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Video Game Viewpoints

First or Third Person - What's Your Perspective?

You've become quite familiar with the multiple viewpoints and play styles of your favorite games.

Ever enjoyed Skyrim? Maybe Fallout 4? These titles put you in the first person viewpoint, meaning you see the world through the eyes of your character. First person games can offer an immersive experience, one that far exceeds the traditional side scrolling or third person camera angles of most video games.

With first person, there's a better opportunity for gamers to develop a bond with their avatar, for example, it wouldn't just be "the character", it would be "me".

This is a somewhat crucial debate in the digital realm. Which viewpoint offers a better experience? Some would argue that being able to see your character in-game offers a better ability to connect with them. Take Witcher 3 for example, watching Geralt move about in the third person allows the player to see his body move. Much like we would understand a character in a movie by watching them interact, the third person viewpoint gives us a better sense of who they are, and thus who we are because we are, for the most part, in control of their actions.

First person gives us a more personalized experience, as is the case with the Skyrim and Fallout games. The characters have no real sense of personality or traits until we create them. We must then "build" our character from the ground up. While this puts the user more in-depth with the digital environment, there's not much of a pre-existing personality for which they can latch onto. It's more about the world itself, and less about the gamer's character.

Not so far off from the side scrollers, which are third person but placed in a two-dimensional environment.

But how might these games differ if allowed to be played in different viewpoints? Skyrim and Fallout aren't the best examples for this scenario, so let's move on. How might The Witcher 3 be different if given a first person play through? Or perhaps retro classics such as Tetris or even Super Mario? We will be examining a few of our favorite titles, and breaking down what they might have to offer if we could play them from a non-traditional point of view.

Tetris

Most popular video game of all time? That's the general consensus with Tetris, the classic puzzle game.

There's a nearly endless amount of variety with Tetris and the accompanying Tetris-clones. But what might Tetris look like if played from a first person point-of-view?

Imagine rotating each puzzle piece, except you are immersed within the puzzle itself. Certain versions of the game have done just that, with rotating blocks in first person, the screen matches the rotations.

It makes for a more heart-pounding, thrilling game. For those who have over spent their time with the standard Tetris, a first-person version is the perfect refreshment they need. Tetris is a great game to be played from a first-person perspective.

Fortnite

Step aside, Player Unknown: Battlegrounds, there's a new battle royale favorite. Fortnite is essentially a cartoon version of PUBG (and geared for a more conservative audience).

With free-to-play gameplay and console compatibility, it's essential for those gamers who want to experience the wonders of PUBG-style gameplay, without needing to own a pc. So far, the game only offers a third person perspective.

So what might Fortnite look like in first-person view? Well, you'd have something a bit similar to PUBG, or even Call of Duty. A first person Fortnite might allow players to look down the sites on their weapons.

It might offer more intensity to the already thrilling world of Battle Royale. Thus far, the developers have gone on record as saying Fortnite isn't really built for a first-person style, although they may explore the option sometime in the future.

Skyrim (As a Side Scroller)

Bethesda really did a good job with their fantasy roleplaying titles, and Skyrim is no exception. As a first person game, there's an incredibly immersive world with hours and hours of gritty gameplay, quests, combat and characters.

But what might Skyrim look like if it offered a side scrolling experience? Take the game, add in some killer 8-bit graphics, and you've got a retro spin on one of the best role playing games of recent times.

A side-scrolling Skyrim might offer friendlier gameplay for a younger audience. Those spooky monsters just won't be as scary in an 8-bit format. And older gamers could get a dose of nostalgia. Even those who love the normal version would have something new to try, and Bethesda could offer some innovation to the industry.

Mario Kart (in Virtual Reality)

Nintendo's version of go-kart racing has been a staple for any Switch, Wii or GameCube owner (and DS, of course), for as long as we can remember.

The series has sold over 100 million copies, and it's no secret that even without a new perspective, the franchise is a masterpiece.

With that being said, it's been confirmed that a certain arcade in Tokyo offers Mario Kart in virtual reality, allowing gamers to experience the high stakes racing from a new perspective. Known as Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, Namco developed this version as an addition to their series of Mario Kart arcade titles.

Players can do everything the normal version offers, except to gather items and throw shells they must actually throw them. Running off the HTC Vive headset, Mario Kart in VR puts gamers in their very own Mario Kart go-kart, essentially an arcade chair with a steering wheel. Motion bands are fixed to each player's wrist so they can interact and essentially throw items at the other racers (blue shell, anyone?).

For around $40, players can choose between racing in either Mario, Peach, Luigi, or Yoshi's car. The game allows for groups of four players.

As far as we know, Mario Kart VR is currently only available in Bandai Namco's arcade, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

So far, the feedback has been positive. The VR experience puts a new twist on the go-kart classic, and offers an unrivaled immersive Mario Kart experience.

