong, players controlled blocks of pixels against a black background. Now billions of pixels are combined to create lavishly detailed worlds and characters that players can interact with in real time. From the beautifully realized desert in
Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception to the expansive snow-capped mountains in
Skyrim, developers are continuously throwing players into environments that often leave one slack-jawed in wonder. Many of modern days greatest games, such as
Bioshock,
Red Dead Redemption, and
Mass Effect simply wouldnt be possible without the graphical capabilities used to create their worlds. Equally impressive are the physics engines being used, giving players more power and realism in how they interact with the environments and each other. Even smaller scale games, such as
Journey, are a feast for the eyes and offer an amazing visual splendor. It may be true that some games use graphics as a crutch, but when used in tandem with great gameplay, the two merge to create a seamless and memorable experience.