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The Sinking City 2 Photo Mode includes camera and focus controls, color and exposure adjustments, screen effects, named filters, frames and logos, composition guides, and a Hide UI option. For the cleanest result, compose and focus first, then adjust color and effects, and finish with overlays and capture cleanup. Exact slider ranges and defaults are not established for every control, so use the values shown in your game and judge changes in the live preview.
What Photo Mode lets you adjust
The control names below are reported in Nerd’s Chalk’s guide, updated August 21, 2026, rather than an official developer manual. They are grouped here by purpose, not necessarily in the order they appear in the game’s menu. The preview matters: lighting in the current scene can make the same adjustment look very different.
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Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Valor Mortis - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Mortal Shell II - PlayStation 5 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Frostpunk 2: Ice Breaker - PlayStation 5 | $25.97 | Buy on Amazon |
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Onimusha: Way of the Sword - PlayStation 5 | Buy on Amazon |
- Composition: camera angle, field of view, roll, sensor width, and grid.
- Focus: aperture, depth of field, and focus distance.
- Image tone: brightness, gamma, contrast, saturation, temperature, tint, color balance, color grading, and RGB contributions.
- Effects and style: screen effects, sharpness, film grain, vignette, desaturation, aberration offset, and filters.
- Presentation and capture: frames, logos, positioning and sizing controls, Instant-style options, and Hide UI.
The guide does not establish exact ranges or defaults for every slider. Treat your current in-game values as authoritative rather than relying on a universal preset.
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Shape the composition
- Field of View: widens or tightens the visible scene without moving the subject. Use it to include more surroundings or give a creature a tighter, more imposing frame.
- Roll: rotates the view around the camera’s viewing axis. Keep it level for a documentary feel or cant it for unease.
- Angle: adjusts the angle of the active camera or adjustable visual element.
- Sensor Width: changes simulated sensor framing and lens presentation in conjunction with Field of View.
- Grid: displays a composition guide that can help align a subject or keep a horizon steady.
Control what looks sharp
- Focus Distance: moves the plane of sharp focus nearer to or farther from the camera.
- Depth of Field: separates the focused region from blurred foreground or background.
- Aperture: simulates a lens opening and works with depth-of-field blur. Combine it with Focus Distance when isolating a portrait or detail.
For a cinematic monster image, set the framing with Field of View and Roll, then place the focal plane with Focus Distance and Depth of Field. For a portrait, work with Aperture and Focus Distance, then refine the crop using Field of View or Sensor Width.
#1 Best Overall
- A New Story in Hellraiser's Canon – Unwittingly kickstart Pinhead’s ritual to unleash greater pain and pleasure than ever before.
- Harness the Power of the Box – Combine the unique, hellish abilities of the Configuration with an arsenal of earthly weapons to inflict bone-breaking, flesh-searing pain - or is it pleasure? - upon masochistic enemies.
- Fight Against Unholy Enemies – Take on hell's wretches, deviants, cultists, and even its most infernal priests in a story-driven horror survival game.
Color and exposure controls
The guide lists these controls: Blue, Brightness, Color Balance, Color Grading, Contrast, Gamma, Green, Red, Saturation, Temperature, and Tint. Their practical effects are distinct:
- Brightness changes overall lightness; Gamma affects midtone visibility.
- Contrast changes separation between light and dark areas.
- Saturation changes color strength.
- Temperature shifts the image warmer or cooler; Tint adds a complementary color shift.
- Red, Green, and Blue adjust the contribution of each color channel.
- Color Balance and Color Grading provide broader color adjustments.
In a dark scene, a useful starting sequence is Brightness and Gamma, followed by Contrast; then use Temperature or Tint if the image needs a color shift. Check that the subject remains visible. This is a creative suggestion, not a guaranteed setting for every scene.
Rank #2
- HARNESS CORRUPTED POWER - Each death is a chance to grow stronger. Master a combat system of parries, dashes, and visceral finishers across a variety of weapons. Channel your power to enhance attacks and unlock new supernatural abilities to inflict upon your enemies.
- SECRETS LITTER THE BATTLEFIELD - Navigate a 19th-century alternate history where the costs of endless war have corrupted the landscape. Use your newfound mobility to outmaneuver the plague-ridden abominations of Napoleon’s Eternal Guard and uncover environmental secrets that may increase your chances of survival.
- UNCOVER A HORRID CONSPIRACY - Witness a compelling story where historical figures and realities intertwine with elements of horror and the supernatural. Explore beyond the dark corners of the world to discover the truth behind the plague and your unholy resurrection.
Screen effects and the complete filter list
Screen effects
The reported screen-effect controls are Aberration Offset, Desaturate, Film Grain, Intensity, Screen Effects, Sharpness, and Vignette. Film Grain adds texture, Vignette shades the edges, and Sharpness changes apparent edge and detail definition. Intensity changes the strength of a compatible selected effect.
Recommended Free Tools
Every named filter
The guide names the following filters, listed alphabetically here for easy reference:
Rank #3
- THEIR FLESH IS YOUR WEAPON: The corpses of exceptional warriors are scattered throughout Mortal Shell 2’s destroyed world. Once discovered, each warrior can be possessed, awakening their innate strengths and mastered abilities. Evolve your own style of combat by harnessing the unique abilities of each warrior and unlock their secrets through the discovery of lost memories.
