Though it's not a requirement, I highly suggest it for this game. In Giants, you're free to roam the land and enjoy the environment. Standing on top of a pillar-like mountain allows you to see just how big the level really is. On top of that, you're met with uber-sweet graphics and textures. Taking a look at the water and see the ripples, then the rays from the sun bouncing off of it is something else.
Vegetation really appears to be alive, ambient life and creatures grazing are very convincing.
Character animations and models are terrific. When you play the Sea Reapers, you can really tell that they are female, heh heh. In fact, before the game went gold the Sea Reapers were nude and blood in the game was red. Conversely, to keep the game below the rated R genre, at the last minute before shipping the females were given cloths and blood was turned from a life-like redish tone to a alienated greenish blur. No word yet on a nude patch, but if you want to turn the blood from the green to a red colour, you can check out the patch at the bottom of this review.