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[Nirolak]

Read the notes section first.

Notes: Read First
1.) Feel free to base your opinion on artistic merits instead of just technical merits. If you think something that's technologically inferior looks a lot better than something with superior technology, that's fine. We're going for aesthetics here as well, since a mix of both is what tends to make visuals look best.
2.) Please do not berate other people for their choices. If you want to debate choices, that's fine, but do so in a civil and respectful fashion.
3.) If you feel a notable game and/or tech demo is missing from the OP, feel free to suggest it along with 1-2 screenshots and at most 1 gif. I may not add it in since I want to keep the amount of bandwidth in the OP down, and you've already put it in the thread anyway. Remember, it has to be Gen 8 console/PC. I love handhelds and phones as well, but I want to constrain the focus a bit.
4.) On the Wii U and PC, you can of course show released games. To restrict the PC a bit, please stick to titles from 2011 or later, and preferably ones with notably different PC versions relative to current consoles (assuming it's also on consoles).
5.) Please do not debate the order or which media I put in the OP, and if you feel there are better shots/gifs, just provide them in your own post instead. If I notice a notable quality discrepancy, I will replace my OP entries.
6.) Do not talk about how much you hate/how shitty you think a different platform is in this thread.

Battlefield 4
Type: Game
Engine: Frostbite 3
Developer: DICE
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8HVQXkeU8U

Screens:

GIFs:

http://www.thesangreal.net/gafpics/boat.gif
http://i.minus.com/i29xd6xEb423H.gif
http://i.minus.com/ibkk7f16lHK9Ag.gif
http://i.minus.com/iXSwbNwq31Mdt.gif

---

Infiltrator
Type: Tech Demo
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Developer: Epic
Video: http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/ar...80-powered-unreal-engine-4-tech-demo-unveiled

Screens: (These are video captures.)

GIFs:

http://i.minus.com/ibeA0ghRc3K9nx.gif
http://i.minus.com/ibakQka3aDhOfZ.gif
http://i.minus.com/ioxsQUesk0Jj1.gif
http://i.minus.com/ibp9Wpm75MvEOX.gif

---

Zelda Wii U
Type: Tech Demo
Engine: Unspecified
Developer: Nintendo
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_fyOkrteqM

Screens:

GIFs: (Offscreen.)

---

Metal Gear Solid V (Yes, I'm being a bit speculative here, I know.)
Type: Game
Engine: FOX
Developer: Kojima Productions
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5t45tEPWQ

Screens: (Might be video captures.)

GIFs:

http://i.minus.com/iHCRIKPb6Rk8B.gif
http://i.minus.com/ibhiRogyC74gKj.gif
http://i.minus.com/ibzUcBLTIokHg3.gif

----

Monolithsoft's X
Type: Game
Engine: Unspecified
Developer: Monolithsoft
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GxUMMGyZcM

Screens: N/A (The video captures are too bad due to extremely low bitrate.)

GIFs:

http://www.abload.de/img/aturjs.gif
http://www.abload.de/img/awajv0.gif

---

Killzone: Shadow Fall
Type: Game
Engine: Unspecified
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUjQ4DJXLzw

Screens:

GIFs:

http://i.minus.com/iSylqprP2LVet.gif
http://i.minus.com/ibmjWK4FJujp5K.gif

---

Infamous: Second Son
Type: Game
Engine: Unspecified
Developer: Sucker Punch
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHSeyPl--Fw

Screens:

GIFs:

http://www.abload.de/img/infamoussse7qib.gif

---

Deep Down
Type: Game (Though people debate what was shown.)
Engine: Panta Rhei
Developer: Capcom
Video: http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_deep_down_trailer-29609_en.html

Screens: (Video captures.)

GIFs:

http://www.abload.de/img/datfootprintsdeepdownldfjr.gif

---

Watch Dogs
Type: Game
Engine: Disrupt
Developer: Ubisoft
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcMRkyoHKeA

Screens:

GIFs:

http://i.minus.com/ibsL8hhImV1BWO.gif

---

Agni's Philosophy
Type: Tech Demo
Engine: Luminous
Developer: Square Enix
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVX0OUO9ptU

Screens:

GIFs:

http://i.minus.com/iNwxxwmhuVWvF.gif

---

Crysis 3
Type: Game
Engine: CryEngine 3
Developer: Crytek
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWvgETOo5ek

Screens:

GIFs:

 

[Musiol]

Fox Engine and Luminous Engine. They're really astonishing. Fox by technical side, Luminous by artistic side AND technical side.

