Over the past few years there has been a large surge of shooter games in the video game industry, titles like Halo, Killzone, Gears of War, and many others are becoming the core of gaming that most 13-30 year old gamers (the traditional game audience) are playing. These shooters come in all shapes and sizes but there is always one feature that distinguishes games like Halo from games like Gears of War and that is the camera perspective. First person shooters were popularized by games like Wolfenstein and Doom in the early 1990’s and the biggest first person shooter in recent memory seems to be the Halo trilogy. (Sony fanboys, shut up Killzone isn’t as popular as Halo, get over it) These games feature a view that focuses on what you would see if you were actually the person (hence the “first person”) The other type of shooter is the third person shooter, like Gears of War. This style of game has an over the shoulder view that allows you to see the action from behind your character but up and to the side so you can see in front of the character (this is a little hard to explain but just look at a screenshot of Gears and you’ll know what I’m talking about) So which one is better? Well I believe it is all a matter of preference but I’ll weigh the pros and cons of both for you.
A first person view tends to immerse the player more because they feel like they are actually the character they are playing as; they aren’t disconnected from the character. A first person view gives a good view of the crosshairs of your weapon which allows for an easier targeting system. However the first person view limits your peripheral vision and makes you feel squeezed into a smaller space, you can’t see as much of what is around you making it easy for someone to sneak up on you.
A third person perspective pulls back the camera and lets you see a more complete picture of your surroundings. You no longer feel cramped and you also get to see your character which, at least for me, is a plus. Another thing that the third person view allows for is an effective cover system, like the one seen in Gears of War. In a first person view it is really hard to take cover whereas in Gears of War it is an essential gameplay mechanic. This ability allows for added strategy instead of the run and gun gameplay of first person shooters. However this view does tend to “disconnect” you from your in-game character (though I never really feel “connected” in the first place.) The third person view can also block some objects that are right in front of your character, you need to move a lot more.
It seems to be a decision of cutting off your view of your peripheral or what is right in front of you. For me, I prefer the third person because I get to see my character (which I like) and I can utilize cover with greater efficiency, plus I always feel cramped when I am in first person mode and split screen just makes it worse. But I still play both types of games because they can both be fun in their own terms. But it is clear that not all shooters are alike and based on what perspective it gives you the gameplay mechanic will change significantly.
Camera angles in games can be a real great tool or an incredibly annoying obstacle to gameplay so it is really important that the developers choose the correct angle for their game. Games that feature customization of characters (ie Mass Effect) or detailed characters and equipment (ie Ghostbusters) or games that feature a heavy use of cover (ie Gears) need that third person view but a game that is run and gun (ie Halo) or a game that wants you to become really immersed in the character (ie Brother’s in Arms: Hell’s Highway) need the first person view to maximize the game experience. So whatever your preference just remember that there usually is a good reason why it is one way or the other.
2 comments:
im gonna be completely honest and short, first person is the way to go, i dont remember a third peson that was anywhere near as compelling as half life or halo or doom or bioshock or resistance. I can only name 3 that ive played, Army of 2, gears, and some old bond game, army of 2 was pretty good, but gears, i only thought was ok, and that bond game was rediculously bad. anyways thats my thought
First person all the way
As I said,I think it is up to the person playing it, I used to like FPS more but over the last year or so I have been leaning towards 3rd person. Plus look at a game like Mass Effect, it isn't really a shooter (more of an rpg/shooter hybrid, no turned based combat) but that is third person and I know you really loved that game. But thanks for being honest I like hearing other people's opinions.
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