To those that game in third person …

[StaceyPowers]

I liked @The Blackangel's topic here asking first person gamers to explain the appeal of first person gaming, so I thought I would create the corresponding topic for third person gamers to explain why they enjoy the third person perspective so much.

I really detest gaming in third person--it makes me dizzy, it isn't immersive, everything on the screen is small and less detailed, and I can't walk directly up to something to look at it like I could in real life--and I cannot fathom what its appeal is. So, for those of you who love it, can you please explain what its advantages are?

[m76]

I used to be a first person is the only good way to play games type. Then I left that attitude behind. Nowadays I barely even notice the viewpoint in shooters. it is inconsequential to me. But when it comes down to it, I even prefer 3rd person. Why? Vanity. I want to see my character in action. What's the point of spending hours in character creators and searching for the best looking armor or outfit, if I'm never going to see it? That's why I'm kind of disappointed that CP2077 will be First person view locked.

But then there are games where fps view would not work at all, like Tomb Raider with a lot of jumping and climbing and having to be aware of the surroundings. You have zero situational awareness in first person view compared to reality. So I'd argue that TPS view can be more immersive, not less.

[Shagger]

6 minutes ago, m76 said:

I used to be a first person is the only good way to play games type. Then I left that attitude behind. Nowadays I barely even notice the viewpoint in shooters. it is inconsequential to me. But when it comes down to it, I even prefer 3rd person. Why? Vanity. I want to see my character in action. What's the point of spending hours in character creators and searching for the best looking armor or outfit, if I'm never going to see it? That's why I'm kind of disappointed that CP2077 will be First person view locked.

But then there are games where fps view would not work at all, like Tomb Raider with a lot of jumping and climbing and having to be aware of the surroundings. You have zero situational awareness in first person view compared to reality. So I'd argue that TPS view can be more immersive, not less.

 

Pretty much this.

 

Whether I prefer first of third depends on the game. For shooters, I do prefer first person, just makes those kinds of games easier to play and focus with, but for almost anything else, I prefer third, epically in games with character customization, like @m76 said. Third person view is also great for games in an open world and it enhances your situational awareness and get a better sense of what's going on the local environment around you. Having said those things, your aim should be just accurate in a 3PS as it would be in an FPS and you should still be able to get a good sense of what's going on around you in Fist Person view. If these "problems" with perspective exist, it's not because of the choice in perspective, it's the mark of a badly designed game.

[The Blackangel]

I prefer 3rd person because I want to see the character I’m playing. If I’m sneak attacked from behind, first person makes it harder to find that enemy. My girl hates first person. When she was a kid she had a dinosaur hunting game that was first person. She kept being attacked from behind by velociraptors, and had nightmares for years after quitting the game. For me it’s just an uncomfortable view. Like wearing your shoes on the wrong foot.

[Crazycrab]

I mentioned in the other thread that it makes no difference to me whether a game is in 1st or 3rd person perspective.  All that matters is that the game is properly designed around whatever perspective the devs have chosen to go with.  There are plenty of shooters that play just as well in 3rd person (Fortnite, Gears of War, Uncharted) as others do in 1st (Call of Duty, Titanfall, Borderlands).  Likewise there are plenty of action/RPG games that are just as good with a 1st person (Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, Mirror's Edge, Fallout, Elder Scrolls) perspective as others are in 3rd (Assassins Creed, Horizon Zero Dawn, Dragon Age).  When the game is well designed the perspective is irrelevant.

[Alexander.]

I have to admit; there are some games which third-person gaming works well on. For example, one of my favourites to play with this character view is Grand Theft Auto Five. I find there is a more enhanced distinction of where the character is in the gaming environment and generally speaking, and I feel more comfortable.

[AndreiMirfi]

I prefer both modes, but some games just don't have the best third person.

Edited August 22, 2020 by AndreiMirfi

[skyfire]

I think a lot of tiems it is matter of perspective. Like say games like PUBG makes you think about both FPS and the 3rd person view as well which you can see in lobby. I think 1st and 3rd person gaming is pretty much normalized for all of us. 

[Wolves]

I can definitely agree with you on how 3rd person perspective would make you dizzy. I have the same feeling when I play GTA, hence why I can't play as long as I do on COD and other FPS games. When you're playing video-games, it only feels right to be in 1st person because you're really in it, per say. The action and reflexes are so much different in 1st person.

[KuroInDistress]

Third person is great for games that focus on exploration. Games like Bloodborne, Witcher, Dark souls, would not do well in first person.

Third person in my opinion is a much better way to tell a story.

[The Blackangel]

I've always played third person since the N64 days. As a result, I've grown to prefer third person over first person in all the games I play. I've tried first person several times, and it just felt awkward and out of control to me. And with games like Skyrim, I have two options. Either play it in third person, or don't play it at all. But that's simply because Skyrim is one of the few games that I simply don't have the ability to do anything at all in first person. RDR2 is the same. I can only play it in third person as well.

Maybe I just flat out suck at newage gaming, but that's how I play.