Games of the Year

RPGFan Games of the Year 2024: Best Visuals

Metaphor ReFantazio - Best Visuals of 2024

Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Writeup by Wes Iliff

Metaphor is the opposite of a surprise hit. Everyone knew it was coming, everyone knew that it was gonna be amazing, and everyone knew to expect fantastic music and astounding visuals. So maybe it’s a bit of a shocker just how beautiful the game is. Whether it’s monsters influenced by Bosch, character designs by Atlus veteran Shigenori Soejima, or the gorgeous menus this team produces over and over again, you are never short of beautiful things to look at in Metaphor

None of that touches on the beautiful fantasy-and-steam settings, with locations that feel unique while never skewing too far from the magical fantasy world we’ve been promised for years. Unique fantasy race designs feed into a fascinating caste system, where some amount of storytelling is set up the moment you see a character. Designs are lovingly rendered in an engine that values style over hyper-realism, creating a visual style that will hold up over time effortlessly.


Runner-Up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Writeup by Tyler Trosper

Whether it’s a lock of Sephiroth’s hair or the plumes of a chocobo, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is stunning to behold. Even before the game’s graphical upgrade on the PlayStation 5 Pro, Cloud and the gang have never looked better. Square Enix went all out with the remake, but I love the moments where they humbly nod back to the original Final Fantasy VII’s blocky visuals in the Fort Condor and 3D brawler mini-games. However, the cutting-edge graphics come into play during the cutscenes as the characters’ emotions are beautifully displayed in moments of agony or elation. The game is a cinematic marvel that displays the evolution of technology and artists over at Square Enix since Cloud first jumped off that train with his hoof hands and noseless face all those years ago.


Readers’ Choice: Best Visuals of 2024

Winner: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (32.4% of votes)

Runner-Up: Metaphor: ReFantazio (27.9% of votes)

Wes Iliff

Wes Iliff

Wes learned to read playing Dragon Warrior on the NES and they haven't stopped playing RPGs since. Through a superhero-esque origin story, they started writing like crazy and eventually ended up writing features at a site they'd been reading since high school, which was... some time ago. They love sharing the joy in whatever flawed masterpiece has caught their attention this week, usually to the captive audience of their girlfriend, children, and small menagerie of pets.