The Best Lookin’ Multiplats of this Generation

Let’s take a look at some of the more visually impressive multiplatform titles, shall we? It could be said that single platform development is relatively easy – building a single game for a single console allows developers to cater to the strengths and weaknesses of that platform. But when a developer manages to milk as much as it conceivably can from both consoles, and stay within a hairs length of each other, this is undoubtedly worthy of a closer look. Or in this case, worthy of making onto this six game list.

And folks, whilst some of the titles below may seem ‘old’, the merits of each are game are given respective to their release periods. In other words, they looked good for their time.

Resident Evil 5:

Resident Evil 5’s appearance in this list is virtually a given. Hell, multiplatform considerations aside, Capcoms latest entry into its survival horror franchise could comfortably make the ‘best of gen’ category without even breaking a sweat. Occasionally stumbling into the realm of pseudo-realism, it features what might be some of the most impressive character models to date. It also happens to be a better action film than most actual action films. Since its revamp with Resident Evil 4, I’m not sure what you would label this third-person shooter. So, for now, I’m happy to label it as ‘awesome’. As iterations of the series pass us by, Resident Evil is seemingly destined to become a lot less horror, a little less survival and a lot more action. Traditional zombie diehards, I shed tears for you.

Assassin’s Creed:

Assassin’s Creed’s sheer scale suggested it’s engine had a lot going on under the hood. Ubisoft’s new property wasn’t exactly foreign to critical acclaim, but I’m not quite sure that praise was entirely deserved. Plagued by repetitive, tedious mission structure and all-too-easy combat, it seemed that, whilst the setting and climbing mechanics obviously had potential, the aforementioned issues held it back. However, thanks to a seemingly steady engine, Creed doesn’t fake. As unlike many games to boast a sense of scale, this is a title that delivers literal scale. The numerous buildings to traverse aren’t polygons and pixels beyond the reach of the horizon, but tools at Altiars disposal whenever in need of a hasty getaway. Just complete a viewpoint quest and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Mirrors Edge:

Mirror’s Edge is perhaps the one of the more experimental titles of the last several years. This is a game that took a new idea and a new aesthetic and ran with it. For some, Mirror’s brought home the gold, providing a refreshing integration of first-person and parkour. Yet for others, it didn’t even make it past the finish line, with many considering DICE’s new property to be clunky and bland-looking. It was also slammed for its integration of seemingly needless gunplay. In its trickier moments Mirror’s Edge becomes a torrent of trial and error; a single misstep or poorly-timed button tap leaves parkour practitioner Faith in a slightly sticky situation, with most scenarios ending in a not-so-friendly reunion with a stone slab floor. But the clean cut art style and city-wide vistas makes that end goal of completion all the more worth chasing.

Unreal Tournament 3:

Unreal Tournament 3 didn’t quite take off as expected amongst the PC community. Why? Well, some blame plans to port the game to home consoles, claiming the once mouse and keyboard exclusive first-person shooter had been “dumbed down” for a less accurate control method. In other words, it was made ‘noob friendly’. Regardless, Epic’s arena-centric shooter appears to be technically consistent across the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. If you were to push the PC counter-part to one side, accurately determining the lesser version amongst the home console editions would truly be a troublesome task. Oh yeah, and it looked pretty good too.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare:

Despite being a year older than its Treyarch developed twin – Call of Duty: World at War – Modern Warfare’s cinematically inclined and emotionally impacting moments were astounding. Whether it be squadron of helicopters or a singularly spectacular explosion, Infinity Ward’s foray into the reality of armed conflict turned heads at the time, and still does now. In my opinion, it surpasses the visuals of a certain exclusive first-person shooter to debut in the same year while pushing twice the frames per second and that’s without mention of the equally remarkable multiplayer suite. Now that’s impressive.

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Tags: Multiplat PS3 Xbox 360