Life is a matter of perspective, so why wouldn’t that apply to games? Most games limit themselves to one point of view, be it third, first-person,isometric, or even plain old top-down.
There’s nothing wrong with doing that provided that you adapt the gameplay elements to the inherent limitations of each system. Even then, that approach means compromising on some aspects.
But what if you wanted a full experience, no compromises or anything, where youswap perspectives based on what works best for each situation?
These are the best games with third andfirst person; enjoy the view.
10Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway
The Best Psychological WW2 Game
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway
Brothers In Arms is the OGWorld War 2 tactical shooter, and one of the remnants of Ubisoft’s golden age.
At the time of its release,Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highwaycaught some flak for taking a more cinematic direction than previous titles, but history has been kind to this 2008 title.
It blends gameplay elements from the more grounded first titles with a deeper psychological narrativethat adds perspective to how much war can screw someone up mentally.
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Most of the game plays out in first-person, but Gearbox Software added a clever cover system where the camera switches to third-person to allow you to face the battlefield while hiding.
Besides ducking behind cover, blind firing over an obstacle and using mounted weapons also played out in the third person. Few things beat the catharsis of emptying an MG42 belt over the shoulder.
9Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Evergreen Espionage Action
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
Kojima’s masterpieceof camp spy action was a little indecisive about perspectives, so it decided to flip the script and give you three different options.
As Naked Snake descends into the heart of the Soviet Union to try and save the world from nuclear annihilation while experiencing some steamy romance on the side,you can follow his adventure in overhead, third-person, or first/third-person hybrid modes.
The full scope of these options only became available from the Substance and follow-up versions, which is what you are likely playing today.
Some players argue thatMetal Gear Solid 3plays better with the fixed overhead camera as that was the closest to theMetal Geargames that preceded it, but variety is the spice of life.
8Fallout 4
Apocalypse Tomorrow
Nuclear war never felt this good. Crawling out of Vault 111 exposes you to radioactive horrors beyond your imagination, but the visuals and sound design ofFallout 4get the blood pressure rising in the best way possible.
Bethesda did a brilliant job makingFallout 4equal parts FPS and RPG.The ability to play it out in first or third-person lets players adapt it to their preferences or switch around at will.
The third-person camera lets yousoak in the environmentbetter, but it feels like a crime not to use the first-person if you playedFallout 3since this game finally adds shooting mechanics that are not abysmal to the Fallout series.
7Gunner Heat PC
Adrenaline, Armor, and Awesomeness
For the longest time, enjoying a modern tank game gave you two options, both far from ideal.
You could either go grind onWar ThunderandWorld of Tanksand crush your soul in the process, or spend upwards of $100 for a license forSteel Beastsif you want a realistic (if extremely ugly) experience.
This finally changed in September 2022, when Radian Simulations releasedGunner Heat PC. The game costs only $25 at full price, andit brings realistic tank combat in a modern package but with an accessible format.
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The game gives you the option to watch the combat from the third-person, first-person from the gunner sights, or an “intermediate” view mounted to your vehicle’s roof.
Besides having tank combat that is not “Counter-Strikewith tanks”, quotingYouTuber Enigma, what makes GHPC so unique is the voice acting.
As combat develops, the frantic screams from your crew get the blood pumping in ways no other tank sim can, and this is available in English, Soviet, and East German flavors.
6No Man’s Sky
Always Ascending
No Man’s Sky
Like most things inNo Man’s Sky, changing perspective was not a thing during the game’s lackluster 2016 release.
The developers at Hello Games have made good on their promise to complete the game, and by 2019 players got the option to switch between first and third-person at will.
No Man’s Skyis a game that does not offer insane rewards or motivation for doing things, butit makes you feel good about yourself as you do it.
Theinfinite expanseof the universe and thesurvival-litemechanics are a joy to play through, and the art style helps sell it.
5Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Dystopian Goodness
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
TheDeus Exfranchise kicked off the hybrid perspective system inHuman Revolution(2011), but the flexible view took off properly withDeus Ex: Mankind Divided.
You experience most of the game in first-person, and it is one of the best FPS ever made, but thestealth mechanicsinDeus Exneed a level of situational awareness that first-person cannot reliably give you.
The developers settled for an adaptive model whereyour perspective changes based on what would give you a better experience at that time.
One exception to the practical approach is the takedowns. Do you get any major tactical bonuses from murdering someone from third-person? No, but it looks so much cooler that way.
4Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
The Jedi Game That Got Away
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
The Disney takeover of theStar Warsfranchise has been fraught with controversy. A lot of the material outside of the mainline films has been excellent, but the writing-off of many exciting expanded universe branches, and the death of LucasArts is unforgivable.
One of the coolest LucasArts endeavors was 2003’sStar Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. The game followed the events ofJedi Outcastbut put you in the shoes of Kyle Katarn’s padawan, which you could fully customize.
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Jedi Academyallowed you to inject your personality into the Star Wars universeand take it through dark and mysterious worlds in ways that were never possible before. The ability to swap perspectives helped you immerse yourself in the character.
The lightsaber gameplay looks comically outdated compared toStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderandSurvivor, butJedi Academycompensated with an adventurous vibe that made you love it.
3The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Forever Young & Janky
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Whether you run solo or have taken an arrow in the knee,The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimis a classic everyone must experience at least once.
The game is the pinnacle of Bethesda Jank in many ways, buteven in its messy implementation, the third-person view has arguments going for itversus the default first-person.
Sneaking around or exploring caves, for example, is a lot more natural in the third-person since the wider field of view gives you a better feel for your surroundings.
Most players stick with the first-person cam and switch to third situationally, but the argument to play the whole thing from third-person gets more compelling once you bring mods into the conversation to remove some of the Bethesda “charms.”
A Holiday in Chernarus
Have you ever felt like disappearing into the woods and chilling there for a while until things settle down?
The stress of work can have that effect from time to time, but being all alone on an island infested with zombies and players who are happy to put a bullet in you offers a more compelling argument.
DayZgot its chops fromArmA2, one of the nerdiest shooters you could ever create, but it presents a more laid-back vibe if you can ignore the infected chasing after you.
The ability tolive the drama out in the third person helps a lot with that, as you get to enjoy the world design a little moreinstead of being buried into a first-person cam.
At the same time, it is no secret that fighting stuff in anArmA 2mod-turned-game feels better in first person, so it pays off to switch perspectives depending on whether you are exploring or out for blood.
Perspective-Shifting Cowboy Action
Red Dead Redemption 2
PlayingRed Dead Redemption 2in the third person is so widely accepted as the ‘right way’ to play that you might forget there is an alternative.
This is your reminder that first-person exists, and it is well worth considering for your sixteenth playthrough.
The field of vision inRed Dead Redemption 2is a little too narrow in the first-person, butif you can get past that, it makes your Western endeavors much more immersive.
Shooting feels more accurate this way, and treading through Bayou Nwa with a lantern and a dream is spooky beyond words for a non-horror game.
