Poll: Shooters: First or Third Person?

[Bostur]

Third person can be implemented in a lot of ways, but I assume we are talking about over the shoulder with camera fixed to the character's facing.

In that case it doesn't make that much of difference to me, but I slightly prefer the better FoV and awareness of third person. One exception is when the character is supposed to be a 'blank card' in which case it helps not being able to see him/her.

 

[Puzzlenaut]

There isn't nothing inherently wrong with 3rd person, its just that developers always see it as an excuse to put in a terrible cover-based-shooting mechanic. Cover based shooting is never fun. Ever.


Though for me personally 1st person is far more immersive.

 

[US Trooper]

Both

 

[Davih]

I prefer first person. It generally feels faster paced.

I enjoy third person just as much mind you, but IMO its a bit slower.

 

[axeman157]

3rd person can give personality to the character, except for Half-Life 2. Valve did a good job giving personality to a silent protagonist.

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

I'm afraid I can't choose between the two. The debate between first and third person is like the debate between most gaming types. It's an entirely subjective thing. I know that that's the point of a poll; to gather peoples opinions and see how many sway to which side, but I think it's a little more complicated than a simple one or the other.

I second this. It's too subjective to be a simple choice.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

1st-person can be more immersive as Bioshock was definitely helped by it's 1st-person perspective and I thought Mirror's Edge worked wonderfully as well, I really didn't think 1st-person platforming would work but I loved it.

How? How exactly are those two games more immersive because of FPP? No offense, but I've heard the generic platitudes, but I'm yet to hear any specific and concrete way in which they were benefited by the perspective.

Immersion obviously varies from person-to-person so it's rather subjective. I found the opening half hour of Bioshock to be extremely immersive, although I'm not that huge a fan of the game because the story is kind of a mess IMO. I feel the 1st-person perspective in Mirror's Edge really made the platforming seem to be at a faster pace and more frenzied than a 3rd-person platformer. Jumping across buildings in 1st-person definitely gives you a different feeling than jumping across buildings in 3rd-person.

 

[LilithSlave]

I'll say neither. I prefer scrolling shooters over both.

But in terms of general perspective, I'd say third person. Because I don't like first person perspective in any game.

 

[Flizzick]

I have to say third person, simply because it's what I grew up with.

Games that grant the ability to go from first to third are nice, but it's fairly obvious that most games intend first person to be combat and third person for travel and stealth