Photo modes have become a standard feature in 2026, but I still remember the thrill of Bayonetta 3's launch and its photo mode. It felt like a new peak for the Switch, even if it was still a little off the very best photo modes on other platforms, which benefit from better graphics and a greater sense of control. That got me thinking about all the photo modes I've played over the years, and how distinct each of them feels. So I put together a little quiz. Every shot below was taken in photo mode, not a gameplay screenshot or cutscene, so you might need to think laterally and rely on context clues instead of straight-up recognition. All photos were taken by me. If you think they're good, thank you. If you think they suck, well, that hurts my feelings. 😅 Answers at the end!

Photo modes are more than a gimmick. They let us pause, compose, and reinterpret the worlds we love. They turn us into virtual photographers, and the best ones give us filters, focal lengths, depth of field, poses, lighting, and even time-of-day controls. Some are robust enough to feel like standalone tools. Others are bare-bones but still charming. The quiz below celebrates that diversity. I've played dozens of photo modes, from blockbusters to indie darlings, and each one leaves a distinct fingerprint on my memory.

The Quiz

Let's start off with a fairly easy one, shall we? A bridge, a spirit companion, lush colors, and a gentle atmosphere. This game's photo mode is simple but beautiful.

More challenging is this neon nightmare. I did tweak the colours up a little using the in-game settings, and it's a fairly small detail in the game itself, but is there enough here for you to figure it out?

Another relatively easy one, but can you tell even with the monochrome filter? The composition is stark, the mood is eerie, and the answer might be hiding in plain sight.

This is a very deep and meaningful shot of the world bleached in grey, the ol' Stars and Stripes screaming red and locked behind bars. Unless you think it's stupid, then it's just a silly picture. Anyway, what's it from?

This game has one of the best photo modes around, but also one of the first I used properly, so I don't have too many pictures of the intricate details. Is there enough here for you to get it?

Okay, this seems to be a game with skateboards. Is that enough to give it away?

Fans of this game may well remember this part, although the kinder souls among us might have avoided it entirely. I had to do it - for my art, you know?

What are thoooooooose? What game is thiiiiiiiiiiis? Shoes have never been so dramatic.

Basically the same caption as above. They're shoes, by the way. But whose shoes? That's the question.

There's a deceptively high amount of games with photo modes that feature horses, but do you know what this one is?

You probably know this one, but it's cool, so I wanted to include it. The machines are majestic, the colors are vibrant, and the photo mode is a joy.

Look at the flowers... does that help? This one is bleak, beautiful, and unforgettable.

This might be the most underrated photo mode out there, mostly because the game isn't all that popular. But are you enough of a superfan to figure it out?

Answers

And if you're wondering about the bonus image from the answers section, that's from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, another underrated photo mode. It's a vocational school, but the vibe is pure drama.

In 2026, photo modes have only gotten more sophisticated. With ray tracing, AI upscaling, and virtual camera tools, it's easier than ever to create art. But these older shots remind me why I fell in love with virtual photography. Each game has a distinct feel: Kena's warmth, Cyberpunk's neon, Control's brutalist dread, Ghost's wind, God of War's intimacy, and so on. If you got them all, congrats. If not, no worries. The real prize is the photos we took along the way. 📸