Apart from grass, another good way for developers to show off their game’s graphics is through tropical settings. There’s plenty of water, sand, and sunlight to ensure that they can’t hide low textures or unrealistic lighting effects. For that matter, some of the best graphics invideo gamescome from titles set in tropical regions.
RELATED:Best FPS Games You Can Stream Through GeForce Now
Because if the developers pull it off correctly, then playing a game set in a tropical region could be the next best thing to a sunny beach vacation. Now that the world is in the middle of summer, it’s only proper to get a glimpse of what tropical places have on offer without the need to expose oneself to the numerous real-world plagues going about. These tropical games might just double as a beach vacation.
8Far Cry 3
Far Cry 6and the firstFar Cryare also good candidates here butFar Cry 3captures the best feeling of a tropical beach vacation gone wrong.Far Cry 3’s Rook Islands is based on some of the more provincial island spots in the Indonesian archipelago. And yes, there’s no shortage of warm, sunny beaches inFar Cry 3. In fact,Far Cry 3’s beaches look cleaner thanFar Cry 6’s Caribbean coastline for some reason.
In any case,Far Cry 3is all about the adventures of Jason Brody who’s one tattoo and beer shot away from becoming the most stereotypical fratboy. The game has no qualms about making him obnoxious. Jason and his friends' wild vacation in the Rook Islands took a turn for the worse after pirates kidnapped his whole group and it’s up to Jason to team up with the local militia to rescue his friends.
7Crysis Remastered
The game that made all the PCs weep and vomit their lungs out back in 2007 remains to this day, an icon forgraphics technology.Crysis Remasteredcame along and updated the graphics for the whole trilogy, giving it Ray Tracing and many other contemporary bells and whistles.
RELATED:The Witcher 3: The Best Graphics Mods You Need To Install
Only the first game, however, is set in a tropical paradise. It begins with a distress signal on an island controlled by North Koreans somewhere off the coast of the Philippine archipelago. What the elite nanosuit-clad spec ops team didn’t expect was that aliens were somehow roped into the conspiracy and are now causing havoc, even turning the tropical island into a frozen anomaly. That’s how much the developers wanted to show off their graphics engine back then.
6Just Cause 2
Just Causeis also a solid candidate for this entry butJust Cause 2takes the cake because of thebetter graphicsand more cohesive gameplay. Its premise is similar to the previous game: a lone elite operative is tasked with causing as much havoc in a totalitarian government’s territory in an attempt to destabilize its local dictator.
Just Cause 2takes place in a fictional Southeast Asian country called Panau. The fictional setting was most likely inspired by Thailand or Indonesia and it has coconut trees and smooth, plain sandy beaches to back up the visual authenticity. Back in its heyday,Just Cause 2was also praised for its impressive water physics and vast open-world design.
5Tropico 6
Tropico 6is a parody of Cuba, where players take on the role of a fictional Caribbean island-nation’s dictator as they build their totalitarian country from the ground up. Hence, it’s a city-builder game, first and foremost though it can also be a good lesson in economics or governance.
RELATED:The Games With The Most Impressive Graphics, Ranked
Of course, to complete the theme,Tropico 6has no shortage of Instagrammable white-sand beaches and lush, humid jungle mountains. Players can evenbuild resorts, plantations, or coastal cities in their own version of a communist paradise or totalitarian dystopia, or both as they’re not mutually exclusive.
Kill zombies or go on a beach vacation? WithDead Island,players don’t have to choose. Because this zombie game is set in a tropical beach resort that somehow came under siege by a horde of frenzied zombies. Players assume the role of one of the immune survivors as they get to the bottom of the mysterious zombie outbreak on the island of Banoi.
The game was famous for its refreshing take on the aging zombie formula. Coupled with itspicturesque renditionof a tropical beach resort and the turquoise waters common in virgin coastlines,Dead Islandbecame quite a hit among zombie fans and graphics nuts alike.
3Green Hell
Tropical doesn’t always mean sea breeze as rainforests are also a lovely result of the region’s temperature.Green Hellexplores this side of tropical regions. Most of the game takes place in the depths of the Amazon jungle where the onlybody of wateris a river and a faraway beach.
RELATED:Best RPGs With Anime Visuals
Players step into the shoes of Jake Higgins, an anthropologist who wakes up alone in the middle of an Amazon jungle. Jake didn’t come along though as his wife was part of the expedition except she seems to be missing after attempting contact with the local Amazon tribe. So it’s up to Jake to find his wife while also trying to survive the harsh, sweaty, and nauseating conditions of a tropical rainforest.
2Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagmarks the first time anAssassin’s Creedexperiment went right. They incorporated pirates into their odd assassin Illuminati story but somehow made it work because the gameplay elements were mostly fun. Of course, it also helped that it had one of the most attractive graphics of its time.
Black Flaghad one of the best water simulations back in 2013, which is especially noticeable when players are sailing their pirate ships on the Caribbean seas. The game is also a decent representation of life in the aforementioned region back in its portrayed time period. Do be careful of the sharks.
1Sea of Thieves
Speaking of pirates of the Caribbean,Sea of Thievesis another game that features them in full splendor. This multiplayer-focused game is all about life on the high seas, on the other side of the law. Players can just sail aimlessly, fight others in epic ship battles, and of course, look forbooty.
In terms of graphics,Sea of Thievesboasts one of the most jaw-dropping sea andwater physicsamong contemporary games, complete with changing hues based on the depths of the water and the position of the sun. Its character and land models might be cartoonish, but the water more than makes up for it.
