6th February 2025 The Fourth Focus Awards 2024 Winners Revealed [Morrie's Environment Category Win & Remedy Takes Home Two Awards]

Virtual Photography can take a familiar game and turn it on its head, making you explore it in a brand-new light. As well as being a fun challenge, it also can be a wonderful tribute to your favourite games; taking in those special details that build the world but may go unnoticed in a typical play though. It can definitely be hard to master, and requires a special skill set and a keen eye, but sometimes you get a truly mind-blowing shot.

In late January, The Fourth Focus announced the winners of their annual ceremony, The Virtual Photography Awards. As the event celebrates both the international community of photographers, and the developers that work to support them, the awards are split into two.

Using in-game photography tools, more than 2,600 entries were submitted and put before the twenty-one person judging panel. Included in the list are six community websites and fifteen developers. There are some familiar faces behind the panel, too, including Antonela Pounder and Riho Kroll. Antonela is the Global Director of Digital Content and Engagement at 505 Games, and long-time champion of #FadenFriday and #JesseJanuary. Riho is Remedy's Lead UI/UX Designer, and one of the key people behind Alan Wake 2's Photo Mode. 

Alan Wake 2 was the third most submitted game in this year's event, with 6.3% of submissions from the game. One of them, captured by Morrie from Japan, even won the Environment category! Their shot, taken at floor level, centres on at a lone traffic light surrounded by buildings. Is incredibly moving and ominous. It captures the oppressive (and very damp) feel of The Dark Place. Definitely the kind of atmosphere that it's perfect... but from behind a window and in a very cosy room.

With the game being one of the most submitted, it's perhaps no surprise that Remedy walked away with some awards too. In fact, Alan Wake 2 won two industry categories, including Best Photo Mode (with 31.4% of the vote) and Best Lighting (53.6%). While the former was a close competition with only 0.2% between the game and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Alan Wake 2 was the clear winner of the Lighting category by a hefty 36%.

You can check out more about the event, including all the winners and submissions on The Fourth Focus, HERE! 

Source: The Fourth Focus

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