 

[KKRT00]

A think this gif represents Crysis 3 better

--
Game released:
Crysis 3

Tech demo:
Infiltrator

Ps. Love water in this Watch Dogs shot.

 

[GulAtiCa]

Chrome does not like this thread.

Anyways, visually I've really come to like Need for Speed U, Killzone (very pretty), X, and the Zelda Tech Demo.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Zelda Wii U no contest.


I do like MGSV though Ill tell you that.

 

[Chromie]

Witcher 2. The game is gorgeous with amazing environment design. It's also surprisingly colorful yet being a very dark game and it meshed so well together.

I can't wait for Witcher 3 since the engine will be using DirectX 11 stuff and better yet Cyberpunk 2077.

 

[SolidSnakex]

It's still Agni's Philosophy for me. I prefer the look of MGSV, but AP is the full package. Fantastic art and tech.

 

[Risk Breaker]

Fox Engine and inFamous for games (also DriveClub).

Agni's Philosophy and Deep Down for tech demos.

So Japan wins, mostly.

 

[G-Unit]

I would say Fox Engine lighting so far.

 

[IHaveCandy]

Knack. Please make more games like Knack.

 

[kunonabi]

X since I know it won't be a series of linear corridors.

 

[Joe Lee]

Maybe not for technical prowess or whatever, but X, MGS V, and Zelda were what had me jumping up and down in excitement.

 

[metalslimer]

Incredible how the japanese engines win hands down for me. Luminous, Fox, and Phanta are jaw dropping. For the tech, im sure Zelda and X are going to look great as well. Hope Japanese development goes smoother round 2

 

[diaspora]

Honestly, all of it, even the Wii U's stuff.

 

[The Mana Legend]

Does Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate count? My favorite game I've played in years.

Edit: Whoops, missed the "visually" part. So uhhh...Definitely not Monhun.

As for a tech demo/trailer of the future? No clue. I wasn't particularly impressed by the PS4 presentations, but Crysis 3 looked amazing, and X is the only one that made me want to PLAY the game. The others just made me go "oooo," without me giving two shits about the gameplay. And the scope of it made it far more impressive than the corridor shooters everyone else is throwing around.

 

[Salvadora]

The Legend of Zelda is a series I love, so it's an easy winner for me. I was keen on X/Deep Down/Battlefield 4 as well.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Deep Down by far. Everything else is very pretty and nice looking, but Deep Down just made me say wow. The fire rises.

 

[whatsinaname]

It might not belong in the same "tech demo" classification as this thread intends but I have to say the Tuscany Villa demo on the Oculus Rift. Haven't been this impressed with a tech demo for ages now. Holy shit!

 

[ekim]

Why are you speculative on MGSV?

I vote for the FOX engine. The GDC talk impressed me.

 

[nekomix]

Deep Down, MGS V and... tie between X and Zelda, can't decide between them.

 

[Nirolak]

Why are you speculative on MGSV?

I vote for the FOX engine. The GDC talk impressed me.

Officially it's only announced for 360/PS3.

 

[MoonLightWave]

Battlefield 4(It shows actual gameplay).

 

[dkeane]

Agni's Philosophy. But I doubt that's actual gameplay level graphics. Would love to be proven wrong.

The crazy thing is how little Nintendo has shown off. And their fucking system is already out!
Looking forward to seeing some highly stylized stuff from them. All these super realistic graphics are starting to blur together.

 

[Kun Aguero]

I'd go for Agni's Philosophy, it was a real wow moment when I first watched it. It's not been surpassed for me since.

 

[ekim]

Deep Down, MGS V and... tie between X and Zelda, can't decide between them.

Ah ok.

 

[metalslimer]

Why are you speculative on MGSV?

I vote for the FOX engine. The GDC talk impressed me.

Whether it is gen 8

 

[The Mana Legend]

Deep Down by far. Everything else is very pretty and nice looking, but Deep Down just made me say wow. The fire rises.

Deep Down is so fake looking that I can't enjoy it.

 

[Reiko]

Battlefield 4

 

[crazy monkey]

x and zelda tied. So beautiful. Zelda wins by a little bit if i am forced.

 

[Meelow]

It's a hard choice picking my favorite, but Zelda, X, Deep Down, and Agni's Philosophy are a tie for me.

Agni's Philosophy. But I doubt that's actual gameplay level graphics. Would love to be proven wrong.

