In Pupperazzi, you play as a sentient camera on legs in a world full of very, very good dogs. It makes complete sense, then, that as this walking photo machine, you spend all your time taking endless snaps of puppers riding skateboards, wearing tiny party hats, and dancing next to big, brightly colored boombox stereos. In your new job as a freelance Pupperazzo, you venture to different locations, where you meet many, many pups through your camera lens. Imagine, if you will, a free-roaming Pokemon Snap but with dogs and you wouldn't be too far off what it's like to play developer Sundae Month's canine-filled delight.
From the moment I was greeted by a little Sea Dog wearing a raincoat and boots to begin my new life as a dog photographer, I just could not stop smiling. Pupperazzi really is here to lift your spirits and bring some much-needed joy… after all, who wouldn't want to spend a dreary Sunday afternoon taking the photos of a Pit Bull driving a scooter (yes, really), or a Husky wearing a cap and shades?
Ulti-mutt photographer
Sometimes we all need something a bit light-hearted, and Pupperazzi is full of humor and charm. I get so much joy just from seeing the way the dogs bounce and bop around in the game's welcoming, colorful style. Now, I certainly don't need any kind of motivation to go out and take photos of dogs - especially when they're wearing adorable little outfits and getting up to all kinds of different goofy antics. But in my role as a Pupperazzo, I'm tasked with completing various objectives and uploading photos to grow my follower base on DogNET - an in-game platform not unlike Instagram.
These objectives get you to take a specific kind of photo; be it using a certain lens or filter, or capturing a dog doing or wearing something in particular. Once you've completed an objective, you'll earn yourself some currency in the form of golden bones known as bonks. These can be spent on different kinds of new films or camera lenses at a vending machine, so you can let your creativity flourish and capture more stylized shots. As you successfully complete more goals, you'll also begin to unlock new locations with more photo opportunities, and earn yourself additional camera features and skills like the option to use a selfie stick, or change a dog's outfit yourself.
Throughout each area, you also discover different items that can be used to get different reactions from a nearby pup. A dastardly automatic vacuum - known as Scootvac - for example, can cause quite a bit of concern for the four-legged locales, and playing the violin will put a dog in a melancholy mood for a spell. You can also snap your way to unlocking different times of day in each area, which presents yet more photo opportunities. The humor really does shine through time and again in the objectives you need to fulfill, the way the pooches react, and the responses you get to photos you upload to DogNet. And honestly, the novelty of seeing what the dogs are getting up to in each location never wears off - especially since they do some very human-like things. From driving cars to sitting around a cafe table and having a barking catch-up, every which way you look is full of hilarious surprises and adorable picture-perfect moments.
Puppypedia
Whenever you take a snapshot you're proud of, you can save it to your album to look back on and upload it to DogNet. Your follower count will steadily increase every time you complete an objective and post a shot. Of course, your followers all have different tastes, so each shot will appeal to certain audiences. When a pupper picture is uploaded onto DogNet, little comments with emojis will pop up to give you feedback on your photography skills and show you which audiences are raving about it.
As a Pupperazzo freelancer, you can also try to become a true Dogologist by trying to complete your PupperPedia. By capturing all of the many different breeds, reactions, outfits, and activities to fill up the album, the PuppyPedia gives you additional incentive to go out into the world and take more dog photos outside of your objectives. As someone who's a fan of collecting things, I really enjoy trying to get all of the shots I need to complete the album, and it's also a great way to look back on all of the pups you've encountered. The entries in the PuppyPedia will surely bring a big smile to your face, too.
If you're anything like me, you'll probably take as many screenshots as you do in-game photos in Pupperazzi. There are so many good pups and silly shenanigans that bring me joy - I can already see myself returning to my career as a Pupperazzo whenever I need cheering up. If you're a fan of dogs or photography, or you're just looking for something to brighten up your day, then Pupperazzi is for you.
Pupperazzi is out now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Xbox Games Pass.
