Photo mode is one of the best reasons to return to Cyberpunk 2077

Photo mode is one of those features that has become increasingly commonplace, now that social integration and sharing images from your game with the wider world is so easy. It’s a fun way to stage those perfect shots, and snap pics of your journey through a game world. And photo mode has been a great way to re-engage with Cyberpunk 2077.

With the impending launch of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, the first and only expansion for CD Projekt Red’s futuristic RPG, I’ve been dipping a toe back into the waters of Night City. Much of it is just reacquainting myself, and getting back into the world and feel of it all. I’ve already spent at least an above-average amount of time both playing and  Cyberpunk 2077.

Getting back into it though, I’m reminded of the visual splendor that is Night City. And how, with such an interesting world, its photo mode becomes the perfect lens to re-engage and refresh.

Come on, vogue

There are some prime examples of photo modes in modern games, as the feature has become increasingly commonplace. The advent of the “share button”, making capture content an easily accessible feature on every home console, meant players could more easily snapshot their best plays or favorite scenes. Tie in social media and forums like YouTube, and it’s really never been easier to take something  from your personal playthrough and put it online.

So when I opened Cyberpunk 2077 back up I started going back through my photo mode pictures. It was like a mini-scrapbook of the playthrough I’d had before, letting me revisit all the choices I’d made and branches I went down. And of course, all the looks my V served.

The Cyberpunk 2077 photo mode may not be the best in the business (I still have a lot of love for XIV‘s incredible gpose tool) but I have, over the years, found it to be a lot more malleable and effective than most. It’s got a great set of tools for manipulating V, so even if you can’t get your pose right before hitting the photo button, you can fix it in the settings.

There’s also a lot of room for taking photos in a variety of settings. Cutscenes, driving, or just walking around, I’m free to pop it open anytime and start toying with the settings.

It gives some dramatic weight to certain story moments, too. When I hit certain parts of the Cyberpunk 2077 story I would pop open photo mode and try to capture a good shot of how V was feeling. At the time, it was mostly due to the incessant but endearing insistence of my podcast co-host Kenneth Shepard, but now? I’m happy I have them. I can see moments in the story where V was struggling or celebrating. Where I captured a specific vibe, and how badass my V looked as they were becoming a Night City legend in real time. You win this one, Ken.

On the Night City wire

Really, though, it helps that Night City is an excellent virtual world. There’s a lot to be said about the base version of Cyberpunk 2077 and its highs and lows, especially at launch. It’s seen something of a renaissance, even, thanks to the massive popularity of its anime spin-off Cyberpunk Edgerunners. All of that, I 👍think, points to just how♕ memorable this setting is.

As I’m walking back through Cyberpunk 2077 and snapping my photo mode shots, I’m remembering how good this all looks. The corpo towers that pierce the clouds, the shops on Jig-Jig Street that advertise anything, for any desire. Pacifica’s theme park area looms off in the distance, with its own roller coaster I could fix up if I finish the side quest.

And, at the center of all of it, V. I could probably stand to take fewer pictures of my protagonist, but that’s part of the role-playing game appeal. My created character has built up a reputation and legend in Night City, and seeing them evolve through the course of 2077 through the photo mode pics I’ve snapped is like a little journal. It’s something I’ve missed when it’s absent, like in Baldur’s Gate 3. (You can turn off the UI in BG3 and still get some great pics, but there’s no official photo mode yet.)

So with Phantom Liberty just around the corner, I’m eager to see what new sights I’ll be able to capture. Night City still has stories to tell, and hopefully there are still some gorgeous vistas where I can perch up for a few more candids.