Top 10 Games That Utilize Ray Tracing The Best
It was in 2018 when Nvidia revealed its real-time ray tracing technology for games, titled Nvidia RTX. At the time, many of us thought it to be the next best thing for video games, while some of us felt that it is going to be a side thing, like Nvidia Physx. Fast forward to 2021, it’s been over two years since RTX cards hit the market and many new games have opted for the technology. This is why it’s interesting to see how many of these games have used it to goodwill.
And how many have just used it for the sake of marketing. RTX technology is all about real-time lighting, and its interaction with the environment. This doesn’t always mean good visuals, but yes, guarantees more physically accurate graphics. However, the following games do a great job of making the most of this ray tracing technology to enhance their games visually.
Updated July 4, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: RTX technology has become all the rage in modern times. Players can’t wait to check out the latest games around to activate this technology and see real-time reflections being rendered with great finesse. It’s a great piece of technology that is still to reach its true potential, but the games listed below have already done a brilliant job of showing the immense potential of this technology when applied correctly.
10 Far Cry 6
Many people were disappointed with Far Cry 6 upon launch. The game could’ve been something truly great but was ultimately held back by Ubisoft’s cut-and-paste design, rendering it devoid of any creative zeal.
However, the game itself was undeniably very pretty to look at. Switching RTX on turns Far Cry 6 into a beautiful title indeed, with the various reflective surfaces in the game doing a great job of making the title look all the more realistic and engaging.
9 Doom Eternal
The reboot of Doom was nothing short of an absolute masterpiece. So, it was only a matter of time before a sequel to the same was also released, and this appeared in the form of Doom Eternal.
This title was essentially the first game but bigger, better, and more engaging. It helped that the graphics of this title were absolutely spectacular as well and could look ever more unreal with the enhancements brought about by ray tracing.
8 Control
Control is one of the first titles that demonstrated the advantage of RTX to a lot of gamers. But did it do a good job? The answer is a bit subjective. Control is already a stunning game, with its ambient environments and physics-based objects. So does the implementation of RTX makes a visual difference in the game?
It certainly does, although it can be slightly power-intensive. Players with weaker machines should opt for normal settings since the game is beautiful with or without the effects. That being said, the RTX in Control certainly goes a long way in making the visuals of this title stand out all that more.
7 Deathloop
Deathloop is one of the better time loop games to have come out in quite some time. It might not be as great as video game critics have stated it to be, but the overarching story and amazing gameplay of Deathloop make it a pretty fun joyride from start to end.
Arkane has clearly put a ton of work into making their visuals stand out more, and this is palpable throughout Deathloop. By enabling RTX, the game looks absolutely breathtaking as players dash through levels and take out their targets one and a time.
6 Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is the latest chapter in the series and is a ton of fun to play as well. The campy action-horror of this title might seem silly at times, but this is a big part of what made Resident Evil so popular in the first place.
It helps the graphics of this game are absolutely sublime and contribute a lot to the overall experience. With RTX on, the landscape that Ethan explores becomes nightmarishly beautiful, lulling players into a false sense of security before taking their limbs apart!
5 Wolfenstein: Youngblood
The newest game in the Wolfenstein franchise called Wolfenstein: Youngblood, has received mixed reviews from the critics and users. Some have criticized the story campaign while others have complained about its co-op. But even with all its flaws, the game has done one thing right.
The implementation of Nvidia’s RTX effects in Wolfenstein: Youngblood is done very well. The reflections and lighting bring out the overall mood of the game. Although missing baked reflections on the glass without RTX could be a part of lazy work or a marketing technique.
4 Metro Exodus & DLCs
Now, this is a game that deserves to be experienced with real-time ray tracing enabled, as it really does impact the look and feel of the game. And the developers have clearly gone to great lengths to make sure of that.
Metro games have always been a graphical benchmark for PC gamers, and their latest release Metro Exodus stays true to that. The RTX in the game is demanding for sure, but it changes the entire feel of the game. The Metro series has a very dark post-apocalyptic world, which becomes a lot more ambient and life-like with the use of real-time lighting and shadows.
3 Battlefield 5
Battlefield 5 might not be a fan favorite game of the series, but it sure does one thing right. The RTX in this game is just gorgeous and to the point. The lighting, reflections, and shadows look much more realistic than before, giving it a distinct visual look compared to the older titles.
So the only question here is if it is worth using in the game’s multiplayer mode? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding “no.” These effects are not as taxing as some other games on the list, but they do noticeably affect the performance of the game. This is, of course, a strict no-no when it comes to playing online.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Despite the myriad of problems with the game at launch, there can be no denying that Cyberpunk 2077 looks absolutely stunning with ray tracing enabled. Of course, those playing at higher resolutions will need a somewhat beefy rig in order to get it running at a sensible frame rate with real-time ray tracing turned on. There is a solution of sorts to this problem though.
It may not be the first game to utilize Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling technology, but it’s probably the best example of how useful AI-assisted upscaling can really be. With the setting enabled, even those without one of the latest graphics cards can enjoy ray tracing and steady frame rates; which bodes well, really, considering the ongoing stock shortages of Nvidia’s RTX 30XX lineup.
1 Minecraft
It may be almost a decade old, but Minecraft is still one of the most popular games around and continues to receive updates on a regular basis. One such update came towards the end of 2020 and allowed those playing on Windows to do so with real-time ray tracing enabled.
Given the game’s simplistic visuals, one might wonder why Microsoft would go to all of that effort, but the results definitely speak for themselves. The realistic reflections completely change the look and feel of the game and are definitely worth losing a few FPS for. It’s also great for the industry itself; demonstrating that old games needn’t be left behind by new technology.