Summary
In the early days of gaming, graphical fidelity was still in its infancy, and many titles struggled to faithfully execute their artistic direction with the available hardware. As time went on, a push for3D titlesemerged, and a new wave of games was born onconsoles like the PlayStation 1and the N64.
Since then, numerous iconic titles have received multiple sequels or been remade with updated graphics to revive beloved stories with improved visuals. However, even three decades later, there are plenty ofgames from the 90s era that still holdup and can still be appreciated for their visuals after all this time.
The originalTomb Raiderintroduced fully 3D environments and character models at a time when most games still relied on 2D sprites or pre-rendered assets to get by.Lara Croft’s angular design became iconic, while the game’s cavernous temples and vertical levels showcased the possibilities of third-person exploration in three dimensions.
Despite technological limitations, the game’s aesthetic choices, such as ambient lighting and cinematic camera angles, gave its world an elevated atmosphere and sense of scale. Its graphics have aged as a stylistic snapshot of early 3D gaming, and its influence on modern adventure game visuals remains significant.
Metal Gear Solidreally pushed the technology of the time, using limited polygons to render characters and environments while maintaining an emphasis on cinematic presentation. Through expert camera work, lighting, and narrative integration, the game created a cohesive visual identity that transcended the PS1’s graphical limitations.
The graphics themselves still bring a certain level of charm, and the game’s visual storytelling remains a benchmark for cinematic game design. Its graphics are notable not for their realism, but for how effectively they support the narrative and tone. The game itself served to kickstartone of the most iconic video game seriesof all time.
Half-Lifeis the definition of a PC gaming icon, introducing the world to numerous beloved characters and models that remain household names nearly 30 years later. The interactive environments and dynamic lighting made every area feel alive, combined with a long list of enemies that are just as menacing now as they were when the game first released.
Many of the weapon and enemy models are still used today in other Valve titles, demonstrating how certain designs can transcend the barriers of time and remain iconic for a long time. The gory combat and the immersive first-person view allowed every aspect of the world to feel real with a level of visual clarity that was far ahead of the competition.
Banjo-Kazooiemaximized the Nintendo 64’s hardware with colorful, detailed worlds that remain beautiful even by modern standards. Its cartoon-inspired art style avoided the uncanny valley of early realism, making its visuals more timeless than other titles in the genre.
Each level was crafted with vibrant palettes, exaggerated shapes, and smooth transitions, helping the game retain its visual appeal even without modern effects or cheap tricks. The stylized 3D graphics and expressive animations bring the characters to life, proving that strong art direction can outlast graphical limitations.
Doomhas been, and always will be, one of the most recognizable and widely known video games of all time, and a large part of that recognition comes from the game’s signature look. Every enemy and every environment drips from the screen, and despite being one of the oldest first-person shooters out there, the visuals never feel outdated.
The core gameplay has remained the same in almost every single game in the series, with the only major difference being the updated visuals with each iteration. However, the early games demonstrate that good concepts and a strong visual direction can easily carry a game through several decades of innovation and keep it relevant for years to come.
Resident Evil’suse of pre-rendered backgrounds was a practical and stylistic masterstroke. Fixed camera angles, combined with detailed and static environments, gave the game cinematic tension while masking hardware limitations behind visually stunning backdrops.
Even though the character models were relatively simple, the static backgrounds delivered high-fidelity visuals that remain atmospheric today. Their composition and lighting helped define survival horror aesthetics, making the game’s visuals feel deliberate and enduring rather than dated.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeset new standards for 3D game design, with Hyrule rendered in an expansive, explorable 3D space that was greatly enhanced by soft lighting and environmental variety, making its world feel alive in a revolutionary way.
While the textures are low-resolution by modern standards, the clean art direction, intuitive visual cues, and expressive character design have helped the game’s visuals age gracefully. It remains one of the best examples of early 3D graphics executed with clarity and intention, and isstill one of the best gamesin the series.
Super Mario 64is a Nintendo classic that continues to bring joy to players and fans of Mario, both for its iconic world designs and visual charm. Every stage is a perfect balance of gameplay complexity and graphical beauty, utilizing simplistic polygons to deliver a title in the signature N64 style that is still appreciated today.
From 1000s of speedruns to constant replays of the game,Mario 64is a titan in the mediumthat demonstrates that hyperrealistic graphics aren’t needed to create an amazing game that can be loved both visually and in terms of gameplay by fans of all ages and all generations.
