It's no secret that Ghost of Tsushima is a wondrously cinematic game, made even better with an extremely detailed photo mode.
This is the first time we ever bothered to use the photo mode in any game, and it is simply because Tsushima looks so beautiful.
Even the photo mode in The Last of Us Part II wasn't enough to interest us in using it, but because of how Tsushima is made there is literally no boring backdrop.
Whether your a pro and know your rule of thirds or if you've never composed a scene in your life, anyone can take a breathtaking shot in Ghost of Tsushima.
Above you can view some of the spoiler-free screens we took while playing the game.
It isn't an exaggeration to say that the photo mode is akin to operating an extremely powerful camera on a film set.
The photo mode itself has myriad options to play with and is extremely in-depth. From changing the weather, time of day and even creating a mini action sequence, you have the freedom to craft something stunning.
Particles and wind intensity
Throughout the game, various different particles will be cascading on your screen; these come in the form of various different leaves, snow, rain, butterflies, anything.
You can create any scene you want and, better yet, you can enter photo mode during combat and some cutscenes.
The guiding wind is also a feature which you can add to your images, as well as keeping everything still or having the background dance around.
Upping the wind intensity will see the trees bend in that direction as well as create a hauntingly beautiful sound effect.
Weather and time of day
For your perfect shot, you can change the weather to bathe the land in golden sunshine or create a more sombre mood by making it foggy or overcast.
If there's a specific time of day which gives you the best lighting, you can go ahead and set it to whatever you want and watch as the sky changes overhead. The moonlight effects are particularly breathtaking.
These options have no effect on actual gameplay and when you exit photo mode it will revert to the normal weather and time of day that it was before you started playing around with the settings.
Kurosawa mode and other filters
Unfortunately, the Kurosawa mode is generally underwhelming and really consists of making the game black and white with a lot of grain.
If you're unaware, Akira Kurosawa is a filmmaker responsible for some of the best samurai cinema features to ever grace our screens.
He directed the film Seven Samurai, which would later go on to inspire the story of the Magnificent Seven, which dropped samurai for gunslingers in a spaghetti western setting.
Kurosawa's films have has a massive cultural impact on the world of cinema, directly inspiring this game in fact, so this filter is put in to honour that legacy.
However, the Kurosawa mode feels a little bit of a gimmick considering how it doesn't give off the intended feel that those old, black and white samurai films exuded..
There's a host of other filter options to choose from specifically when using photo mode, whereas the Kurosawa effect is in effect all the time.
Whenever inspiration strikes, which will be often in this game, you can easily access photo mode with the simple pressing of a button.
It is also important to note that, for the most part, the perfect picture will be sitting there in front of you without having to edit any of the multiple settings.
With the full release, we expect social media to be positively flooded with people sharing their images and creations.
Ghost of Tsushima is out now on PS4. Buy it here