Monster Hunter World

The latest in RPG games has come in the form of Monster Hunter World, a franchise famous for tough user interface and interesting storylines.

But the newest title is something of an instant gaming classic, and has certainly lived up to the hype, a challenging and diverse world wait for players' eager to endure some devilishly long monster battles.

And yes, the game is pretty difficult (it's no Dark Souls or Cuphead). This game will take some serious grinding, so as long as gamers have the wits and time, they'll fall in love.

However, tracking and hunting these fantastic beasts has never been more rewarding, players will customize a character and trek through the immersive and captivating world, full of beasts of every size.

Like most roleplaying games, skills and items can be acquired along the way, and the gameplay is in the third person perspective.

Within the world of Monster Hunter: World, the creatures seem to hog the lime light. The monsters are highly detailed, visual specimens, each uniquely designed with attacks and traits that make fighting them pretty dang tough.

In fact, Capcom clearly spent a lot of talent getting the monsters perfectly dialed in for the game. They respond well to player's attacks, showcasing many signs of previous slashes, poisonings, or arrow wounds. An artificial intelligence system was layered into the game, ultimately upping the unpredictability of each monster as gamer's engage in combat.

It goes to say no two players experiences will be entirely similar, and the replay value (assuming you make it through the entire game) is immense. Monster Hunter: World, features 14 unique weapon classes, although some are more popular (ranged weapons fair pretty well).

Each weapon is pretty satisfying to wield, and adds a cinematic element to each monster fight. There's bows, hammers, swords and much more in the latest Monster Hunter. And so far the third person viewpoint is everything gamers hoped it would be, intense and yet well balanced and suited for the game's environment. But try to imagine the game's perspective, already incredibly immersive, in a virtual reality mode. Monster Hunter: World, might just be too immersive if given a VR or simply just a first person game mode.

Imagine having to sneak up, and engage in an epic battle against a monster. And because the in-game fights can last upwards of an hour or more, a VR experience might end up exhausting players. But it would be damn intense.

And for the multiplayer experience, of which Monster Hunter: World is compatible (one to four players can take part in quests), a VR mode would make this game all the better.

A beautiful game with an amazing perspective, but just think of the possibilities of Monster Hunter: World, in the latest virtual reality headset.

Just Cause 3

If there's any game on our list that deserves a first-person mode, it would be Just Cause 3.

This ridiculous and awe inspiring, action packed adventure deserves a new perspective. All the destructible environments, insane sky diving, and Spiderman-esque grappling would be even more visually stunning, if given a first person mode.

Just Cause 3 is a game that offers a good amount of freedom, a freedom that when coupled with action, weapons and explosions make for a silly and yet intense action/adventure gaming experience.

Players take on the role of Rico Rodriguez, a character familiar to the Just Cause franchise. His task is simple, eradicate the forces of the infamous dictator Sebastiano Di Ravello and take back the world from the grips of oppression. This basically entails blowing everything up in the name of the revolution!

Players are given an arsenal of weapons, tools and vehicles, and are pretty much set to take on the bad guys in any way they choose. The island is moderately detailed, and traveling to and fro is simple, smooth and exhilarating. Players may want to ride a jet from one town to the next, or simply glide along in the wingsuit. But if they wanted to create some sort of wingsuit, paragliding, car pulling mechanism, they'd be free to do that as well.

Just Cause 3 offers players a way to get creative, some of the more popular videos involve rocket-powered livestock (we aren't joking). But the game takes some time to get used to, once players figure out the control scheme, getting around is not to far off from Spiderman. All the action of Just Cause 3 takes place in the third person.

Players can leap from buildings, open up the wingsuit, and glide for almost the entirety of the map, should they possess the skill. But all of this is covered from just behind Rico.

Just Cause 3 is ultimately a spectacular video game. There's grandiose explosions, a variety of vehicles, and the protagonist is a one-man army. The game is very much similar to an action movie, except gamers are the directors and the show could go on forever.

What this game needs, is a first person perspective. Imagine parasailing off of an enemy boat, watching as hordes of fighter jets cruise the sky. Imagine grappling onto them and watching the wind fly past you. This is Just Cause 3, where any vehicle can be hijacked, in ridiculous fashion.

A game such as this would do well with first person mode. It would add a touch of realism and immersion to what is an otherwise over-the-top title.

Multiple Perspectives as a Gaming Innovation

Gamers loved when Rockstar announced and implemented the first person mode in Grand Theft Auto: V, and if anything more games should offer every type of perspective available.

With the emergence of more sophisticated virtual reality technology, games can be played from different perspectives, allowing for more experiences and often times a more immersive play through.

Until then, we can only speculate as to what some of our favorite games would be like from different viewpoints.