Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 art direction of 2024.
Bronze Trophy: LEGO Horizon Adventures
It's rare to feel like you could reach into your TV screen and physically touch a video game, but that's definitely part of LEGO Horizon Adventures' appeal. Where most LEGO titles simply place the iconic bricks upon existing environments, this adaptation goes one step further, recreating Aloy's adventure almost exclusively through bits and pieces of LEGO. It's an impressive — and perhaps overlooked — achievement, and results in a spectacularly pretty release.
Read our LEGO Horizon Adventures PS5 review through the link.
Silver Trophy: Silent Hill 2
Much of Silent Hill 2's imposing atmosphere is drawn from the game's art direction: the fleshy creatures, the oppressive interiors, and the fog-coated streets of the town itself. Bloober Team had one heck of a job on its hands in remaking such an iconic release without stripping Silent Hill of its nightmarish tone, but the developer shattered most expectations — ours included. Silent Hill 2 is a deranged feast for the eyes, dripping with tension at every turn.
Read our Silent Hill 2 PS5 review through the link.
Gold Trophy: Metaphor: ReFantazio
In pivoting to an entirely original fantasy setting with Metaphor: ReFantazio, it feels like Atlus' art team was able to break free of some creative shackles, and deliver an RPG that looks brilliantly unique from beginning to end. Granted, Metaphor is a little rough in a graphical sense, but the foundational artistry is still plain to see. From the immaculate character designs and portraits, to the stunning menus and visual overlays, this is just about as rich and evocative as modern role-playing titles get. Artistically, it's a borderline masterpiece.
Read our Metaphor: ReFantazio PS5 review through the link.
Platinum Trophy: Persona 3 Reload
Having incredible art direction is one thing, but marrying that sublime sense of style to excellent in-game graphics is what sets Persona 3 Reload apart. This remake takes the tone of the original Persona 3 and refines it to a seriously impressive degree. Reload is a ridiculously good-looking game across all areas, whether you're exploring high school corridors or blasting shadows with magical abilities — and in typical Atlus fashion, the menus, 2D assets, and combat overlays are obsessively crafted.
We'd go as far to say that this is one of the best-looking RPGs ever released.
Read our Persona 3 Reload PS5 review through the link.
Do you agree with our picks for the best PS5 art direction of 2024? Put your thoughts in the comments below and check out more of our Game of the Year coverage through the link.
Comments 23
I wish we saw more Animal Well love in art direction categories. Sure the pixel art isn’t BlazBlue level of detailed but it’s incredibly atmospheric and enchanting for such a small game. Still would probably give it to Metaphor tho.
Personally Animal Well was far and away my favorite art direction in a game this year. The haunting visuals and eerie setting still stick out in my mind months removed from it
Persona 3. Metaphor is way too busy IMO.
My vote goes to Zenless Zone Zero. It post apocalyptic techno-punk aesthetic was a breath of fresh air this year.
@Enuo All of those gacha anime games look the same to me. I couldn't make out one from the other
How Unicorn Overlord hasn't made this list is beyond me. I also think Metaphors colour palette is a bit bland and dull especially the environments and the constant floaty magla in the air was off putting for me.
Agree with top spot though, very visually pleasing, love the menu designs as always with a Persona game.
Would've put Metaphor at the top but Persona 3 works too.
I would put Shadow of the Erdtree near the top but DLC so...
@UltimateOtaku91 Lol yeah the constant floating magla in Metaphor makes P3R look clean. Though Metaphor's more detailed overall.
Metaphor looks horrible though, its engine is ancient.
How LEGO Horizon got on here over Animal Well or Shadow of The Erdtree I'll never know
Just adding my name to the list of Animal Well shout-outers
Space Marine 2 for me. Metaphor art design is fine but it doesn't hide how bad the visuals are.
I’d go Silent Hill 2 or Wukong, from what I’ve played. I know Atlus is killing it in the art dept, though
@Gremio108 @Tchunga Animal Well is something special! The atmosphere and overall vibe are next level. That title music alone!
I was gonna go for rebirth or elden ring dlc. But then I remembered that Zenless Zone Zero is still a full on game. Released this year. And so that takes it for me. Easily oozes style. The character designs, both 3d models and the artstyle, are some of the best I've ever seen. And the animations are top tier
So a bunch of Xbox games, a Switch game and Silent Hill. What an amazing year for PS5!
@__jamiie Xbox games?
@scoobdoo Agree to disagree. The art in Metaphor was beautiful, especially the whole drawing-in-motion look they had. To each their own!
@UltimateOtaku91 They’re trolling by basically claiming all of these are also on non-Sony platforms. Pay them no mind.
@dskatter I thought so, although one is a playstation console exclusive and another is a playstation studio game. Then the other two are multiplatform games that sold more on Playstation. What a strange comment to make.
Personally I like Inifity Nikki’s style the most for what was released this year. Every time I log in, I am simply amazed by how beautiful it looks by the demo video.
@UltimateOtaku91 Yes. Games that have been on Xbox. Metaphor, Persona and soon to be Black Myth. Then Lego Horizon which actually plays better on Switch for some reason and will soon be on Xbox.
@__jamiie It’s nearly 2025 and you’re console warring.
I honestly think Balatro deserves the win here. It’s simple, but so darn effective.
@DonJorginho I'm really not. Let's not fall into that trap. I stopped caring about console wars after I had an SNES and some of my friends had a Mega Drive.
I wish you and everyone you care about a merry Christmas. ❤️
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...