Game of the Year: Best PS5, PS4 Art Direction of 2022

Our Game of the Year coverage continues with the Best PS5, PS4 Art Direction of 2022, of which a top four has been put together by the Push Square editorial team. This category crowns the best PS5, PS4 titles with eye-catching visuals. This includes outstanding graphics and striking art styles. At the end, we will list a few honourable mentions.

Bronze Trophy: Horizon Forbidden West

Building on the post-apocalyptic setting of Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy's adventure to the west is even more striking on PS5 with a gorgeous open world to explore that touches every climate on planet Earth. All are presented beautifully, from the rolling sand dunes in the south to the icy peaks in the northwest. Guerrilla Games pairs the stunning landscape with detailed character models — particularly Aloy herself — and colourful towns, all making for an experience that's just as good to look at as it is to play.

You can read our Horizon Forbidden West PS5 review through the link.

Silver Trophy: God of War Ragnarok

Not only does God of War Ragnarok look fantastic, but it also manages to make its nine realms feel distinct in both look and tone. Completely committed to the single-shot camera once again, Santa Monica Studio finds inventive ways to transport you from one place to another, all the while making things feel natural and compelling. No matter what graphical mode you choose, the title boasts sublime visuals and an excellent gameplay feel. The scale is off the charts, but it manages to make its quieter, more personal moments feel just as important.

You can read our God of War Ragnarok PS5 review through the link.

Gold Trophy: Signalis

A tribute to the survival horror games of old, Signalis looks absolutely outstanding. With its flawless pixel art design spearheading a scary excursion into the unknown, dark and moody visuals place a constant sense of dread in every corner of the foreign facility at the heart of the top-down title's story. Through a mixture of predominantly blacks and reds, Signalis brings a welcome twist on the typical pixel art style indie games have been known to adopt in the past. Every room looks incredible, every cutscene presents a fascinating new look at the world. You must play this game.

You can read our Signalis PS4 review through the link.

Platinum Trophy: Elden Ring

With a masterful open world, Elden Ring expands on the Dark Souls template whilst retaining the sort of boss and environment designs only FromSoftware can achieve. The Lands Between is a very special place to explore, with the decrepit wasteland of Caelid in the south and the Royal Capital of Leyndell in the north just two examples of contrasting yet beautiful places to find. Pound for pound, the overall graphical quality might not give a God of War Ragnarok a run for its money, but where Elden Ring makes up for that is with its outlandish designs and highly detailed environments. Nobody else makes a game like FromSoftware does, and Elden Ring is its crowning achievement. Both otherworldly and spectacular, the Japanese developer never fails to make a title so gripping at every turn.

You can read our Elden Ring PS5 review through the link.

Honourable mentions: A Plague Tale: Requiem, Rollerdrome, Sifu, The Artful Escape, The Ascent, and Tunic.

What was your favourite PS5, PS4 art direction of 2022? Place a vote in our poll and then explain your personal pick in the comments below. For further Game of the Year coverage, click the link.