- CLEANSE A RAVAGED WORLD: Mortal Shell 2’s compact open world connects over winding footpaths guarded by desperate and fanatical adversaries. Players who wander are rewarded with new warriors to possess, additional story elements, powerful and strange weaponry, upgrades, curiosities and more. Step through derelict temples of ancient deities, across forbidden forests and icy graves, into citadels carved out of bone. Scattered between these lost landmarks are more than 60 dungeons, each providing a challenging test of the talents and weaponry you have collected on your journey.
- DETHRONE FALSE GODS: You control the Harbinger, a being that must reclaim the Undermether’s stolen eggs that are now ruthlessly guarded by grotesque, dangerous creatures. Mortal Shell 2’s combat system is agile and expressive. Stamina gauges are removed, and execution options have been enhanced, delivering a kinetic and chaotic dark power fantasy. Precision meets intensity in high-stakes combat.
- Black and White
- Cold
- Desaturated
- Heat
- Inverted Draw
- Negative
- Negative Black/White
- Outline
- Pixelated (64)
- Pixelated (128)
- Pixelated (256)
- Red and Cyan
- Retro
- Sepia
- Vibrant
- Warm
The menu also includes a Filter selector and Filter Intensity control. The source does not provide further technical definitions for the three Pixelated labels, so their numbers should not be treated as a specified resolution or output size.
Frames, logos, and capture cleanup
The guide lists Frame, Horizontal Alignment, Horizontal, Instant, Instant Wide Black, Instant Wide, Logo, Size, Vertical Alignment, and Vertical. These controls handle presentation elements and their placement or size. Grid is a composition guide; Hide UI removes the Photo Mode interface from the capture view.
Rank #4
- Develop, expand, and advance your city in a society survival single-player game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth. In Frostpunk 2, you face not only the perils of never-ending winter, but also the powerful factions that watch your every step inside the Council Hall.
- Frostpunk 2 elevates the city-survival genre to a new level. Take the role of a Steward and lead your city through a cascade of calamities taking place in a postapocalyptic, snowy setting.
- The world is overtaken by an ever present winter, which makes expansion of the city the only way for the survival of mankind.
- In order to grow, the metropolis needs resources like coal and oil, just like its citizens require food and warmth. In Frostpunk 2, it's your job to tackle this never ending circle of supply and demand.
- In addition to the base game, Frostpunk 2 ICEBREAKER EDITION includes: A meticulously crafted New London pop-up diorama, a redemption code for the official Frostpunk 2 artbook, and a redemption code for the 'Warm Flesh' novella (English version).
- Compose the scene and set focus before adding decorative elements.
- Use Grid if alignment would help. Add a Frame or Logo only if it supports the image rather than competing with the subject.
- When you want an uncluttered capture, turn off decorative Frame and Logo options and activate Hide UI before capturing.
Workflows for different looks
These are creative directions reported by the guide, not measured presets or guaranteed outcomes. Adapt them to the lighting and keep the creature, clue, or silhouette readable.
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- Detective archive: use Black and White, control Gamma, add Vignette, and consider the Instant Wide Black frame.
- Unnatural presence: try Green or Red and Cyan alongside Tint and Aberration Offset; use Sharpness selectively.
- Dreamlike isolation: use Depth of Field and Focus Distance to isolate the subject, soften Contrast, and try a gentle Warm or Cold grade.
- Graphic poster: try Outline or Inverted Draw, position a Logo, and size the Frame carefully.
- Low-fi horror: try a Pixelated filter with Negative or Negative Black/White, then adjust Filter Intensity.
Does The Sinking City 2 support HDR?
Yes. Frogwares’ Update 1.1.0 patch notes say HDR output was added on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, along with HDR10+ and an in-game HDR brightness calibration screen. The patch notes say HDR follows the system HDR setting rather than being forced on.
Best Value
- Ultimate Swordplay Action – Master the blade with an arsenal of exhilarating sword techniques in absorbing battles and overcome fierce fights using every tool at your disposal, including environmental hazards and supernatural abilities.
- A Legendary Cast of Characters – Dark fantasy and history collide to tell tales of fabled figures, including Miyamoto Musashi (whose face is modeled after the late, iconic samurai movie actor Toshiro Mifune), plus Sasaki Ganryu, and more.
- Overcome Your Demons – Duel formidable foes in intense boss encounters, standing toe to toe against unfathomably powerful Genma and a sadistic rival swordsman armed with an Oni Gauntlet and devilish powers of his own.
- Explore the Mysteries of Kyoto – Step into a twisted vision of Japan’s historic capital, including faithful recreations of real-life locations like the famed Kiyomizu-dera Temple, as well as otherworldly realms with surreal landscapes.
- Pre-order Bonuses – Reserve an early copy to receive the “Sealed Curse” sword skin and “Lion Dog” charm as bonuses.
What is known about the boat-animation camera warning?
Frogwares’ pinned June 2026 demo FAQ described Photo Mode as a work in progress and warned about camera collision when using it during boat entry or exit. That warning concerns the demo; it does not establish whether the issue remains in the released game.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
