As someone with photos published here on Checkpoint and other publications, Lushfoil Photography Sim caught my attention. This adventure game promotes itself as a “walking + photography simulator,” where players can take photos in simulated locations from the real world using cameras similar to the ones used by photographers. It was developed by Matt Newell and published by Annapurna Interactive, known for its other published titles like Journey, Donut County, and Wanderstop.

Photography in video games has been very simple, as usually, it’s just a simple point-and-shoot mechanic, and sometimes, you do other things to get the shot, like throwing items. But can this game actually simulate real-life travel and nature photography? Or will it be bound to the simple photography techniques seen in existing titles?

The game starts in your first location, Lago di Braies, South Tyrol, Italy. From there, you walk towards your first camera, a DSLR, and you can capture your first photograph. As you go through the game, little pop-ups give you basic instructions on photography. From there, you’re free to photograph whatever you want. But to unlock other locations the game offers, you must capture certain photos and collect totems scattered throughout the game. Also, you’re offered other cameras to play with, like old point-and-shoots from the early 2000s and handheld cameras from the ’90s, to give some variety to your photography. But to unlock those, you need to find them in each location, as well as other fun little items like paper planes and umbrellas. Unfortunately, these extra items don’t carry over to the other maps, so you have to find them again.

Lushfoil Photography Sim should be praised for its photography mechanics, which are close to accurate compared to real cameras. This game has the potential to teach novice photographers how to use these types of devices due to how similar the functions are. Just like the real ones, players can either have it set to automatic or manual mode, change the camera settings, like aperture, shutter speed, f-stops, the brightness settings, and toggle the flash. You can even change the lenses, switching between a zoom, prime, and fisheye, giving different capturing options. And just like a real camera, they can all be found in a DCIM folder, located in the game’s folder. So, while you may be unable to edit them in the game, you can do so using third-party software, just like a real photographer. Also, it means your photos won’t be deleted as you progress and are bound to your computer’s hard drive storage limit.

In Lushfoil Photography Sim, players encounter a photo board that shows what photos they need to capture to progress through the game and potentially unlock another location. You will know you got the shot when you hear a little bell sound, and the photos in your photo library have a small icon in the corner. Players might only struggle with “crouching down” to take a low-angle shot, or if the subject is close to the ground. But it’s not a big deal as the photography goals will accept any photo as long as it is close to accurate to the ones featured on the board.

Once completed, players are given a key to unlock a second round of these photography challenges in the exact location, but with different environmental conditions like weather or time of day. Once all photos have been captured, the extras menu is unlocked. Players can access new settings like “god mode,” where they can adjust the weather or light, or a custom image importer, where they can overlay a photo they’ve captured in their current location, allowing them to add a twist to their travel photography. Meanwhile, collecting the totems doesn’t do much, but it helps you unlock your next location.

Fortunately for players, the game also offers a fast travel system. Using the photographs, you can teleport to where you made the shot. This is useful when you recognise a location after seeing the photo boards and know where to go, as well as exploring large areas with poor weather/lighting conditions like Southern Iceland.

It’s almost a shame that this game wasn’t released during the pandemic because the detail and accuracy of these locations would have made it perfect for those who want to travel but couldn’t. It’s like a better version of Google Maps, but condensed into a video game. Additionally, the music fits the vibe that it’s looking for. The songs used are from a variety of artists, and whenever a track changes, credits appear as a small box on the right side of the screen, which is cool if you want to add these tracks to your library. And for the streamers out there, don’t worry, as the game allows you to toggle if you want only copyright-free songs to play.

While Lushfoil Photography Sim has these photographic challenges and collection goals, this is not an experience that’s worth speedrunning. This game takes you to real-life locations across the globe, and just slowing down and enjoying the sights is the best approach. If you rush through, you will miss some small things, like the animals that linger around the place.

As a photographer, the fact that this game was able to replicate not only the mechanics but also the feeling of wanting to take your time when capturing landscapes and new places blew me away. It brought me back to the days when I used to travel around various cities across the globe and would enjoy the moment as I wandered around. It’s great to be able to experience that feeling once more in a simulated setting, especially now that travel has become more expensive. Are these simulated locations a 1:1 match to the ones in real life? No. But they will give you a general vibe and idea of what visiting these places is like; it’s just a shame that they’re empty in terms of people.