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[KyanMehwulfe]

Delta Force games. They used voxels for terrain

Granted, it is hard to find good pictures. Games of that era didn't have good draw distances

haha wow totally forgot about this....

i used to play the Delta Force 2 demo a lot... that desert level

the range and size of that game was awesome for its time. probably one of my best FPS experiences to date, totally forget about it sometimes.

 

[bathsalts]

arma is probably the most impressive by literal miles.

 

[rbanke]

It's actually interesting how Just Cause 2 does this.

IIRC, their tech is constantly drawing a 2D image that is indistinguishable from how it'd look from that distance at a certain point in front of you. They did it so seamlessly that people are always surprised at how they did it.

I've never looked into it, but that certainly seems to be how it was done. It is definitely noticeable on the trees because you can see them switch from billboarded sprites to 3d models if you pay attention to it.

 

[MadSexual]

Just Cause 2 came to mind as soon as I saw the topic.

I'm not terribly impressed with the length of Sunset Overdrive, but the detail in what is shown is good.

 

[celsowmbr]

Dragon's dogma

 

[lordxar]

Prototype on 360. You could destroy a car and run a mile away it seemed and still see the smoke column. Graphics weren't great but with everything going on it worked.

 

[foxuzamaki]

The original xenoblade on the wii

 

[plainr_]

Arma 3. Sniping dudes from crazy distances is fun.

 

[foolishoptimist]

An often overlooked choice... Transformers on PS2 was very impressive with huge environments and great draw distances.

I was gonna post this! Love this game!

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

There's a video on YouTube of a guy sniping someone 4 klicks away in ArmA III, so I'll say that one.

 

[chozen]

Final Fantasy XV If there isn't anything in your way, you can see as far as you want. (and pretty much go there if I'm to believe so in the final game)

 

[paragonpro]

Infamous second son, and oblivion

 

[Yokai]

I'm sorry, it's an obvious joke, but Superman 64.

 

[Mael]

I'm sorry, it's an obvious joke, but Superman 64.

Actually you are correct it's an impressive game for its draw distance....
Impressively bad.
You were beaten by the Turok suggestion though.

For me I'd say Mario 64, they did a nice trick in always drawing the bulk of the level geometry and the "moving" parts (coins, enemies, platforms) were only drawn if they were at a certain distance of the character.
It's evident if you use the fixed type camera, maintain R button and move around the level, the camera always points to Mario so it helps navigating I guess.
It was kinda impressive back in the day, since however far the camera was you could still see the world around you and Mario even if he was 1 red pixel on the screen.

 

[kutthoat5150]

Another for Arma 3, even operation flashpoint was impressive back in the day

 

[NoFaceNico]

An often overlooked choice... Transformers on PS2 was very impressive with huge environments and great draw distances.

That was a good game to boot. The transformations were quick and simple. I don't remember any framerate drop either. I just wish it didn't have that whole mess with the micro bots or whatever they're called.

 

[blackjaw]

Skyrim... I loved seeing something in the distance and going there

 

[Parakeetman]

Considering the hardware it was on Xenoblade back on the Wii.

Even more so now is Xenoblade 3d.

Thats some blackmagic shit.

 

[rjc571]

FUEL

 

[ShogunX]

Motherfucking CRACKDOWN!!

 

[Sorta Maximus]

Read this threads title and immediately thought of Scribblenauts. Best draw distance ever.

 

[ClayKavalier]

Motherfucking CRACKDOWN!!

I was going to post this, the graphics were simple but the draw distance was insane at the time. I remember climbing buildings and shooting rockets into the distance and being able to see them explode miles away.

 

[Boss Mog]

Tie Fighter.

Obvious winner. I mean those stars are literally light years away and yet they are being drawn; simply insane.

 

[MickeyKnox]

ArmA 3 is the answer.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Skyrim with improoved draw distance mod blew my mind.

 

[btrboyev]

Microsoft Flight Simulator, considering you can actually log real hours towards your pilot's license and some of the training hardware used this is a real draw distance show piece. Many real landscapes, landmarks, airports, weather conditions and aircraft etc are in this baby.

Yeah but it looks like shit and isn't very detailed.

 

[Conduit]

Driveclub, Forza Horizon 2.

 

[jinxthejiv]

Maybe Next gen Minecraft?

 

[Mufc1427]

Forza Horizon 2 draw distance is insane.

 

[industrian]

haha wow totally forgot about this....

i used to play the Delta Force 2 demo a lot... that desert level

the range and size of that game was awesome for its time. probably one of my best FPS experiences to date, totally forget about it sometimes.

That Delta Force 2 demo is fucking legendary.

 

[nib95]

Some of Killzone Shadow Fall's urban environments in particular had unparalleled draw distances.

 

[MickeyKnox]

Don't have many distance shots but it's absurd what that engine will do

 

[BlueDogAnchorite]

I've been playing Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii, and the draw distance in that game is amazing.

 

[batbeg]

Some of Killzone Shadow Fall's urban environments in particular had unparalleled draw distances.

Is that traversable? If so it is pretty damned unparalleled. If it's just a pretty background I would hardly even call it impressive.

