Amazing Gaming Worlds to Explore as a Virtual Photographer

Change can be a double-edged sword. While the games we know and love can provide a sense of comfort and security, there are other games that offer a vast array of diverse worlds waiting to be explored. It can be daunting to step outside of our gaming comfort zones, but the excitement that exploring new game worlds offers can provide you with new bouts of creativity and photographic opportunities.

While a few of these games may not offer the convenience of a built-in photo mode, that shouldn't deter you. With the help of camera modes, accepted camera mods and other creative avenues, the challenges of capturing the essence of these diverse environments can be overcome, thereby allowing you to take the photos you want.

Let’s take a look at them.

Open-World Games:

Open-world games are a true playground for virtual photographers. These games provide expansive and meticulously detailed landscapes to discover and immortalize. They have vast and seamless worlds that invite you to venture forth and uncover breathtaking vistas, dramatic weather patterns, and dynamic moments of life. These open-world games allow you to freely roam and compose your shots, capturing the natural beauty, gritty realism, or cinematic grandeur of the virtual worlds.

Games in this category: Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding, Grand Theft Auto V, etc.

Sci-Fi and Futuristic Worlds:

For those seeking a taste of the technological sublime, sci-fi and futuristic games provide a stunning canvas for virtual photography. Games in this world have sleek, high-tech aesthetics, from gleaming cityscapes and advanced spaceships to alien planets and extraterrestrial landscapes. Capture surreal and imaginative elements of these virtual realms, using lighting, composition, and other post-processing elements.

Games in this category: Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect: The Legendary Edition, No Man's Sky, etc

Fantastical and Mythical Realms:

If your love for virtual photography leans towards the whimsical and otherworldly, games set in fantastical and mythical realms offer a wealth of captivating subjects. In these worlds, you will be transported to enchanted forests, towering castles, and realms inhabited by mythical creatures.

Games in this category: The Witcher, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, World of Warcraft*, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: The Tears of The Kingdom, God of War, e.t.c

Stylized and Artistic Games:

Some games embrace a distinct artistic vision, presenting virtual worlds that are more akin to living, breathing works of art. These games offer painterly, minimalist, or expressionistic aesthetics that challenge you to capture the essence of their unique visual styles. So, if you have been looking to capture minimalistic photos, you’d enjoy playing in these game worlds.

Approach these virtual worlds with an eye for composition, color, and mood, allowing the artistic direction of the game to guide your photography.

Games in this category: Gris*, Little Nightmares*, Inside*, and Limbo*, etc

Multiplayer and Social Spaces:

Beyond the single-player experiences, many games now offer vibrant multiplayer and social hubs that present their own photographic opportunities. are just a few examples of virtual worlds where you can capture the dynamic interactions between players, the diverse creative expressions of the community, and the sense of shared experience and camaraderie.

Games in this category: Fortnite, Roblox*, Second Life*, etc

Final thoughts

Regardless of the genre or setting, games provide an escape as well as an endless canvas for your creative photography journey. Look at the unique qualities of the game you want to play, experiment with different techniques and perspectives, and let your vision shine through.

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* The game does not have a traditional in-built photo mode

Photos are from: @papercult, @SidewalkTurbine, @spartan_gamer, @Virtual_koda, @defalt368, @misserisadee_fn

Cover Photo from @TimeloopPlays