Introducing the 2026 Women of the YearView More

These Are the 10 Best Looking Video Games of 2015

ADD TIME ON GOOGLE
CD Projekt RED
by  and 
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Design Process: "We took inspiration from various cultures and places. No Man’s Land, one of the biggest areas to explore in the game, is very Slavic at its heart – it’s filled with ancient secrets, murky swamps and dense, dark forests." - Jose Teixeira, Senior Visual Effects Artist, CD Projekt RED CD Projekt RED
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Design Process: "This cut scene is expressed as a technique called SSS (Sub-Surface Scattering). The soft shadow is scattered on his skin from the light to convey a certain mood." - Kojima Productions Kojima Productions
Rise of the Tomb Raider Design Process: "...the world is an enemy. We strive to build environments which deliver harsh survival conditions, as well as treacherous traversal. This supports our premise that the secrets of history are protected by the most beautiful, yet hostile environments on Earth" - Crystal Dynamics Crystal Dynamics
Alto's Adventure Design Process: "We wanted the world to have a lighthearted charm, while also feeling grounded in it’s own reality – to immerse the players in an environment that captures the essence of what it means to be alone in the wilderness." - Snowman Snowman
STAR WARS™ Battlefront™_20151129220156
Star Wars Battlefront Design Process: "We wanted to build a game that was faithful to the Star Wars we love, using a combination of the latest technology, with talented artists who could put it together in a way that feels immersive and inviting." - Johannes Soderqvist, Art Director, Star Wars Battlefront Josh Raab for TIME

Advertisement

Bloodborne Design Process: "Bloodborne is set in a dark and secluded city called Yharnam, a gothic cityscape filled with Victorian motifs and shrouded in prejudice and mystery. The processing power of the PlayStation 4 allowed us to bring to life the gritty and horrifying gothic Victorian architecture and décor..." - FromSoftware FromSoftware
SOMA Design Process: "First and foremost, we wanted to create spaces that felt real and functional. Environments rich in detail, and full of the clutter that you'd expect in that sort of space, to always keep the player immersed." - Frictional Games Frictional Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Design Process: "We’re most proud when our technology enables gameplay or player expression, such as battling through the dynamic water or creating unique weapon skins." - Mark Gordon, VP of Development & CTO, Treyarch Activision

Advertisement

Forza Motorsport 6 Design Process: "The team did a fantastic job of creating wet-weather conditions in stunning realism, highlighting the danger and intensity at the heart of racing in the rain. In our recreation of rain, players struggle for traction and tires aquaplane across fully-simulated and accurately-placed puddles." - Turn 10 Studios Turn 10 Studios
Prune Design Process: "I was really drawn to the minimalist philosophy of East Asian ink wash paintings, where every brush stroke matters. This essentially became the game's central theme, deeply affecting everything from the game design to the art." - Joel Mcdonald Joel Mcdonald

Must-Reads from TIME