Games With Optional HD Texture Packs

Highlights

• Older games with poor graphics can be transformed into visually stunning experiences with HD texture packs.
• Mods revive classics like GTA 4 and Half-Life 2 with updated graphics, enriching gameplay for new and old players alike.
• HD texture packs for games like Skyrim and Minecraft enhance visual quality, breathing new life into iconic titles.

The back catalog of older games that is available to gamers, often at vastly reduced prices from their original launch price, can be a rich, mineable resource for great games. However, many older games are let down by poor graphics, especially in games that were released before HD resolution became the norm, and widescreen monitors became popular.

For some older, more popular titles, players have worked together to revamp the graphics, and this often includes remastering game textures to HD formats, and then releasing these new textures as an HD texture pack. A well-done, higher-resolution texture pack can make some older games look brand new.

8 Grand Theft Auto 4

Grand Theft Auto 4 4K2K Allagga Graphics Mod 1.0

With GTA 5 being such a prolific game, it is easy to forget that there were several Grand Theft Auto games before it, although GTA 5 is the top-selling game in the franchise. GTA 4 was released way back in 2008, and for a game of that time, it was really quite impressive graphically. Fast-forward to today, and it looks pretty dated.

However, an HD texture pack is available for GTA 4. This is an impressive accomplishment, as it updates all the building and character textures in the game. The creator has also said that they will move on to work on all the other textures at some stage. This texture pack makes GTA 4 look amazing.

7 Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 HD Enhancement Project

Released in 2004, and the first commercial game to use the new Source engine, Half-Like 2 still looks pretty good for its age. Then again, this was a game that really pushed the envelope for game graphics when it was launched.

There is an optional HD texture pack available for Half-Life 2. It upgrades most of the textures to a higher resolution and improves the way that textures are blended. The results are stunning. Gamers who have never played Half-Life 2 might like to give it a try with this texture pack, for a taste of gaming history.

6 Crysis

Crysis HD Textures 2018

The 2007 release of Crysis introduced the world to the now well-known Cry Engine. Graphically, Crysis was on miles ahead of other AAA titles of the time, but what made Crysis so special was the seamless way in which Cry Engine handled large maps with a long draw distance while still keeping frame rates high.

Of course, Cry Engine has been updated many times, with each release of a new title in the franchise in general. But this doesn’t help the original Crysis game at this stage. Luckily, there is a community HD texture pack available for the original game, that makes it look much more up to date. It includes updates to all textures, as well as materials and objects.

Skyrim HD – 2K Textures

Considering the fact that The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – or just Skyrim for short – was released in 2011, and it is still a pretty decent looking game. It is also still widely played over a decade after release, mostly due to the profusion of different editions that have been released.

However, for the very best Skyrim experience, players can install the community made HD texture pack. This is a truly incredible achievement, as it makes a game that is over 10 years old look like it was just launched a week ago. This is one of the most impressive HD texture packs players will find for any game.

4 Mount & Blade: Warband

Mount And Blade HD Textures

Mount & Blade: Warband is the 2010 expansion pack for the original 2008 strategy role-playing game that is loosely based on Medieval Europe. It is notable for its immersive role-playing experience. It was also an early attempt at sandbox style game mechanics. Graphically, Mount & Blade has not aged well, though it definitely looks its age.

The game is still popular with many gamers, so it is no surprise that a community member has taken it upon themselves to produce a HD texture pack for the game. Although this texture pack doesn’t really bring this older game up to modern graphical standards, it does go a long way towards making it look less aged, as well as making it more immersive to play.

Oblivion 2020 Retexture Project

Can Oblivion really be almost 20 years old? It still looks very good for how long ago it was launched. Some players prefer the simpler gameplay of Oblivion over the more complex Skyrim, which came after. Oblivion’s side quests also tend to be simpler and shorter. There are a few texture packs available for Oblivion, but the one chosen for this list seems to be the best of them.

This HD texture pack has updated almost all the graphics in the game. This includes the landscape, rocks, trees, and foliage, as well as all of the models that make up terrain, such as the leaves on trees. And of course, the textures for characters and buildings have also been revamped.

2 Minecraft

Realistic Textures HD

Minecraft may, at first glance, seem like an odd game to receive an HD texture pack. The blocky, voxel based graphics are always going to look retro. But of course, each block in Minecraft is textured, and upgrading these textures can improve the fidelity of the graphics.

This HD texture pack changes quite a lot. It works with the Trails & Tales Update, and includes 32×32 pixel HD textures, including some for custom animals and NPCs. It works for any Minecraft world in either Survival or Creative mode, too.

1 Fallout 4

Fallout 4 HD Overhaul

Fallout 4 was originally launched in 2015. Then two years later, Bethesda released a free HD texture update for the game. While this was well received at first, it soon became apparent that it wasn’t as good as it could have been. Something of a missed opportunity for Bethesda.

The Fallout 4 community, not to be put off, has come up with a much better HD texture pack for the game. This has been a huge project, and it replaces tens of thousands of textures all through the game, and it also covers game assets that have been released in DLC. If players love Fallout 4, they have to try this texture pack.