Graphics are not the single most important aspect of a video game, and good graphics do not automatically make a game good. That being said, they are an integral part of the medium, and the great thing about video games is that there are all kinds of graphical styles to choose from. A small, simple game like Journey can be just as visually compelling as the biggest AAA title you can think of. Its just a matter of style. And as video game technology grows more sophisticated, one of the biggest hopes we gamers have is that the graphics continue to be pushed to the limit. More specifically, the hope is that someday video games will cross that visual threshold into near photorealism. As already mentioned, it depends on the visual style the game is trying to achieve, but for those games which attempt to replicate a real world style as much as possible, being able to achieve photorealism is a goal that is constantly being strived towards. Wed love to have to think twice about whether what we are seeing is real or not, as it contributes to the level of immersion possible. We constantly hear about how the latest game has more realistic graphics than ever, and despite great strides, we still have yet to do so. It is about more than just the amount of pixels used to render a person or object. Advances in animation, physic engines, and lighting are all important aspects in creating that ultimate goal of replicating the real world. Facial animations, in particular, are incredibly important in making a character appear real. So many details have to be considered when creating these realistic worlds, many you wouldnt even think to consider. The real world is much more visually complicated than we give it credit for, so it isnt exactly surprising that we havent quite made that leap yet. Hopefully we will one day.
