With all my talk of craving short games, I have found a way to make a couple of my favorite games last even longer.

Photo mode is incredibly addicting. I am constantly slowing down my playthroughs of Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 because I want to play with the scenes. 

I’m not sure if it’s my actual background in photography that draws me to it, or if I just really want to immerse myself in the worlds and create snapshots of memories just like I would in real life. 

Cyberpunk is such an immersive game that there are moments I want to remember as my character in the moment. And there are other moments that I want to create for them. I try my best to become V in the game, sticking to one personality type when answering questions and letting the story dictate how V grows. Connecting with other characters and feeling in the moment is how I let myself fully fall into the role. 

With Spider-Man, not only do I want to capture moments for Peter and Miles, but it’s also just a great action game. That naturally leads to moments worth freezing time, to give myself a scrapbook of sorts to look back on. Just like flipping through my own comic book.

For the last couple weeks, I’ve spent just as much time setting up the perfect photos as I have actually progressing my stories.

Photo mode isn’t just a cool feature. It’s a way to capture my favorite worlds and give myself memories to look back on.

They’re snapshots that I trade with another friend, both of us seeing the different ways we experience Night City, in particular. 

They’re how I prove that I became a part of the worlds I play through—not just watching it go by, but being a part of them myself.