I don't think I'd disagree. Having both MK8 and Drive Club, there's no doubt Drive Club has a LOT more technically going on, but MK8 looks perfect wherever you look. It's a complete picture, all the scenery is in place, there's no "okay, that's a lower resolution texture there. That scenery could have done with a few more polygons" etc which as great as it looks, Drive Club suffers from.

60fps also always looks better than 30fps.

Kindergarden logic never ceases to amaze me, even more when it comes from teens who think they are all-knowing men...
Do the Bender! Do the Bender! Do the Bender! Hoooooooooooo!!!

What about this:

`

Instead of aimlessly making claims like @bold, stop your damn fanboying. Objectively look at the games. Where Driveclub, which I personally played fails in places Mario Kart makes up for it. 

Driveclub has some nice locations, but Mario Kart 8 seemlessly is a visual experience. From start to finish you are awed by the environments, the design, the artsyle, the detail and the fact it runs at 60fps is a plus. 

Yes Driveclub is more detailed and has more filtered effects to make you think what you are thinking, but when you get down to the nitty gritty it's not about what you can see, it's about what you can't see. No one is disagreeing with you because it's your opinion so i suggest you start respecting everyone elses opinions. Your whole multipage rant started because you disagreed with an opinion and think it's wrong because it's not your opinion. 

~Mod Edit~

This post has been moderated.

-Smeags

But let's look at the context, in the paragraph where he makes the proclamation he never mentions any technical terminology, he just talks about design touches:

"It's that detail that made Mario Kart 8 sing earlier this year - from small animations like the Luigi death stare that became a viral phenomenon to subtler, more meaningful changes like the introduction of new boost mechanics that always kept the player engaged. It's that detail, too, that meant while others were preoccupied with the new generation arms race, Nintendo quietly produced the best-looking console game of the year. That detail is all present and correct in the new tracks and riders, making for some great little flourishes. Like how Tanooki Mario turns to stone when performing his stunt boost, momentarily frozen in mid-air, or how rupees replace coins throughout the Hyrule Castle circuit."

I was more impressed by Wind Waker HD.

Well, I haven't looked at every game that was released this year, but it's undeniable that Nintendo knocked it out of the park with Mario Kart 8.

The game is consequently beautiful, the next course even better than the last. Everything about the design seems to be perfectly in tune. The amount of care they took in all the little animations, characters and backgrounds (and what goes on in those backgrounds) really shows the love and attention the developers gave this game. This game shines in it's art-direction. I don't know if it was 'the prettiest' of the year, but it surely is a contender.

And to add my two cents to the whole 'realism' debate;

You have realistic looking games and you have 'realistic' looking games. There's games that try too hard to be like reality. Racing games are the most obvious offenders. To me, most look 'boring' or uninspired, because they look the same as when I look outside my window in real-life, but worse. They also almost always look exactly the same amongst each-other. I don't care about those couple extra particles here and there, that isn't what gives a warm feeling inside.
To insinuate that I or anyone therefore doesn't like 'realistic' games is stupid, because Bioshock also looks realistic. Those kind of games however have a certain 'flair' to them. I want to see something that's unique and recognizable, that has features which separate it from the masses. It must have an obvious direction where an art-director took clear decisions instead of taking the 'easy', straight-forward route and make it it's own product. In that regard, Mario Kart 8 to me undeniably wipes the floor with Drive Club. Art and design, they are key. That's what makes a game interesting to look at to me, what gives me that warm feeling.

That was last year. ;)

Too much arguing. Everyone has their opinions, and this is whoever wrote the article for Eurogamer.

I find it to be a very beautiful game, not only in terms of art style, but also technically. There are a lot of tiny details to be found everywhere in the game. I don't know if I will say best looking of the year, since I really care only about gameplay and if I am having fun in a game. But, I can say, out of the PS4 games I have played, none of them get the best for the year, mainly because I am tired of how few colors go into this games. Dark games just aren't attractive to me anymore.

But, that is just me, everyone has their own preference, this is subjective. We should all just respect each other's opinions on this matter.

I agree with you, but some in here couldn't comprehend that despite being technically inferior to some game released this year, one could prefer MK8... God forbid! Only realistic/"mature"/high polycount/shadder filled/x16 AA are worthy of being labelled Best Looking!

From reading the anxiety filled posts of some, it was as if as someone had slapped them in the face or eaten their parents or something...

... I almost forgot:

Do the Bender! Do the Bender! Do the Bender!Hoooooooooooo!!!