What Are The Best In-Game Photo Modes?

With the release of New Pokemon Snap, the Siliconera staff has been revisiting and appreciating our favorite photo modes in games. Here are our top picks!

I love staging Animal Crossing: New Horizons screenshots. Even if some of them look pretty similar to ones I’ve already taken. I mean, doesn’t everyone need five pictures of Marshal singing in front of town hall while wearing his little default vest? Of course they do.

I suppose it almost feels like capturing photos with friends. Remember when I forced Stitches to wear a weird hat and a terrible shirt? I do, because I took like ten pictures of him in that outfit. It’s comforting. — Jenni

When I think of photo modes, Red Dead Redemption 2 immediately comes to mind. While it doesn’t boast a wide array of filters or a greater range of options in comparison to games like Final Fantasy XIV (or other games that boast hefty photo modes), Red Dead Redemption 2‘s is simple and effective. It is able to perfectly frame the environments and animals to create beautiful wildlife photography. — Kazuma

Compared to later games such as Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Final Fantasy XV‘s options for filters and poses are limited. However, its implementation in the main story makes it feel more like there’s a purpose for it. While games like Like a Dragon or Kingdom Hearts III can be played without touching a photo mode, Final Fantasy XV weaves its into the narrative of Noctis’s journey. That makes it all the more memorable. — Stephanie

I won’t pretend to be any good at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. But it doesn’t take master reflexes to have a lot of fun taking screenshots! It’s not the most robust out there, but the combination of franchises and the increasingly-expressive facial animations mean you can usually find something that’ll amuse you. And as much as we like to pretend others care about the shots we take? Most photo modes are really just for yourself. — Graham

I’m not much of a photographer, in games or real life. But I do like a good posing engine! As commercial games go, Final Fantasy XIV‘s “/gpose” command is quite robust. It’s not the best in terms of being able to get the framing you want, but the ability to start and stop a whole range of FFXIV‘s bespoke animations makes it great for capturing that one good frame to really convey your character’s coolness. Expert “Gposer” screenshots have done great things for FFXIV‘s marketing as an avenue for expressing your fashion sense. — Josh

What are your favorite in-game photo modes? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.