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Behind all the noise and violence, video games can at times be works of incredible, painstaking beauty a true visual medium to be ogled and admired. In celebration of this form of modern technical artistry weve collected 20 of the most stunning screenshots from games released in the last year and compiled them in the gallery above.
As youll observe, these arent average run-of-the-mill screenshots. These are images captured by enthusiasts dedicated to making games achingly gorgeous to look at by using mods, filters, and big-ass PCs. To appreciate the screenshots in all their immense glory, you really should view them at full size (click the icon in the top-right corner of each image).
Credit for these stunning images belongs to the exceptional hard work of the talented contributors of this NeoGaf thread, and expert screenshot getter Dead End Thrills.
Assassins Creed III
Image captured by: iNvid02
Mass Effect 3
Image captured by: Dead End Thrills
Hawken
Image captured by: Corky
Hitman: Absolution
Image captured by: Man From Atlantis
PlanetSide 2
Image captured by: Spazznid
Max Payne 3
Image captured by: KyleN
Far Cry 3
Image captured by: KyleN
Battlefield 3: Aftermath
Image captured by: KyleN
PlanetSide 2
Image captured by: Moaradin
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Image captured by: Alo81
Mass Effect 3
Image captured by: Dead End Thrills
PlanetSide 2
Image captured by: Corky
Mass Effect 3
Image captured by: Dead End Thrills
Far Cry 3
Image captured by: iNvid02
Lego Lord of the Rings
Image captured by: Man From Atlantis
Spec Ops: The Line
Image captured by: I NEED SCISSORS
Sine Mora
Image captured by: Corky
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Image captured by: Man From Atlantis
Dear Esther
Image captured by: Dead End Thrills
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition
Image captured by: Lime
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Every one of them worthy of framing and hanging on the wall amazing stuff and we look forward to seeing more from the screenshot wizards next year.
For more things to look at, feel free to browse our Best Video Game Fan Art or What Video Game Box Art Would Look Like If It Hadnt Changed in 30 Years gallery features.