The crazy thing is how little Nintendo has shown off. And their fucking system is already out!
Looking forward to seeing some highly stylized stuff from them. All these super realistic graphics are starting to blur together.

Agreed, it feels like we've seen more from Sony on the PS4 than Nintendo on the Wii U.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

Crysis 3 is one pretty game.

 

[Hilti92]

Deep Down

The game just looks way too incredible to be a video game..

 

[pcostabel]

No Knack?

 

[Boss Man]

Deep Down, without any doubt whatsoever. It's the only one that is so good that I questioned its validity, and surpassed anything I could have expected to see.

It was a definite, awesome, this is next-gen moment. I was sure that it was CG until they confirmed it was real.

Agnis Philosophy is a distant second.


In terms of an actual game, and not tech demo? BF4 I guess, but not by a lot and not in a terribly exciting way.

I will also say that one of the things in the OP absolutely does not belong, but I will not specify since I was warned. :X

 

[Dictator93]

Deep Down was the most surprising of them all. I will go with that one

I am a cry engine fan boy though... sometimes

 

[The Mana Legend]

Deep Down, without absolutely any doubt whatsoever It's the only one that is so good that I question its validity, and surpassed anything I could have expected to see.

It was a definite, awesome, this is next-gen moment. I was sure that it was CG until they confirmed it was real.

Like when Sony said Killzone 2 reveal trailer was real.

 

[Soriku]

For mechs FLYING IN THE DISTANCE.

Also, I really like the look of MGSV's lighting. This in particular:

It's a current gen game (for now?) but the lighting tech for the engine is impressive.

 

[Mario007]

Agni from a pure 'wow' perspective.

Killzone for a game that is actually seen running in realtime. Can't wait to see what they do with the next few months of polish!

 

[benny_a]

The most impressive tech demo to me is Deep Down.

I'm going with Watch Dogs however as I'm a huge fan of animations and it's an actual game I will be able to play later this year.

If Killzone: Shadow Fall had been a third-person game with Naughty Dog or Ubisoft Montreal quality animation it would have taken the spot. This perspective would have done me in:

My favorite game based on previous installments of the franchise is most likely going to be Infamous: Second Son, but we have to infer so much from that in-engine trailer it can't win this. (Third-person perspective with cool movement is my weak spot and had they shown gameplay perspective with good animations it would probably have won this contest for me.)

 

[1st Course]

1-Deep Down (probably fake though)
2-Infiltrator
3-Killzone: Shadow Fall
4-Crysis 3 (Best facial details yet imo)
5-Battlefield 4

 

[StuBurns]

Artistically, The Witness.
Technologically, The New Epic Thingie.

 

[Seance]

Whether it is gen 8

If WiiU is gen8 then enaything goes.
Deep Down has impressed me most technically. I also really hope that it becomes the game Dragons Dogma aspired to be.

 

[Zoon]

Deep Down was the only that made me 'WOW'

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Metal Gear Solid V and Watch Dogs, because they look like something we actually may get.

Deep Down impressed me the most. I still don't believe anything from Square Enix will come even close to the Luminous Engine demo. I just can't see them going from a company that struggled HARD with tech this generation to having the most impressive graphics of anyone.

 

[IcyBlueStrawberry]

Infiltrator looked straight up CG to me, so I have to go with that.

I still really like the Zelda demo, though. It's not very impressive from a technical standpoint, but I would love to play a Zelda game with that aesthetic.

 

[Kimawolf]

Crysis 3 is absolutely stunning, seen nothing that looks as good as it does maxed out on any system out or upcoming.

And X is also amazing if simply for the gigantic world and the fucking gorgeous mech combats. It's an amazing looking game.

And finally the Zelda demo, that alleviated all my fears of getting "ugly" games.

 

[EhoaVash]

deep down, Fox engine than zelda

I dislike the UE4 tech demos

 

[Boss Man]

Like when Sony said Killzone 2 reveal trailer was real.

Didn't Capcom explicitly state that Deep Down is their new engine and that it was running on PS4 hardware?

 

[Four_Chamber]

Battlefield 4

My jaw was on the ground watching that whole thing. Just beautiful- knowing that it was gameplay was unbelievable.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Battlefield 4

My jaw was on the ground watching that whole thing. Just beautiful- knowing that it was gameplay was unbelievable.

Oh, yeah, I actually forgot about that.

That game looked impressive as hell. It looked bog-standard, but the improved visuals really added a lot of tension to the scene. It really did almost feel like watching a movie.