Players have already taken some amazing (and hilarious) pictures in God of War's new photo mode

God of War's photo mode is out now! Arriving two-and-a-half weeks after launch in Update 1.20, players can use the special mode to make their own images using a variety of powerful in-game tools. Once you download and install the update, you can access photo mode from the Options menu, or enable a touchpad shortcut via the settings tab.

There's lots of fun stuff to mess around with using the photo tool, like turning certain characters invisible or adjusting the Depth of Field, but it really is all about those facial expressions, as evidenced by the best photos players have taken so far, several of which we've collated below for you to have a look at. Beware thought, there's potential God of War spoilers beyond this point for those who haven't finished the story. 

Kratos is surprisingly photogenic

I'm a big fan of the first one here, in which Kratos looks how we all feel about Baldur, who refuses to leave you alone during the events of the campaign. 

But damn, that third, close up shot of the God of War could be on the cover of Vanity Fair. If he wasn't too preoccupied with decimating pantheons and racking up unhealthy kill counts, I'm pretty sure Kratos could have had a lucrative career in modelling. 

Source: Raf Grassetti

Source: Raf Grassetti

Source: NotHain

Source: NotHain

The Norse realms look better than ever

Santa Monica's imagining of Midgard, Helheim, and all the other Norse realms was always going to be stunning, but capturing their tableaus and vistas in photo mode makes the environments look positively transcendental. This is where the use of borders really comes into its own, as demonstrated by the following triplet of pics.

Source: Ryan Ranger

Source: Ryan Ranger

Source: Xeliot

Source: Xeliot

Source: darth_philly87

Source: darth_philly87

...and action shots have never looked so brutal

You're too busy slicing and dicing during God of War's battles to notice the little things like particle effects or colour contrasts, but capturing static images of Santa Monica's combat system really brings out all the nuanced shades of the game's visuals. Kratos' moves look so painful in picture form, in fact, that you actually start to feel a little sorry for the bad guys...

Source: Simon_Breeze

Source: Simon_Breeze

Source: Gabriel4434

Source: Gabriel4434

Source: TheOriginalCJx

Source: TheOriginalCJx

If you've taken any great photos in God of War so far, let us know about them in the comments, and maybe your prize pic could even take up a spot in this gallery. 

While you're setting up all those perfect shots, check out some of the other best photo modes in games. And be sure to educate yourself with all of our handy God of War tips. 

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.