#2 This Looks Like A Screenshot From A Video Game But Is Actually A Real Altar From An Entire Church Carved Underground In A Salt Mine In Poland
#3 I Drove Into A Deep Winter Forest At Night, And It Looks Like In Some Stephen King Story
Romy Latter was on holiday when Bored Panda reached out to her. But the animator, illustrator and game developer happily agreed to take some time out from her R&R to chat to us about one of her biggest passions: gaming and game development. Latter runs an indie gaming studio, alongside her husband Lasse, so she knows a thing or two about the importance of visuals when it comes to gaming.
"I worked in animation for a long time as a 3d artist and my husband worked as a developer and we've always wanted to work on something together that combines both our skills, that's where our little studio Unsigned Double started," said Latter during our chat.
"Making games is so different to making animation or art or any of the other things I'd done in the past because of the way people interact with it. It combines so many mediums. I find it really challenging and fulfilling to create something that (hopefully, if you do it right) immerses people and brings them a bit of joy or fun."
#4 At The Right Time Of Day, My Dog's Favorite Napping Spot Makes Him Look Really Magical
#5 Long Exposure Photo Of Drones Circling Mountains Makes Them Look Like Sci-Fi Landscapes
We asked Latter what she loves most about gaming. "It's a really engaging and active form of fun," she replies. "Where watching a film or series is passive, gaming really requires you to engage and get immersed and learn things in order to get to the next bit or complete the challenge."
She tells us that she also loves playing co-op games with friends. "Not really into competitive online games but more relaxed story based co-op games like Baldur's Gate or It Takes Two are so fun to play together," reveals the gamer girl.
#7 Rose Mirror Tray From A Flea Market Yesterday. The Sky Reflection Makes It Look Like A Portal To Another Realm
#9 My Friend Took This Pic In Chile, When The Volcano Was Erupting. Looks Very Eerie
Latter believes game graphics don't always have to be ultra-realistic - like the photos featured in this list. But it really depends on the game. "For some games, realistic graphics add to the immersion and aid the storytelling, but for other games I think good art direction is much more important," said the expert.
She tells us that realism doesn't always equal good. "Some games have amazing graphics/art direction that are far from realistic but are beautiful and stylised, like Neva or Ori and the Blind Forest," explains Latter.
"And then some games have what you might consider 'bad' graphics but it's their aesthetic and people love them and they sell well because the game is a great game."
#15 If This Were A Video Game, There Would Definitely Be Something Behind There
Latter says while graphics have improved dramatically over the past few decades, there's a shift back to a more old-school look. "Recently there has even been a huge trend in imitating PS1-looking graphics from the past," she told Bored Panda.
"It's budget friendly and people really like the retro, nostalgic feeling. What once was a technical limitation is now an aesthetic that people actively try to recreate."
#17 Woke Up To Drink Water And Saw This On The Window's Reflection (Thought It Was A Ghost, It's Just A Chair With My Jacket)
#18 The Sun Hit This Freshly-Paved Tarmac Just Right And Made A Real-Life Rainbow Road Through Polarized Lenses
Before we released Latter back to her much-deserved holiday, we were curious to know a bit more about the game she recently developed with her husband. It's called Hadley's Run: A Starship Saga and is available on the online gaming platform Steam.
She likens it to Nova Drift meets Hades, and says there's a heavy emphasis on the original soundtrack "as a banging back beat while you shoot down alien baddies."
