Virtual photography is defined as the practice of taking photographs inside virtual worlds, namely video games. Over the past few years more and more games have started to embrace this practice by including a "photo mode" designed to allow the player to take pictures of their in-game experiences. While there are, unfortunately, some big franchises that have so far failed to properly accomodate virtual photographers such as Call of Duty, Halo, and Gears of War, the growing popularity of virtual photography has led to it being embraced by a wide range of games. Just a few examples of some popular titles among the virtual photography community include the last three Assassin's Creed games, Red Dead Redemption 2, the Horizon Zero Dawn franchise, and The Last of Us II.
But virtual photography is not exclusive to AAA games. Its growing popularity has led to it appearing in some lesser-known titles, whether that is an indie game or an overshadowed title by a major developer. Many of these are not as common choices for virtual photography compared to Assassin's Creed but still offer some interesting photographic opportunities. Virtual photographers looking for something unusual may want to try out some of these less obvious games.
6 Beyond Blue
This simple diving simulator follows a diver named Mirai, a modern-day Jacques Cousteau keen on exploring and documenting ocean life. It is a pretty short story-consisting of eight levels, each centered around exploring an aquatic environment and encountering different types of sea creatures, sort of like a less stylized version of Abzu.
Players of Abzu who wished they had more options for taking shots of its impressive assortment of wildlife might enjoy actually getting those options in Beyond Blue. While the game might be short, its photo mode offers some great options for underwater virtual photography. Mirai gets to encounter a lot of interesting wildlife such as whales, dolphins, sharks, squid, and some funny looking creatures like the ocean sunfish (pictured). They even have a deep sea level where players can get some cool shots of anglerfish.
5 Chernobylite
A strange game set in a 3d-scanned rendering of the real-life Chernobyl Exclusion zone, Chernobylite follows a survivor of the infamous disaster exploring its ruins in search of his missing wife. Along the way he encounters various characters and faces some strange experiences in a radiation-themed adventure heavily inspired by Half-Life, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Metro.
The full game is a strange experience involving the player having to make decisions, then re-evaluate and even change them to get the best possible outcome. Fittingly, the game can be quite surreal, which offers some interesting opportunities for its photo mode.
4 Chorus
This adventure from Deep Silver Fish Labs is a space combat game in the vein of the popular Wing Commander and Star Fox series, centered on a pilot and her sentient starfighter on a quest to destroy an evil space cult. Fans of science fiction games like No Man's Sky will enjoy the opportunity to take photos of outer space.
This experience may be slightly jarring to virtual photographers more used to photographing people, but the game has some interesting options. Certainly the fast-paced action would lend itself nicely to photographs. There are a lot of different spaceships that might also make good subjects, and of course lots of interesting structures and environments that will make excellent backgrounds.
3 Immortals: Fenyx Rising
Originating as a side project inspired by a bug in the development of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a light-hearted but thoroughly researched take on Greek mythology. Players control a customizable hero on a quest to defeat the monster Typhon while facing a lot of mythology-based encounters and earning favor from Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hephaestus. Although a critical and commercial success, Immortals Fenyx Rising has not gotten as much attention from virtual photographers as Assassin's Creed Odyssey, though it offers some fun opportunities.
The biggest one is obviously the greater focus on mythology. While Odyssey had some mythological encounters, its primary focus was on Greek history. Players were more likely to get good shots of historical figures like Herodotus or Socrates than the gods. While that is a pretty cool ability in its own right, Immortals: Fenyx Rising offers some variety by veering more into the mythological side. Players can actually get photographs of Greek gods and monsters. It also appears that a sequel is on the table, which will hopefully leave even more options for virtual photographers.
2 Kena: Bridge Of Spirits
A simplistic but compelling fantasy adventure, Kena: Bridge of Spirits follows the titular character as she helps the ghosts of various characters, receiving help from tiny creatures called "The Rot". The game's cartoonish aesthetic lends itself nicely to fun and light-hearted images.
The Rot alone can offer some cute opportunities, especially with the game having a mechanic that allows the player to buy them hats. But players looking for more serious content can find it here too. There are some very bizarre monsters that lend themselves to eerie and disconcerting photographs.
1 Praey For The Gods
Praey For The Gods is a dark fantasy that combines survival in a hostile environment with Shadow of the Collossus-inspired boss fights. Players control an unnamed female protagonist who arrives at a frozen island in a dying world, which can only be saved by slaying its former "gods". These beings are massive creatures, each with a unique boss fight, that make some very interesting subjects for virtual photography.
Players may want to experiment with close-ups on their strange designs, wide shots that capture their immense size, or action shots of their battle against the heroine. Or they may want to capture shots of the heroine and her struggle to survive the eternal winter. Or perhaps they'd just like to get some peculiar landscapes of the island.