I’ve always loved the idea of taking photos in video games, and so many games over the years have featured this as a central mechanic. I’ve always professed my love for Pokémon Snap as loudly as I possibly can, but throughout gaming history taking pictures has been important in many titles. I’ll never forget using a camera to solve mysteries in Beyond Good and Evil, or to fight ghosts in Project Zero. For a game about photography I want something a touch more relaxing though, like Lushfoil Photography Sim.
This one person passion project has been picked up by publisher Annapurna, and looks to be just what we need in a world chock-full of action games and violence. With a selection of digitised real world environments to explore and photograph, this blend of hiking and snapping is high on my most anticipated list for this year. I was lucky enough to be able to interview the game’s creator Matt Newell recently, where we talked about the locations, DLSR cameras, and so much more.
Lushfoil Photography Sim is going to bring so many locations across the world to life and lens, how did you decide which places to include?
I’ve chosen a combination of places I’ve travelled to and was heavily inspired by, also several that I’d seen online that have a distinct look and feel.
I also wanted to curate a selection of places with as much variety as possible, so each environment feels completely different from each other.
When creating locations entirely from scratch, how do you go about this?
Lots of photo references! When travelling, I would shoot the landscapes as I normally would, but also include photos of all the random details, like the ground, rocks and grass. With these I would then put together pieces of the environment while looking at my reference photos side-by-side. There are some Unreal Engine tools I would utilize to help with the procedural placement of assets, but still the majority of work is done by hand.
With regards to the locations of Italy, Japan, China, Australia, Iceland, Nepal, and France, how do you know when to stop in terms of size? Do you have to set boundaries for yourself when creating?
The opposite. I like to include a lot of details in even small parts of the environment, so extending areas by even a small margin can be very tedious and take a lot of time. I chose a size that was a sweet spot for many aspects, like the time it takes to explore, the amount of variety in each part of the map, and the impact on the game’s performance. The environments are slightly restrictive and may not be as “open-world” as people would like, but I can make things much more detailed and intentional this way.
Have you been to any of the locations in Lushfoil Photography Sim yourself?
I’ve been to all of them except for Iceland, Nepal and China, which are indeed very high on my travel bucket list.
Are the locations of Italy, Japan, China, Australia, Iceland, Nepal, and France entirely “fictionalized” versions, or will we recognise any landmarks?
They haven’t been fictionalized, if you’re familiar with these places in real life you should recognise the landmarks and points of interest. They’ve only been changed for convenience to shorten paths and make in-game travelling less tedious.
Which is your personal favourite of the locations, and why?
Shengshan Island/East China Sea, as it’s the environment I created last, and I feel like the skills I’ve culminated as an environment artist are at their peak. The environment has a very otherworldly feel, and I’m proud of the soundtrack I curated for it as well.
Your main camera in Lushfoil Photography Sim is a fully featured DSLR camera, how have you ensured this is easy to use for photography newbies?
The camera’s settings have been realistically simulated, but at the same time, I haven’t included any surprises for people who leave the settings at their defaults, the image will always be sharp and correctly exposed. The idea is that photography enthusiasts and veterans will have something to sink their teeth into, but newcomers also won’t be overwhelmed, and the settings are there for them to experiment with if they want.
You’ve said that by exploring areas that you’ll find hidden unlockables like new cameras, how will these differ from your main camera?
I’ve tried to create camera simulations from a few different eras, to provide a sense of nostalgia, and to reward keen explorers. There’s 35mm film, an early 2000s digital camera, a VHS camcorder, and a few more surprises.
We’ve seen bikes and boats featured in Lushfoil Photography Sim so far, what made you add these extra means of traversal to this more hiking focused game?
No reason really, they’re just fun to use. I’ve also included some secrets only accessible with certain modes of traversal, so players are still rewarded for experimenting and exploring.
I’m excited to explore the gorgeous environments of the game myself at my own pace, but the game also features objectives to complete in each area. How will these work, and what rewards will we get for completing them?
I’ve tried to take a very distraction-free approach to the objectives in this game, so as to not discourage players from doing whatever they want to do. There are no maps or yellow markers, and the objectives won’t present themselves to players who don’t actively seek them out. But there is a numbered list of tasks to be completed in order to progress, and the rewards are consistently different, specific to each environment. You may unlock a new preset for weather/time of day, a new camera, a new item, a new explorable area, or something else.
Taking photos in games has become much more popular in recent years. As a photography lover do you have any favourite video game photo modes? And do you have a favourite photo mode in a game?
When I did most of my game photography, it was before games had photo modes, so I used to use PC mods for virtual photography. The biggest games I used to shoot back in the day were the 2015 Star Wars: Battlefront, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. But in terms of modern photo modes, I’ve really enjoyed the tools included in Death Stranding and Read Dead Redemption II.
You can pre-purchase the game now on Steam ahead of the April 15th release date, but it’s also coming to PS4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X.
