How can a camera change the way you see the world? This is the foundational question of photography, but also an increasing number of photo-centric games, including the much-anticipated PS5 and PC road trip adventure Season.
Season is part of a recent wave of games that make photography their cornerstone, rather than a tacked-on bonus mode. Some, such as Umurangi Generation, present the past-time as an urban artform, a tool to reclaim space through documentation. Others, like the classic Japanese horror game Fatal Frame, use the camera as a weapon, one capable of dispelling demonic presences.
But as members of the Season development team told us in an exclusive interview, their game is different. It’s a quieter, more contemplative title that rewards careful observation. And its virtual camera, rooted in the meditative charms of film photography, is designed to foster an intimacy between the player and environment.
