Nvidia RTX: Best 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 people thought it to be the next best thing for video games, while others felt that it was 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.

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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. As graphics cards become more and more advanced over time, ray tracing technology will reach new heights that will make most games look downright photorealistic, which is groundbreaking for obvious reasons. Players will have their minds blown once ray tracing technology reaches a level where pretty much every game will have it, but for now, only a handful of titles have managed to integrate this technology with great finesse.

Updated February 15, 2025, by Hamza Haq: Having ray tracing as a toggle in-game is not an achievement in and of itself. It's only when the implementation is so good that players can immediately tell the difference between RTX On and RTX Off that one really starts to appreciate how far rendering technology has come in recent years. Games that use a lot of reflective surfaces are the best showcases of what ray tracing can achieve, whereas games where most of the environment is mostly opaque, like grassy terrain, it's very difficult for ray tracing to show its true value. Two new games that exemplify this have been added to the article to give players even more options to choose from.

29 Dragon's Dogma 2

The Ray Tracing Improves The Visuals Without Too Much Of A Performance Hit

Dragon's Dogma 2 has been put through the wringer for its poor optimization, and most players should do their research to see whether this game has received enough updates to finally run smoothly on PC and consoles before taking the plunge. It's a shame since the combat of this title takes all the strengths from the first game and dials it up to a hundred.

While it's true that Dragon's Dogma 2 may not be a looker compared to other big-budget AAA games, the ray tracing technology at play here does a great job of ensuring that the lighting of the game looks premium, which helps the graphics stand out even more. Players with systems who can support this state-of-the-art technology will get completely immersed in one of the best action games with ray tracing they can get their hands on.

28 Dying Light 2

Ray Tracing Is The Intended Way To Enjoy The Visuals, With Regular Lighting Looking Flat In Comparison

Dying Light is a game that came out of nowhere and surprised players with a fun mix of parkour and zombie action. Fans were glad to see that a sequel was in the works that sported a bigger budget and would strive to build on the first game's strengths. While the story-heavy nature of Dying Light 2 didn't wow many fans, the moment-to-moment gameplay and familiar combat made it a worthwhile game to check out for Dying Light fans.

The bigger budget for this game could be seen in the title's amazing ray-traced visuals, which completely dwarfed the baked lighting and almost made it look like a second thought. Given the first-person viewpoint of this game, anything that enhances the player's immersion is worth sacrificing some FPS for, and the game's great ray tracing makes it a visual spectacle as players deal with harrowing zombies and the like.

27 Ghostwire: Tokyo

The Ray Tracing Has A Major Hit On Performance But Makes Tokyo Look Breathtaking

The fate of Tango Gameworks has sent ripples through the video game industry, with Xbox's decision to shutter this studio being criticized to the moon and back. Reports state that the studio's main project, Ghostwire: Tokyo, failed to meet sales expectations, even if Hi-Fi Rush was a surprise hit that bagged a ton of awards. It's a shame, since Ghostwire: Tokyo has a lot of strengths despite its open-world design being slightly uninspired.

The visuals of this game are undoubtedly its strongest suit, featuring high-quality animations that are a joy to witness in first-person. If players enable this game's ray-tracing mode, they'll be greeted with an impressive visual display. This ensures that the city of Tokyo feels more moody and immersive than ever before as players battle ghosts and uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of this city's residents.

26 Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Diverse Color Palette Looks Even Better With Ray Tracing Enabled

The release of Marvel's Avengers made many fans fear the worst for the Guardians of the Galaxy game, which is perhaps why so many people weren't looking forward to this release. While this story-driven single-player game was released to poor sales, it didn't take long for public perception to turn after more and more people talked about the amazing nature of this game's narrative.

The combat, despite being the title's weak aspect, still has many things that go for it. However, it's the story and characters that end up being the saving grace of a video game that knows how to bamboozle players and let players enjoy an intergalactic narrative for the ages. This, coupled with the game's great ray-tracing, makes it a veritable gaming feast that boasts both style and substance.

