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First game that impressed you graphically

MW7

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Jun 22, 2011
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I think Donkey Kong Country even though I know that sounds crazy. I remember being amazed when I saw that game. To me every graphical enhancement since the Gamecube era is nice but not very meaningful.
 

Mikey the Moblin

sushi is a suspicious hello
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I think Donkey Kong Country even though I know that sounds crazy. I remember being amazed when I saw that game. To me every graphical enhancement since the Gamecube era is nice but not very meaningful.
Dkc impresses me today. How on earth did they get a game like that to run on something like the snes
 
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Mellow Ezlo

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Twilight Princess. I was almost exclusively a Nintendo gamer at the time this game came out, so I had no idea about games like Oblivion or any other decent (at the time) looking games so TP completely blew my mind. It was like I had no idea games could look that good. Funny how times change seeing as now I really don't think TP was anything special graphically, at least not for a Wii game (p damn good for a Gamecube game tho).
 

Hyrulian Hero

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Twilight Princess. I was almost exclusively a Nintendo gamer at the time this game came out, so I had no idea about games like Oblivion or any other decent (at the time) looking games so TP completely blew my mind. It was like I had no idea games could look that good. Funny how times change seeing as now I really don't think TP was anything special graphically, at least not for a Wii game (p damn good for a Gamecube game tho).
Dude, I was there for the first teaser with the open world forest and army of bokoblins! It was really impressive and exciting back in the day.

Doom 3. When you're still playing the 64 and your uncle brings over his gaming rig and has you play the first level...man, that game was claustrophobic. The sound design was great, the shadows and lighting, the movement and weapon selection, it was great.
 

Mamono101

生きることは痛みを知ること。
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For me it was Starfox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet. Having mostly played SNES and N64 games, (though missing out on Lylat Wars for ages) SFA was the first game that I was gifted with my Gamecube and it really left an impression. The graphics still hold up very well all these years later, but Starfox Assault, a game close to the end of the GCN’s era looks less pretty to me when I go back and replay it.
 
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May 4, 2014
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I'm not really one to gush about graphics all the time, as some people do. But if I had to pick one game for various systems that made me all googly-eyed.

Arcade-Streets of Rage 2
Computer-Bioshock, I have never played the computer version, but it is a computer game, even though it's on home consoles like Switch.
NES-Mike Tyson's Punch Out!
SNES-Secret of Mana
Sega Genesis-Ecco the Dolphin
GBA-Spyro: The Eternal Night
Wii-Okami
DS-Okamiden
Switch-Streets of Rage 4

Not including GB and GBC because I only own a handful via collections and eShop purchases, and feel I don't have a big enough sample to decide what looks great, what sucks, and what is average on the system. Can't think of any game I own on the 2DS that really blew my mind.
 

TheGreatCthulhu

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For me, the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

It was the first time I saw games step out of pixel art and 3D and shoot for something that I thought looked realistic.

Replaying it, I now notice that everyone has potatoes for faces, lol. How times have changed, eh?
 

The Dashing Darknut

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Well I didn’t really care about graphics at 5-8 me, or watching my brother play them, but when I got to 9 and got Kirby’s Epic Yarn, I loved those graphics, and was pretty astounded with the yarn ascetic at the time
75E07CA2-5CA2-475A-87CC-3584FB80F670.png0F7A3945-062E-43D2-9AE6-F63E85DBD276.jpeg
This game is just so adorable and pleasing to look at
 
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LegendOfMeesh

You Are The Light
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Feb 7, 2018
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Hyrule Kingdom
I mean, I was absolutely floored by OoT as a lil 7/8 year old. Used to watch my brother play and I was just so amazed by the graphics, I played a few games on SNES at the time but nothing stood out graphically.
 

thePlinko

What’s the character limit on this? Aksnfiskwjfjsk
ZD Legend
Are we talking about the quality of the graphics themselves, or just the artstyle?

If the former, then Bioshock Infinite looked damn near real to teenage me, and still does look pretty amazing for a 360 game,

For the latter, Mario Galaxy’s starry backgrounds and lighting in cutscenes are still jaw-dropping, even today.
 
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Jul 2, 2022
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Ordona Province
Horizon Zero Dawn was the first game I thought was really impressive as far as graphics go but I've never really cared about graphics so I don't tend to think of them as enhancing my enjoyment. I don't really play games where graphics are the selling point, that's why the game I picked is more recent. I also didn't start playing games until the end of the ps1 so that might have something to do with it as well.
I find it easier to be immersed in the world if the graphics aren't the best actually...
 

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