15 Incredible Details in this Generation’s Biggest Games
What an amazing time we live in when graphical engines such as Horizon Zero Dawn’s Decima engine renders small colonies of ants on vegetation. It is a graphical detail one might not even notice, but similarly to its entrancing bird flocks, these realistic details add to immersion and help to build a more believable world.
Thanks to the Fox Engine, Metal Gear Solid V’s character models are animated in fantastic detail. Have you noticed when cycling through the iDROID’s menus using its analogue stick, the movements of Boss’s thumbs perfectly mimic your own? Seriously, try and catch it out!
The impressive facial animations in GTAV often go unnoticed, especially in one particular sequence. On the way to heists, the NPCs sitting in the back seat will act out their roles, lipsynching dialogue. This is only visible when switching to the rear view angle.
Infamous Second Son was one of PS4’s early exclusive games, but 3 years on and it still remains one of the prettiest. Delsin Rowe’s beanie is comprised of 7,500 triangles to animate realistic geometry. You can see the weave of each strand of material in close-up cutscenes.
In the Sims 4, when a child sim sees a monster under their bed and you have them selected, you can see its tentacles reaching from under the bed but when you switch to an adult sim there’s nothing there.
Battlefield 1 boasts some extremely realistic graphics. Weather effects, dazzling explosions, and lifelike character animations make for an immersive war simulator. It is, however, tiny details like the the manufactorers mark and weapon date branded on certain rifles that really take things to the next level.
Uncharted 4 is one gorgeous video game and there’s plenty of standout details to choose from. One you may not have even noticed, however, is the way in which sunlight realitically changes the color of Nathan Drake’s ear. On certain angles, bright light will turn his ear paler, almost translucent, as it would in real life.
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Thumb-Precise Tracking - Metal Gear Solid V
Thanks to the Fox Engine, Metal Gear Solid V's character models are animated in fantastic detail. Have you noticed when cycling through the iDROID's menus using its analogue stick, the movements of Boss's thumbs perfectly mimic your own? Seriously, try it for yourself.
Marching Ants - Horizon Zero Dawn
What a great time it is to be a gamer when graphics have reached such detail that they animate colonies of ants moving up and down trees. One might not even notice such a tiny feature, but similarly to its entrancing bird flocks, these ultra-realistic additions create immersive environments.
Thirsty Moblins - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Moblins have a very cool sequenced animation. Those stationed near water will splash about in the shallows, but they will occasionally stop to take a drink of water too.
Playacting - Grand Theft Auto V
The impressive facial animations in GTAV often go unnoticed, especially in one particular sequence. On the way to heists, the NPCs sitting in the back seat will act out their roles, lipsynching dialogue. This is only visible when switching to the rear view angle.
Geral of Rivia's Chain Mail - The Witcher 3
Geralt of Rivia's base armor is a very cool looking chain mail suit. If you look closely, you will notice that each ring is its own individual piece and moves independently according to his body position.
Delsin Rowe's Beanie - Infamous Second Son
Infamous Second Son was one of PS4's early exclusive games, but three years on and it still remains one of the prettiest. Delsin Rowe’s beanie is comprised of 7,500 triangles to animate realistic geometry. You can see the weave of each strand of material in close-up cutscenes.
A Child's Imagination - The Sim 4
In the Sims 4, when a child sim sees a monster under their bed and you have them selected, you can see its tentacles reaching from under the bed, but when you switch to an adult sim, there's nothing there.
Rising Steam - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild's weather isn't just dynamic in appearance, but it also physically reacts with other assets in the game. If you have played the game, you've no doubt been frustrated by slippery climbing surfaces during rainy days or being shocked, caught out by lightning storms. But a smaller and less lethal instance of this can be seen when carrying a fire sword in the rain. Steam will rise from the sword as it evaporates on the burning blade.
Lincoln, the Gentleman - Mafia III
When Lincoln is stealing a car, if it’s a woman driver, he’ll ask them to get out but won’t manhandle them. However, if it’s a man, he has no problems in hauling them out the car with his bare hands.
Dynamic Lighting - Uncharted 4
Uncharted 4 is one gorgeous video game and there's plenty of standout details to choose from. One you may not have even noticed, however, is the way in which sunlight realitically changes the color of Nathan Drake's ear. At certain angles, bright light will turn his ear paler, almost translucent, as it would in real life.
Umbrella Logo - Resident Evil 7
Given that you've probably spent most of your time in Resident Evil 7 frantically checking over your shoulder, we wouldn't blame you for not noticing this little nod to the past. Go outside the Baker mansion, pause, take a breath, and look up. That half logo is awfully familiar, right?
Choral Ensemble - Lord of the Rings: Shadow of Mordor
There is a very cool tip of the hat to the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. The choir in Fort Morn sings in Black Speech, the language of the Dark Lord. They sing "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." Translated, it means "One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
Branded Rifles - Battlefield 1
Battlefield 1 boasts some extremely realistic graphics. Weather effects, dazzling explosions, and lifelike character animations make for an immersive war simulator. It is, however, tiny details like the the manufacturer's mark and weapon date branded on certain rifles that really take things to the next level.
Sneaky Makoto - Persona 5
Ok, so you might have been aware that Makoto suspects you are a member of the Phantom Thieves, but did you know she's actually on your tail? Makoto actually physically tails you around Tokyo, hiding herself by pretending to read a book. She's pretty hard to shake off, too!
Making Waves - Just Cause 3
Just Cause 3 is a technical tour de force. The game's massive open world is one of the largest ever seen in gaming, but it is no less detailed or well animated as a result. The whole sun-soaked island of Medici is a Medeterranean paradise, especially the inviting blue sea. The water effects in Just Cause 3 are stunning, swelling and rising realistically, as well as physically reacting to splashes and boat wake.
About the author
Alex Gibson
Alex was a Senior Editor at Twinfinite and worked on the site between January 2017 and March 2023. He covered the ins and outs of Valorant extensively, and frequently provided expert insight into the esports scene and wider video games industry. He was a self-proclaimed history & meteorological expert, and knew about games too. Playing Games Since: 1991, Favorite Genres: RPG, Action