25 HITMAN World of Assassination

Ray Tracing Adds Another Dimension To Agent 47’s Assassination Experience

HITMAN World of Assassination is the definitive Hitman experience, combining all of Hitman 1, 2, and 3 in a single package, updated and upgraded to work with the latest RTX technology. Players take on the role of the iconic Agent 47 to carry out target assassinations, using everything from Sniper Rifles to Gas Canisters to poisoned drinks. Planning out the perfect assassination in as short a time frame as possible without being seen is the sign of a true professional.

Agent 47's targets are mostly found in crowded urban spaces, environments filled with reflective surfaces like windows. This is where ray tracing really shines, allowing players to appreciate the extent to which the technology can take games on full display.

24 Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

A Gorgeous World That Comes To Life When The Lighting Is Cranked To The Max

It's a shame that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora didn't live up to its initial hype, feeling more like a reskinned Far Cry game than an original Avatar title. The focus on dated crafting mechanics and the dependence on scanning for efficient exploration took away a lot from Pandora's gorgeous landscapes, which come to life with the use of ray tracing.

The biomes in Pandora are a treat to witness firsthand and one of the strongest aspects of the game. If a huge priority for a player is to witness a wealth of beautiful curated landscapes, then using ray tracing is downright necessary to make Pandora come to life in the best way possible, and to further the joys of James Cameron's Avatar.

23 Alan Wake 2

The Imaginative Art Style Of This Game Benefits From Ray Tracing Turned On

A game absolutely bursting with style and atmosphere, it's easy to see why Alan Wake 2 is one of the best video games of 2023. Remedy was at its very best when it developed this stellar survival horror game that isn't afraid to take risks. People who love Remedy when they're at their most creative will love just how unique and different Alan Wake 2 is.

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It's easy to see why fans can't wait for Remedy to churn out another game, especially with Alan Wake 2 essentially creating a shared universe for all Remedy games. With the critical success of Alan Wake 2 leaving many people impressed, fans can only hope that more AAA developers take the same risk that Remedy did in the creation of a unique story-driven adventure that is unlike anything players have experienced before.

22 Returnal

A Mind-Bending Roguelike Game That Looks Pretty Amazing To Boot

Returnal

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Third-Person Shooter

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Released

April 30, 2021

Developer(s)

Housemarque

Platform(s)

PC, PlayStation 5

Genre(s)

Third-Person Shooter

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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Many people are glad to see huge studios like Sony try their hands out on genres that most AAA games don't try to experiment with. Not only is Returnal a pretty excellent roguelike, but the story it tells is a captivating psychological horror drama that will keep players invested from start to end.

Selene is a deceptively complicated character whose backstory is slowly revealed over the course of the game's narrative. Repetition is a common theme prevalent in both the gameplay and narrative of the game, showing just how underrated Housemarque's AAA roguelike game really is.

21 A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Sequel That Ups The Ante In Every Way, Including Its Visuals

A Plague Tale: Innocence is an indie game that came out of nowhere and wowed people with its emotional story and excellent presentation. The idea of playing as two struggling survivors in a stealth-focused indie title during the Black Plague makes for a great time, and the sight of millions of rats hounding them every step of the way will be burned into the player's mind at the end of this experience.

So, it was only a matter of time before this hit title would receive a sequel that is bigger, better, and bolder in every way. A Plague Tale: Requiem is an excellent sequel that wraps up Amicia and Hugo's tale in a bold manner, making for a spectacular story-driven journey that is rife with amazing visuals. The title supports RTX, becoming even more visually appealing if players turn this option on.

20 Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered

A Web-Slinging Marvel In New York City

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered doesn't really add all that much to the original game in terms of story, content, or even cosmetics. There are a couple of new suits players can unlock, the GOTY version DLCs and slightly better facial animations, but little else. The value proposition for this remaster lies almost entirely in how they have managed to elevate the graphical fidelity from the base game, primarily through the excellent implementation of ray tracing.

For machines that can handle it, there are few things prettier than web-slinging through a hyper-realistic New York City as Spiderman. The easiest way to notice the effects of RTX is to stick to a window on a skyscraper and look at the reflection. It's like looking into a mirror. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is a gorgeous game without RTX, but when it is turned on, it turns into pure eye candy.