Don't have many distance shots but it's absurd what that engine will do

...what is this? ?

 

[Erin S Kittens]

FUEL

Fuel is my soulmate

 

[nib95]

Is that traversable? If so it is pretty damned unparalleled. If it's just a pretty background I would hardly even call it impressive.

Not exactly traversable, but you do travel through most of it (during a segment on a ship) in gameplay. Either way, show me a game with an urban environment with a greater draw distance, traversable or not.

 

[zoukka]

Not exactly traversable, but you do travel through most of it (during a segment on a ship) in gameplay. Either way, show me a game with an urban environment with a greater draw distance, traversable or not.

By your logic the original Halo ring backdrop is the most impressive draw distance out there.

 

[industrian]

Is that traversable? If so it is pretty damned unparalleled. If it's just a pretty background I would hardly even call it impressive.

My thoughts exactly.

It's like saying that a matte painting alone makes a good movie set.

 

[Seanspeed]

I feel like it's hard to not give Oblivion a nod in here since it was one of the earlier games to have an increadibly detailed far distance view, where you could mostly say "I can go to that."

Nowadays it's not as impressive but it was insane when it came out.

Hell yea. I remember first playing the game, being in absolute awe when I made the trek from the Imperial City up to Chorrol for the first time, and stopping and turning around up on the hills to look back at the Imperial City and still having it be there along with the entire surrounding hills and whatnot just like this shot shows. I mean, even playing on the 360, I considered this to be truly amazing graphics.

And I think part of what makes it so amazing is the ability to actually go to these places you can see. I mean, games like DriveClub or this Killzone shot shown technically have impressive draw distance, but it's not magical to me. It's not something that transcends impressive graphics to actually improve the gameplay experience itself. That's the sort of draw distance that I cherish.

 

[daman824]

Red dead redemption on either console (I owned both versions) was the first game to make me actually immersed in a world because of the insane draw distances and little pop in.

Considering that it was achievable on systems with 200 something Mflop gpus, I can't imagine what rockstar will pump out next

 

[gillty]

ARMA 3 shits over everything else.

ARMA 3 (and 2) is the only true (and objective) answer.

 

[RespectThySole]

Sunset Overdrive's draw distance is ridiculous

 

[artsi]

ARMA 3 shits over everything else.

This here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ncYMIdkVKg&hd=1

 

[ResidentDante]

Gran Turismo 6:

Drawing a track so you can't see it being drawn up in a racer was kind of achieved on PS2 even.

The trackside details here aren't really draw distance imo either, you can't reach or come closer to them. They have simply made some low detailed boxes of buildings far into the landscape so the draw distance seems great.

 

[nib95]

By your logic the original Halo ring backdrop is the most impressive draw distance out there.

I would agree that it was very impressive at the time, but by today's standards is a bit bland. The great thing about Shadow Fall's depiction of its metropolis is that it is sprawling, vast, geometrically dense and very well realised. It totally feels believable and awe inspiring. Like a real, thriving metropolis, not some repetitive, bland, mostly 2D depiction of it. It's why I wouldn't put Resistance 2's awful Google maps flat texture mapped endless draw distance in the category of "impressive". It may be vast, but it certainly doesn't look impressive or remotely realistic.

 

[Fasty]

Elite: Dangerous.

I'd disagree with that. Approaching planetary rings is kind of jarring as you see the LOD changing as you get closer.

Dragon's dogma

Yes, especially considering the hardware it's running on.

If you can see it you will eventually visit it

 

[zoukka]

I would agree that it was very impressive at the time, but by today's standards is a bit bland. The great thing about Shadow Fall's depiction of its metropolis is that it is sprawling, vast, geometrically dense and very well realised. It totally feels believable and awe inspiring. Like a real, thriving metropolis, not some repetitive, bland, mostly 2D depiction of it. It's why I wouldn't put Resistance 2's awful Google maps flat texture mapped endless draw distance in the category of "impressive". It may be vast, but it certainly doesn't look impressive or remotely realistic.

I wouldn't nominate backdrops at all in the first place.

 

[KKRT00]

This shot of Arma 3 is great

 

[nib95]

I wouldn't nominate backdrops at all in the first place.

Well, given gameplay does involve you weaving through the city, and the different buildings, structures etc initially only visible in the draw distance, I'm not sure I'd refer to it as simply a backdrop, and even if it were, imo it's doing it a massive disservice labelling it as unimpressive simply because it isn't open world.

Not all backdrops are equal. I'd imagine the amount of technical and artistic merit that went in to that scene in Shadow Fall, eclipses that which has gone in to certain segments of other open world games, irrespective of the vastness of playable or traversable area. Hell you could have kilometres of bland mountainous terrain, or basic green land mass, doesn't automatically make it impressive. But if you think only open world games with vast playable areas can have impressive draw distances, you're perfectly entitled to that opinion.

 

[industrian]

I'd imagine the amount of technical and artistic merit that went in to that scene in Shadow Fall, eclipses that which has gone in to certain segments of other open world games, irrespective of the vastness of playable or traversable area.

If only they had used this "technical and artistic merit" to make a better game instead of wasting it on glorified window dressing.