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First-person or Third-person, Which Do You Prefer?

SkittlesSkittles Regular
edited September 2010 in Spurious Generalities
What type of perspective in games do you prefer and why?
  • First-person: First-Person is a vantage point that attempts to simulate looking through a game character's eyes. It is most commonly found in First-Person Shooters and Racing games, but also finds its way into other genres, such as RPGs and 3D Platformers.
  • Second-person: In second person point of view, the action is shot from the perspective of a character who is not the protagonist. To qualify, the player must continue being in control of the protagonist, but see action through the eyes of another character which he can interact with.
  • Third-person: The player character is seen at a distance from a number of different possible perspective angles. There is generally a movable camera but it can also be in a fixed position.
I'm more of a third-person fan. I like seeing my character, and you get a little extra peripheral view. To me, having a game third-person makes up for our senses that are lost in a video game form. I still like first-person as it gets you a little more immersed into the game, particularly in something like Bioshock.

Your thoughts? Also, has anyone ever played a Second-person game?
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Comments

  • MantikoreMantikore Regular
    edited August 2010
    Really depends on the genre. But being a fan of adventures more than anything, i would say third person is my favorite.

    I was going to say that some second person games included Professor Layton and the Curious village, and Fire Emblem, but then i realised they were really just first person games. I cant think of one. Perhaps some of those old school interactive novels with second person narration can be classed as second person?
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  • PigPig Regular
    edited August 2010
    First-person, because I feel more involved with the character and their movements. Plus, the controls just seem to be easier for most first-person, like getting the person to turn, etc.
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  • MayberryMayberry Regular
    edited August 2010
    Really depends on the game. If it's a stealthy game and/or movement based like Assassin's Creed or any Star Wars game with lightsabers, third person for sure. More awareness of surroundings and easier to see all those cool moves.

    First person is good for a more intense experience and more immersion into the game as it's easier to feel like you're a part of it. Great for shooters and racing games. Although Mirror's Edge is a very movement based game, I like it in first person for that extra immerson.


    How many second person games are there? I've tried this one: http://www.selectparks.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=284 Second person is quite hard to control and get used to.
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  • McSkluvinMcSkluvin Regular
    edited August 2010
    Third-person, since it's much easier to see what's around you, cause in first-person you have to always look around you. Though in a shooter it's much easier with first-person, so I guess it's mostly platformers and such that I prefer third-person.
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited August 2010
    Much prefer first person shooter games, its probably the genre which I play a lot. I went from TF2 to playing Mass Effect 2 the other day (which totally should be FPS), and it was horrible.

    That said, Splinter Cell needs to be Third Person, much like any other game where you actually need to see the character (fighting games, etc).
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  • StephenPBarrettStephenPBarrett Adviser
    edited August 2010
    As so many others have said it really depends on the game itself. If I'm shooting something or there are a lot of things that I need to look at closely. I think there should be more games in which you can switch from third to first and vice versa at will for playing and not just for looking at things.

    [QOUTE]I've tried this one: http://www.selectparks.net/modules.p...rticle&sid=284 Second person is quite hard to control and get used to.[/QUOTE]

    When I try to click the download for windows link here ^ it goes to 404.
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  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited August 2010
    Like others said it depends on the game. 1st person for shooters and 3rd for more stealth like or sandbox games.
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  • SkittlesSkittles Regular
    edited August 2010
    Something that may be of interest to you guys.

    'Grand Theft Auto IV Looks Great As A First-Person Shooter'



    It actually looks pretty damn good. I can imagine a game like GTA IV being pretty hard to play in first-person though.
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  • AM33NAM33N Acolyte
    edited September 2010
    First-Person FTW, this wouldn't look that awesome in third-person would it ? Anyway it all depends on the genre of the game

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  • MantikoreMantikore Regular
    edited September 2010
    i think first person is good when the developer wants you to feel that you are that character. sure, you might have a name like Gordon Freeman or something, but the name is irrelevant.

    third person would be for when the developer just wants you to separate yourself from the playable character
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