Viewfinder Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · Published July 26, 2023 · Updated July 27, 2023

For this Viewfinder Review, we need to challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around us with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single-player game offering gamers hours of exciting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.

Viewfinder Review Pros:

Beautiful graphics.
7.46GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Nine save slots.
Puzzle gameplay.
Game settings – subtitles, subtitles color, field of view slider, Crosshair size, Crosshair, Crosshair opacity, and Crosshair color.
Accessibility settings – font size, photosensitivity mode, subtitles positioning, timed levels, and override fonts used in the game for better readability.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, and toggle aim.
First-person view.
Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
Handy rewind system and it’s presented like an old VHS tape rewind screen.
The rewind bar shows key points like when you used a photo.
Collectible rubber ducks to find.
The gimmick is you place a photo anywhere and it becomes a 3D part of the level you can walk around and pick up items.
Placing a photo can slowly take out parts of a level like a wall or add a bridge etc.
Very clever level design.
Gramophone and cassette decks give background stories.
It’s a game within a game as in you enter a simulation world to do puzzles and then have real-world sequences.
Your character narrates as you play and gives commentary.
Incorporates many art styles.
The way photos come to life is a real thing of beauty and a technical masterpiece.
The goal is to find and enter a teleport to the next level.
Main hub home shows off your collected rubber ducks and lets you replay levels and pick the new ones.
Surprisingly easy to pick up and learn.
You can carry a few photos at one point.
A photocopier allows you to make duplicates of an image.
Simple controls.
Restart level option.

Viewfinder Review Cons:

Very slight learning curve.
When in your home it’s not always obvious where the next teleporter is.
The tutorial is so basic it explains nothing of the mechanics and gameplay loop.
Cannot rebind controls.
Possible to just get stuck in where to go or what to do.