The fighting game genre has a rich and storied history that dates back to the 80s, 90s, and the golden age of arcades. As the genre has grown, every element of the genre has evolved, from the enrichening of gameplay mechanics to the improvement of visuals and music.
The genre has come a long way since the days of Street Fighter 2, and there are now countless gorgeous fighting games on the market that implement a variety of distinct visual styles and art directions. So today we're going to see which fighting games currently have the best graphics.
9 Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
As much as many love to focus on the most lifelike graphics that can be achieved in modern gaming, there is still a great deal of validity in sprite-based games and pixel art. While some sprite-based fighters have graphics that feel rather aged, there are others whose visual flair and animation still hold up incredibly well, using sprites to masterfully showcase the personality of the games' rosters.
Few sprite-based fighters can hold a candle to the masterful animation of 1999's Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, a game with detailed and timeless visuals to this very day.
8 Tekken 7
Tekken 7 is the most recent entry in the beloved Tekken franchise, one of the most definitive 3D fighting game series on the market. As a 3D fighter, the game features a diverse roster of characters that each look great in their own right.
While the game features several guest characters, Tekken 7 is able to walk the line of making these characters feel authentic to their original appearances while blending into the game, without sticking out in a jarring fashion.
7 Punch Planet
Punch Planet is one of the many incredible underrated indie fighters. Released in 2017, it possesses a very distinct visual identity.
A sci-fi fighter that draws a great deal of inspiration from film, TV, and comics of the 80s, Punch Planet's art direction opts to feature characters made of strong and distinct shapes that utilize flat yet vibrant palettes, giving the game a one of a kind and unmistakable aesthetic.
6 Soul Calibur 6
The Soul Calibur franchise is another of the most popular 3D fighting game series around, often flaunting notably solid graphics at the time of each entry's release.
This trend continues with the most recent entry in the series, Soul Calibur 6, released in 2018. With detailed character models and stages that aim for a stylized approach rather than photo-realism, the game's lighting engine makes every battle a treat to look at.
5 Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat is a series that is widely known for its over-the-top and gruesome fatalities. Mortal Kombat 11 is easily the most visually impressive fighting game of all time, possessing some of the most detailed and lifelike character models in the genre's history.
While this overly detailed nature has its pros and cons, it works well with the game's grim art direction and progressively brutal fatalities.
4 Dragon Ball FighterZ
Released by Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a 2.5D fighting game with notably faithful visuals. As the game features a roster made up of characters from the Dragon Ball Z franchise, not is every character animated in a way that looks straight out of the anime, but the game features countless nods and references to the source material via the game's animation and posing.
Few anime fighting games are as beautiful and faithful to the original source material as Dragonball FIghterZ, and it's a noteworthy entry for fans of the series.
3 Granblue Fantasy: Versus
First released in 2019, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a fighting game spin-off of the Granblue series and is another visually stunning fighter developed by Arc System Works.
With visuals that faithfully bring the characters of Granblue to life in a stylized fashion, the game's combat is visually impressive - to go one step further, the game also aesthetically shines in its cinematic super moves.
2 Skullgirls
A 2D fighter that was first released in 2012, Skullgirls has an impressive distinction, with every single unique character in its roster being hand-drawn and traditionally animated.
This brings each of the characters to life in remarkable fashion, pairing well with the game's dark-deco art direction and standing out from every other fighting game on the market. If viewed while slowed down, the game's extraordinary hand-drawn sprites truly shine, with many sprites featuring subtle nods and references to other fighting games and anime.
1 Guilty Gear Strive
One of the more recent fighting games developed by Arc System Works, in addition to being an outstanding fighter in its own right, Guilty Gear Strive is one of the most visually impressive specimens in the entire genre.
Featuring a similar visual approach to Dragonball FighterZ and Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Guilty Gear Strive adds an additional level of polish to an already stellar approach. A certified feast for the eyes with some of the most stylized and detailed models in any fighting game, everything from basic combat, to super moves, to stage transitions are beyond impressive.