We know two things for certain. One, that geeks/attention-seekers/psychos will misspend hours of their lives creating fake screenshots in an attempt to fool the internet and so give their otherwise pitiable lives purpose and meaning. And two, that we'll know these botched-up images are fake the second we see them.
Example A: Last week's ridiculous Shadow of the Colossus 2 screenshot. It reeked more of fabricated sham than the heartfelt sentiment spouted at a celebrity-packed awards ceremony. And, predictably, despite it looking less authentic than a market-stall knock-off, the interwebs went mad over the shot, gifting its creator with the attention they so obviously crave.
Which is why we thought we'd gather together a bundle more of these gloriously false images, and wait for the rabid interest to come rolling effortlessly in our direction. No, no, don't thank us. We're just doing our job.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Classic fakery, this one. GTA's instantly recognisable HUD overlay turns any scene into a mid-game action snapshot, especially when combined with a) cars, b) pedestrians and c) a pointy ball on a stick.
SimCity 5
Rule one of fake screenshots: If it looks too good to be true, then it definitely is. Even when the name of the game and the word 'screenshot' happens to be written across it in drab black text. Especially then.
Half-Life 3
This looks great. The pock-marks on the crowbar are excellent. But you know its a fake because staring at it closely gives you that creepy-crawly feeling across your shoulder blades. And anyway, this crowbar is blue. Everyone knows Gordon prefers red.
