When thinking about gaming, all that comes into our minds is beefy consoles or PCs playing high definition modernist games with an excess focus on gameplay. Contrary to current trends, there was a time when gaming referred to a generation of youngsters playing Super Mario or Metal Combat on hardware much inferior to their modern counterparts. The developers needed to deliver catching storylines to camouflage the drawbacks of retro graphics and gameplay.
However, these are the games that old-school gamers like I grew up playing with and found my solitude in many of them entirely. A substantial amount of retro gamers can be found anywhere in the world who still cherish these sixth generation video games and proudly vows for them till date.
Sixth Gen Games Featuring Graphics Ahead of their Time
Below, we’re outlining a select list of sixth generation games that featured mesmerizing graphics, only to stun their competitions and discouraging non-believers. These games are still worth a shot, and we’re sure many of them will make you fall in love so hard you wouldn’t be able but come back.
- World of Warcraft
One of the most popular multiplayer games till date, World of Warcraft is the epitome of epic multiplayer sagas. Although not available outside the Windows and MacOS environments, the game turned out to be extraordinarily famous and groundbreaking. Soon as the player enters the game, World of Warcraft awe-struck them with a mesmerizing graphical display matched by none of its time. Although released over a decade ago, World of Warcraft is still relevant when it comes to talking about graphically impressive sixth generation games.
- The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Do not get surprised seeing old-school folks still mesmerized with this enchanting sixth gen video game from the 2000s. The Wind Waker, released in 2003, is till date one of the most unconventional GameCube games when it comes to graphics. The game provides the users with a somewhat weird but appealing display that features a cel-shaded art style. The Wind Waker garnered much critical acclaim and went on to become one of the best GameCube titles ever. Nintendo’s recent announcement of The Wind Waker being remade for Wii U still shows the interest people has in it.
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The third game of this infamous series landed in the year 2002. However, you can quickly find retro nerds like me talking about its greatness even after all this time. Morrowind draws many classic artistic elements from Middle Eastern and East Asian art, architecture, and cultures presented by visually glorifying graphics. The open world fantasy RPG game went on to win almost every major awards including GOTY(Game of The Year). If you liked Skyrim or Oblivion or are only looking for decent sixth gen RPGs, Morrowind is still worth the time.
- Resident Evil: 2002
The remake of the groundbreaking 1996 title, the first installment of Resident Evil featured some of the unique graphical elements of its time. Many of its approaches like switching cameras to a specific location and preset angles whenever the player enters a new room provided developers with further control over the games overall display. This is the reason players often felt tensed when walking in the corners blindly. Simply put, the 2002 version lived up to its expectation in terms of offering an intense survival experience while amazing the players with its unique camera work and art style.
- Shenmue
If you are a fan of early Dreamcast games, no doubt you’ll find this game to be a piece of visual art. The designers of the game worked their hills off for years and spent some millions before finding their solace in the outcome. The result? Shenmue paints an intricate painting of a small Japanese town with enigmatic graphical elements that included unconventional animated inhabitants, little capsule toys that could be bought from vending machines, and surprisingly realistic buildings and streets. If you’re a fan of old Japanese classics, we suggest you do not miss this enchanting sixth gen video game.
- Halo 2
The award-winning FPS game published by Microsoft rightly earns a position among the most graphically impressive sixth gen video games. The second game of the series, a flagship of Microsoft’s Xbox, truly stunned the players with its unrealistic visual elements that made it really easy for us to fight the alien races for the sake of humanity! The graphics of Halo 2 was way ahead of its time, and even diehard PlayStation fans will have to agree on that. If you’re looking for sixth gen Xbox games that featured the best graphics, Halo 2 is and will always be a must.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The GTA San Andreas is my favorite game of all time, and I’m pretty sure a lot of folks exist who’d agree with me any day. I mean even thinking of the fact that this game first hit the shelves 15 years ago amazes me. With its tremendous gameplay and content, San Andreas hooks the player right from the start. I still find the graphics unbelievable when compared to other sixth gen games. The game incorporated a tremendous amount of detail in order to make sure the player gets to enjoy its open-world gameplay and explore the environment without losing any bit of excitement.
Ending Thoughts
Before deciding on whether you agree with this list or not, I want to tell you that even I don’t know if they are the ‘best’ sixth gen games in terms of graphics. However, as an old-school gamer with years spent across a generation of games, I’ve come to realize that the real best game doesn’t exist. Every game has its flaws in terms of graphical object implementations. These are the game that familiarized a generation of gamers with ideas that still reign the gaming world. Tell me what you think about them and don’t forget to leave your picks for the most impressive sixth gen games down in the comment section.
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