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Photography game Umurangi Generation is now on Game PassThe Stylish apocalyptic snapshot won 2021’s IGF Grand Prize
The Stylish apocalyptic snapshot won 2021’s IGF Grand Prize
The devastatingly stylish first-person photography gameUmurangi Generationarrived on Game Pass today, so here’s me to nudge you to tryone of our favourite games of 2020(and2021’s IGF Grand Prize winner). I can’t think of many other games which have you photographing scenes of daily life and struggle amidst a Neon Genesis Evangelion-grade cataclysmic kaiju event. It looks and sounds fantastic, too, with coolJet Set Radiovibes.
So off you go, exploring a rooftop, or a street party in a block locked down after a severed mech arm fell on it, or a condemned housing district, or a train buffet car filled half with soldiers and half with civilians as it rattles across a bridge through twisted ruins over pink waters. And you’ll be looking to snap photos of subjects like a kiwi, or two rifles, at least four spray cans, or 20 sticky notes, with some requiring you use a specific lense types. Some subjects are quite hidden and some can be fiendish little puzzles, perhaps being of graffiti rather than an object, or requiring careful framing to fit in objects or chop up text.
Vibing at the end of the world in Umurangi Generation
Some photographs turn into a frustrating pixel hunt. Levels being on a timer makes that worse. And the movement can be mighty janky. These irksome bits could ruin some games but I’m very happy to push through in Umurangi Generation. And hunting for objects does at least make me pay more attention to the world.
The near-future Tauranga is a hell of a place, styled somewhere between cyberpunk anime and Jet Set Radio. The game has a gorgeous lo-fi look and is crammed full of details. And damn, the soundtrack from ThorHighHeels is fantastic, dancing across so many styles. But while the kaiju and mecha grab attention, smaller—and more pervasive—problems become clear as you pore over places for photographs.
It is a striking vision of society fortifying and flexing its power while the world ends, with the bonus spectacle of mecha.
Oh, and it can be fun to practice photography in this pretty place, especially once you start unlocking extra lenses and options and things.
Umurangi Generation is a hard sell for some, I know, especially when even fans grumble about puzzles and movement. But it is on Game Pass now, for PC and Xboxes. Do have a look. Follow a guide for tricky photos, if you must.
