Do you find first person or third person more immersive?

[StaceyPowers]

For me, first person gaming feels about 10x more immersive than third person gaming, but I have heard some people describe the experience of first person very differently—like that it feels clunky and unnatural, not like just “being in one’s body.” I can see why gamers who experience it that way would find third person more immersive.

Which do you find more immersive and why?

 

[killamch89]

I'd say first person is naturally more immersive because you get to see things through the character's own eyes instead of an over the shoulder view so you're more immersed in the experience.

[m76]

In third person view you are more aware of your own body and surroundings that's what makes it more immersive for me. In traditional FPS games I feel more like a ghost than a real person, what can boost immersion is if you can see your own body in first person perspective.

But generally for me there are other things that are far more important for immersion than just the perspective. I'll play both FPS and TPS view games if they are good.

 

[Crazycrab]

I'd say first person is more immersive, but it's not always more fun to play.

 

In first person you can't see your surroundings as well and sometimes it's nice to see your character and what their actually doing, especially in stealth games.  I also like being able to see what my character looks like, especially in RPG'S.

 

I do generally prefer shooting in first person though.  With third person you have extra and sometimes fiddly mechanics to work with like shoulder switching or tapping a button to get in and out of cover.

[Reality vs Adventure]

In Evil Within 2, I play first person indoors and 3rd person outside and that is perfect for me. All games should utilize being able to switch between the two. 1st person indoors helps focus on immediacy; 3rd person outdoors helps view the surroundings. So for me immersion indoors is up close and personal and immersion outdoors is being able to see more of the surroundings. 

[Withywarlock]

Neither mode is superior if I'm not in the mood to play the game. And what is the extent of first and third person? Is it a choose-your-own-adventure book like Steve Jackson's Fighting Fantasy Classics, an isometric perspective like Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Roleplaying Game, an over-the-shoulder perspective like Gears of War? Perhaps I might want to play a first person game, but if the field of view (FOV) is too narrow I might end up having motion sickness or other forms of discomfort.

I realise my answer may come off as aggressive, that's not my intention, it's just that I find the subject too broad to choose. They both have their merits and faults, and combined with other things one may find less immersive (flight, UI, language, subtitles, audio quality, graphical fidelity, etc.), they may be either outstanding or obfuscated by the other merits and flaws of the game.

[StaceyPowers]

3 minutes ago, Withywarlock said:

but if the field of view (FOV) is too narrow I might end up having motion sickness or other forms of discomfort.

Fascinating! An expanded FOV makes me motion sick.

[m76]

4 minutes ago, StaceyPowers said:

Fascinating! An expanded FOV makes me motion sick.

I don't get motion sick from narrow fov but I absolutely hate it, especially in games with tight corridors. In those games I often do Y turns in corners or stairwells so my view is not just a wall.

[Withywarlock]

15 minutes ago, StaceyPowers said:

Fascinating! An expanded FOV makes me motion sick.

See, it doesn't make me sick either, but I've heard it does other. A reverse 'we in the Royal sense,' I guess! But as @m76 says, I can't stand it. It feels off at best, and causes me eye strain at worst. Interesting that you're the opposite in regards to motion sickness though! 🤔

[StaceyPowers]

2 minutes ago, Withywarlock said:

See, it doesn't make me sick either, but I've heard it does other. A reverse 'we in the Royal sense,' I guess! But as @m76 says, I can't stand it. It feels off at best, and causes me eye strain at worst. Interesting that you're the opposite in regards to motion sickness though! 🤔

Yeah! In fact, it makes me feel so ill I was like "why is this a thing? What is its benefit?" I mean, it looks a bit nicer in some ways, but it almost makes games unplayable for me unfortunately. I'm surprised to learn that others have the opposite problem. And that really sucks, as so many games are in a narrow field of view by default. that can't be fun.

[Withywarlock]

1 minute ago, StaceyPowers said:

Yeah! In fact, it makes me feel so ill I was like "why is this a thing? What is its benefit?" I mean, it looks a bit nicer in some ways, but it almost makes games unplayable for me unfortunately. I'm surprised to learn that others have the opposite problem. And that really sucks, as so many games are in a narrow field of view by default. that can't be fun.

TotalBiscuit was a vocal critic of there being no FOV sliders in games, one example being with The Darkness 2. Before where that link begins, he does give an explanation as to his view point, but I linked at such a point where there is a benefit to a greater FOV using an external, unsupported programme.

[The Blackangel]

Third person definitely. You can see much more in a third person view, than you can in a first person view. You're able to interact with NPC's much easier and actually see where you're going, whereas with third person, that's nigh impossible.

[killamch89]

12 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

I'd say first person is more immersive, but it's not always more fun to play.

In first person you can't see your surroundings as well and sometimes it's nice to see your character and what their actually doing, especially in stealth games.  I also like being able to see what my character looks like, especially in RPG'S.

I do generally prefer shooting in first person though.  With third person you have extra and sometimes fiddly mechanics to work with like shoulder switching or tapping a button to get in and out of cover.

Melee combat in first person is just a bizarre experience in most games. Only the Chronicle of Riddick and a few others I've ever seen pull it off successfully.

[Heatman]

Personally, I'm more of a fan for first person shooting mechanics for its accuracy when shooting but fan of third person for the graphics all round play of the character. 

[killamch89]

1 hour ago, Heatman said:

Personally, I'm more of a fan for first person shooting mechanics for its accuracy when shooting but fan of third person for the graphics all round play of the character. 

I only prefer first person in shooting games but for everything else, I prefer the third person view.