Summary
Camera tools in games are nothing new, but virtual photography has become quite popular over the past few years. More and more games,including both indie and triple-AAA titles, have been making a point of including some sort of photo mode in their games to facilitate virtual photography. When done right, a good photo mode can be used to produce some incredible shots. Franchises like theAssassin’s CreedandHorizonseries remain popular choices because they have such thorough photo modes with a lot of great options. However, not every photo mode works perfectly. Occasionally, they have limitations that make them harder to work with.Disney Dreamlight Valley, despite otherwise being a well-received game, is one such example. Thegame’s photo modelacks a lot of the qualities that make those ofRed Dead Redemption 2orGod of Warso powerful.
It is unfortunate since the game contains a beautifully rendered environmentfull of distinct characters. This is the kind of game that could seriously benefit from a solid photo mode. In its current state, however, the photo mode is extremely restrictive. It mostly amounts to being able to take selfies, with very few options outside a few poses. The limitations of this photo mode really don’t do the game world justice. Fortunately, there are plans for future updates. There are several things Gameloft could do that would drastically improve its photo mode for players to really capture the intriguing world ofDisneyDreamlight Valley.
6Free Camera Movement
In its current form, the photo mode has three different modes: selfie, body shot, and wide shot. All three options are focused on the player. Selfie mode puts the camera in a fixed position, while the other two both orbit the player character. This might be fine if the goal is to capture the player’s character, and the option to take selfies can be a great way for younger players to get introduced to virtual photography.
However, it is a lot more limiting when it comes to taking photos of anything else. It is harder to take photos of other characters, for example. The closest thing to a free camera is in wide shot mode. However, even this one is noticeably limiting. Actually moving the camera requires a combination of commands, making it feel a bit more complicated. The camera is also fixed to a strictly horizontal plane, with no vertical movement. This makes it awkward when trying to capture photos of taller characters like Goofy and the player character, whose heads are cut off by the top of the frame.
Suggested Improvements
Include a free camera option that doesn’t bind the camera to the player, allowing it to move some distance away. Allow the camera to be moved up and down as well as side to side, permitting the user to experiment with different types of shots.
5Pause the Game
Although every photo mode will have different options, a common trend among them is automatically pausing the game when activated. This allows the player to freely move the camera into a good position and make any editing decisions without having to worry about the subject abruptly moving.
This approach is great for capturing action scenes that might be a lot harder to shoot in real life. However, it is not present inDisney Dreamlight Valley, which continues as normal while photo mode is active, which can make it harder to take pictures of characters. Many of them, like Goofy and Mickey, will continuously walk around on screen, making it difficult to get the camera focused on them while they are in a good position for a photo. The only option where they stay in one place is for selfie mode, where they will pose for the camera. While there is nothing wrong with having those poses as an option, it also prevents the player from getting good shots of them in action.
Have photo mode automatically pause the game when activated, with an option to unpause if needed.
4Separate the Camera From Other Tools
The camera is included as an in-game tool, along with the shovel, watering can, fishing rod, and pickaxe. While this does make it easily accessible, the problem with this approach is it limits what kinds of photos can be taken of the player character. Activating the camera automatically removes any other tool that is currently being used and requires the player to be idle to be activated. This is unfortunate since it eliminates the possibility of taking cool action shots.
Players can take selfies, but there is no option to take photos of the player character while they are gardening, fishing, orblasting night thorns with magic. This, unfortunately, doesn’t leave a lot of room for variety in shots, making a lot of what people do take look very similar.
Treat photo mode as a separate feature from the other tools, and have it activated by a different method (i.e. through the pause menu or a hotkey). Allow photo mode to be activated without affecting the game world.
3Basic Editing
One very useful tool in any photo mode isthe ability to edit the shot while it’s being taken. The exact range of options varies between different games, but having that ability can transform a decent shot into an amazing one.Disney Dreamlight Valleydoesn’t have much beyond a few basic character poses. Now it could be argued that this is a game that appeals to younger players who may be confused by too many options, but it would be nice to have access to the basics.
Three things are needed for an ideal photo mode: exposure, contrast, and depth of field. All three can be included via a simple slider menu that should be easy enough for a kid to use. Adding in some filters would be an added bonus. For more experienced virtual photographers, the lack of editing options makes it harder to bring out the best parts of a photo. Lacking proper lighting/contrast settings makes it easy for photos to come out too bright or too dark, depending on where the shot is taken. Depth of field is also a valuable tool for drawing attention to the subject of the photograph.
Add a menu with sliders for exposure, contrast, and depth of field. Make sure it is clearly labeled. Sliders for additional options, such as saturation, would also be great but are not required.
2Crowd Control
In theory, the photo mode allows players to take shots of characters, but in practice, it comes with a few frustrations. While in selfie mode, characters will stop and pose for the camera. When it is just one person, this can be okay, provided the character in question isn’t accidentally blocking the intended subject. However, some players have noticed problems when multiple characters are present.
Say, for example, the player is trying to take a selfie with Mickey Mouse and have him pose in front of the camera. That doesn’t seem like an issue at first. However, if there are other characters in the area, they may also try to pose for the camera. Your attempt to take a photo of Mickey could get interrupted by Belle, Simba, Scrooge McDuck, Ursula, Elsa, and Woody all walking into the frame and trying to pose for you. This type of problem inevitably leads to the shot being overcrowded, with no way to remove the unwanted participants.
Include a “remove villagers” option, or at least an option to disable villagers not in the shot from entering. The above solution of pausing the game while photo mode is active would also prevent this issue.
1Environmental Controls
There are a lot of great options for photo modes, but one that can be really effective is the ability to modify the environment. A common version of this is to include a slider adjusting the time of day. Some games, likeGhost of TsushimaandFar Cry 6, go one step further by having options to change the weather.
Being able to make adjustments to the environment can produce some great effects. Changing the time of day changes the position of the sun and the lighting. Being able to change the weather can affect the lighting and the mood of a shot. Having these options also spares the player from having to wait for the right conditions to take a photo, needing to wait for rain to take a photo in the rain, for example.
Add in a slider that allows the player to change the time of day while in photo mode, alongside a few simple weather options, such as clear sky and rain.
