GamesPhoto Modes in games are cool, but I wish they did a better job of mirroring the real thingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesPhoto Modes in games are cool, but I wish they did a better job of mirroring the real thingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
Photography is a medium for self- expression. With a camera in every pocket, we rarely think about it as we snap everything from our friends to our food for the ‘gram, but what we choose to remember with a photo is as much an expression of who we are as how we record those memories.
It’s why photo mode is one of the best features to become commonplace in games in recent years. As games grow larger and more lifelike and we spend more time within them, either alone or with friends, the ability to capture a memory in an image gives us another way to immerse ourselves in these environments. The results of these highly customisable tools can be gorgeous, as you can see in [the likes of Play magazine] or from a brief search online.
During the pandemic, I jumped into the world of photography with a 1970s Polaroid and an even older 35mm film camera. It was gaming that inspired me to pick them up; I spent hours playing with photo modes in the likes of Spider-Man and The Last Of Us Part 2, and Max’s artsy Polaroids in Life Is Strange were the tipping point that led me to scour eBay for the SX-70 I cherish today. It was an outlet to free myself from the isolation of Covid, and rediscover the surroundings I often took for granted. However, just as the experience changed my outlook on the world around me, it also affected my opinion of these modes.
Flash in the pan
(Image credit: Sega)
SUBSCRIBE!(Image credit: Future, Remedy)This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
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(Image credit: Future, Remedy)This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
(Image credit: Future, Remedy)
This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
The tools they offer are more akin to editing an image in Photoshop than using a real camera. The more I take real photos, the more I appreciate games that recreate the tactile feeling of the real thing. Whereas photography in real life requires great consideration of your surroundings, games offer so many tools that you can even change the weather with a button press.
There are exceptions. The Yakuza series enables you to take selfies of Kiryu in a way that at least replicates the limitations of using your phone to take a picture. Similar diegetic modes place the camera within the world, something that benefits immersion and is far more fun. It’s almost ironic that Fatal Frame: Maiden Of Black Water makes you look down the viewfinder of an old camera to take photos of ghosts, while having a photo mode that disregards your in-game camera entirely.
Placing limits on what a player can do may seem counterproductive, but it’s these limits that make photography so rewarding. Firewatch gives you a camera to take photos of the forest wilderness from ground level, immersing you in the feeling of being there and doing that job. And, while not photo modes in the traditional sense, I love the stealth photography missions in Beyond Good And Evil and Sly Cooper that require you to move around the environment to line up your ideal shot.
In a world where your lens is a controller rather than a camera, maybe it’s unrealistic to expect games to replicate the intricacies. Yet what we have now, while impressive, fails to capture the tactile nature of real-world photography. Limitations breed creativity, while making the experience of taking that snapshot far more memorable.
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This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”