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These 16 Surprising Games Are as Beautiful as They Are Fun
1. Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery
A blocky, pixelated style doesn’t have to mean ugly visuals, as proven by this mesmerizing game.
2. Child of Light
Don’t you wish more video games had a storybook-like feel, the way this title does?
3. Broken Age
Another title that seems like its graphics sprang straight from a children’s story book that never was.
4. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
The gameplay is pretty inane--a character named Enoch can repair his holy armor by using hearts (???). But the visuals? Stunning
5. World of Goo
Sometimes the best art doesn’t totally make sense. World of Goo definitely comes from the Salvador Dali School of Gaming.
6. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Sure, the third installment in the Dragon Age series features fantastic gameplay, but would you look at these costumes, please?
7. Monument Valley
Critics have slammed the game’s short length, but that’s kind of like criticizing the Mona Lisa for its small size.
8. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Reviewers have called this peaceful tale “mesmerizing,” and we couldn’t agree more.
9. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea
Honestly, we could have picked any game from the BioShock series, thanks to its amazing aesthetic, which designers have described as a cross between 1984 and Logan's Run. Even this DLC takes the look to amazing heights. Or, rather, depths.
10. Kentucky Route Zero
What if you could play a game that looked a little like a Hockney painting? Wonder no further.
11. Ancient Trader
Some of the most beautiful art in history comes from the world of cartography, and the creators of Ancient Trader seemed to know that.
12. Gone Home
The setting may be ordinary -- an empty house -- but sometimes a story is so quietly powerful that it elevates the humdrum into something extraordinary.
13. The Cave
Sharp-eyed gamers know that this is the second title on this list from Double Fine entertainment. Maybe that’s because their visuals are double fine.
14. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Every leaf and drop of water has a realism so stunning that the player might forget to LOOK BEHIND YOU THERE’S A MERCENARY WITH A GUN.
15. Okami
Japanese myths and folklore inspire a game that looks like an ancient painting come to life.
16. Grim Fandango
The game designers turned to the Mexican Day-of-the-Dead aesthetic to create a colorful, unforgettable world -- a world that’s getting a new life this month on several platforms.
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A blocky, pixelated style doesn’t have to mean ugly visuals, as proven by this mesmerizing game.
2. Child of Light
Don’t you wish more video games had a storybook-like feel, the way this title does?
3. Broken Age
Another title that seems like its graphics sprang straight from a children’s story book that never was.
4. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
The gameplay is pretty inane--a character named Enoch can repair his holy armor by using hearts (???). But the visuals? Stunning
5. World of Goo
Sometimes the best art doesn’t totally make sense. World of Goo definitely comes from the Salvador Dali School of Gaming.
6. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Sure, the third installment in the Dragon Age series features fantastic gameplay, but would you look at these costumes, please?
7. Monument Valley
Critics have slammed the game’s short length, but that’s kind of like criticizing the Mona Lisa for its small size.
8. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Reviewers have called this peaceful tale “mesmerizing,” and we couldn’t agree more.
9. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea
Honestly, we could have picked any game from the BioShock series, thanks to its amazing aesthetic, which designers have described as a cross between 1984 and Logan's Run. Even this DLC takes the look to amazing heights. Or, rather, depths.
10. Kentucky Route Zero
What if you could play a game that looked a little like a Hockney painting? Wonder no further.
11. Ancient Trader
Some of the most beautiful art in history comes from the world of cartography, and the creators of Ancient Trader seemed to know that.
12. Gone Home
The setting may be ordinary -- an empty house -- but sometimes a story is so quietly powerful that it elevates the humdrum into something extraordinary.
13. The Cave
Sharp-eyed gamers know that this is the second title on this list from Double Fine entertainment. Maybe that’s because their visuals are double fine.
14. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Every leaf and drop of water has a realism so stunning that the player might forget to LOOK BEHIND YOU THERE’S A MERCENARY WITH A GUN.
15. Okami
Japanese myths and folklore inspire a game that looks like an ancient painting come to life.
16. Grim Fandango
The game designers turned to the Mexican Day-of-the-Dead aesthetic to create a colorful, unforgettable world -- a world that’s getting a new life this month on several platforms.
More...