I love third-person shooters! I really, really, (ok one more time) really do. For the most part I have shied away from the third-person games because they have always seemed like platformers (not a big fan) and, actually, many of them are. However, now that I have had a chance to play round after round of Gears of War and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 on the 360, I am hooked to the third-person perspective in shooters.
The reason...the field of vision is superior to the first person perspective. You can see around corners without sticking your body out, have a better sense of the enemies and allies surrounding you, and you can see your character model in all its glory as it runs, dives, crouches and lays down fire. It may seem counter intuitive, but the third-person over-the-shoulder cam just feels more immersive, simply because of the extended field of vision better approximates the field available to the human eye. This is especially true when playing widescreen games.
I believe that the good old first-person shooter is simply dated. Lately, when I switch to games that use the first-person perspective, I feel like I have tunnel vision. When Doom ushered in this type of design for shooters it was relatively new and innovative. Today it just seems antiquated and restrictive. I want to see as much of those beautiful "next-generation" graphics as possible and get a real sense that I, my character, am moving through an expansive virtual world. The third-person perspective makes that possible for me. Personally, I would love to see all shooters use the third-person. In my recent experience, to have the camera just over my character's shoulder is a more satisfying experience. The only time I want to be in the first-person perspective in a shooter, is when I am zooming in through the scope of my high powered weapon.
What do other shooter fans think?
The reason...the field of vision is superior to the first person perspective. You can see around corners without sticking your body out, have a better sense of the enemies and allies surrounding you, and you can see your character model in all its glory as it runs, dives, crouches and lays down fire. It may seem counter intuitive, but the third-person over-the-shoulder cam just feels more immersive, simply because of the extended field of vision better approximates the field available to the human eye. This is especially true when playing widescreen games.
I believe that the good old first-person shooter is simply dated. Lately, when I switch to games that use the first-person perspective, I feel like I have tunnel vision. When Doom ushered in this type of design for shooters it was relatively new and innovative. Today it just seems antiquated and restrictive. I want to see as much of those beautiful "next-generation" graphics as possible and get a real sense that I, my character, am moving through an expansive virtual world. The third-person perspective makes that possible for me. Personally, I would love to see all shooters use the third-person. In my recent experience, to have the camera just over my character's shoulder is a more satisfying experience. The only time I want to be in the first-person perspective in a shooter, is when I am zooming in through the scope of my high powered weapon.
What do other shooter fans think?