For every hardcore gamer with a high-powered PC, customised gamepad and arthritic thumbs, there's a casual video games fan who appreciates graphics as much as high scores.
For some of us, the cinematic look of a game might even be the main reason we buy it. A realistic zombie and a brilliantly-rendered Bugatti Veyron certainly add to the pleasure of plonking down in front of the console, regardless of how well you actually play the game.
Here are five beautiful games that are actually worth buying, including Uncharted 3 with its wind-swept desert scapes, to Forza 4's incredibly vivid rendering of cars and driving circuits and Dark Souls' menacing castles and fierce dragons.
What do you think is the best looking game? We've collected video clips of our top picks below. Pick your favourite, or tell us one we've missed in comments.
You've watched the pretty games, are you ready to sit through the scariest games?