Ghost of Yotei's art director wanted the RPG to look like a "living painting," but the detail required stresses even me out: "When the wind blows, the trees know how strong the wind is"

Atsu riding her horse in Ghost of Yotei with the black bars disabled.

In Ghost of Yotei, you're never more than five seconds away from booting up photo mode. It's a constant companion, there to capture every fleeting moment of beauty and prove it existed. Whether you're admiring Mount Yotei or startling blood on pure white snow, there are few open world RPGs as enthralling to look at. It all begs the question: how are visuals like this possible?

Art director Joanna Wang is one of the magicians responsible for bringing Ghost of Yotei's world to life. That's surprisingly literal – speaking to GamesRadar+, Wang often uses the term "living" to describe how Sucker Punch Production wanted Ezo to feel. "We want to create that living painting," she explains. "It's the bold color, the dramatic lighting, the nature. It's less about the realism, and more about the captured emotion and the beauty in the scene."