Are we talking about GPU stress or aesthetics? If it's the latter I think it's more about artistic direction; I'd chip in a well modded Oblivion there, minecraft if you're in the mood, various well designed locales in BG2. The technical quality of the graphics here tends to be rather irrelevant, just their ability to capture your imagination.
Regarding GPU stress, Crysis is outdated - when really pushed to the limits it still separates top hardware, but it's not the best measure. Warhead does a better job, but Metro 2033 is at the top for GPU stressing in a game, especially if you're running an Nvidia card. Regarding Crysis 2, I'm not so sure it'll be the next big benchmark, screens so far haven't shown jaw dropping visuals, and the engine seems to be built around performance for everyone, rather than pushing the limits. But we'll just have to see.