Do You Prefer Third Or First person Cameras?

[Chris_Ceee]

Usually prefer third-person view, especially if the main character is a sexy girl

[Borghir]

First person for games that I control with Mouse and Keyboard. Third person when I play with a Controller.

[Wolf]

I don't prefer cameras. I prefer games designed with a specific point of view in mind. You can't just add third-person view to a TES game or a first-person view to a GTA game and pretend it is just as good, lol. It's not how it works. So I just prefer the developer to customize an experience that compliments the game the best.

Excellent point, it all depends on the game.

I prefer first person or cockpit/helmet cam in most flight simulations, racing sims other general vehicle sims, as it allows me to better judge distances, speeds and movement in game.
For example if you have been playing long enough you will be able to judge the distance between two planes rather accurately simply by looking at it from the cockpit and imagine the
Reticle from the Gunsight over them.
You can also rather accurately judge the position and angles by comparing it various parts like the Canopy Framing etc.

Aside from that it helps me a lot with immersion, as it makes me feel like really driving or flying it. It's more like being there for me.
Also it makes the game more challenging and interesting, as you will have to deal with a blind spot, which depending on aircraft or car, can be larger or smaller.
However you can also use the blindspot yourself to sneak up on an enemy.

And most vehicle sims aren't really designed for third person play, as the main controls and information screens are in the cockpit.
Racing sims generally being an exeption and train sims to a degree as well, also I do sometimes love using third person when driving a steam locomotive,
as especially those with outside cylinders and outside valve gears are just poetry in motion.
Where you see all the rods moving, making you think at times more of a charging horse than a locomotive.

As for Shooters, I mainly prefer the ones with first Person views, as I like the gameplay they are designed for more.
For example I like Arma, where I can use both views, but I like using first person more, as it feels more fitting to the game.
And with a headtracker you have next to no disadvantage, safe for peeking over ridges, but that imho makes certain situations more intense.

I mostly don't like Cover shooters, which sadly ammounts to a decent portion of third person shooters.

Both in Arma and Flightsims I do occasionally switch to outside view to have a look at my aircraft or other vehicle.
I also used the 3rd person view on occasion when being the driver of an armoured vehicle in Arma 1 and 2, as the first person view when "buttoned up" (all hatches closed) was very limited.
You could say even to an unrealistic degree, as you basically got one periscope instead of three.
If you did not have a great commander, who could guide you through driving it, driving from these positions was near impossible when buttoned up.

Now in other games, like RPGs I generally have no issue with third person, as I do like to see my character.
And I guess it's more normal for me, after having read so many fantasy novels, which are generally written from an outside perspective.

[fenrif]

I don't prefer cameras. I prefer games designed with a specific point of view in mind. You can't just add third-person view to a TES game or a first-person view to a GTA game and pretend it is just as good, lol. It's not how it works. So I just prefer the developer to customize an experience that compliments the game the best.

I dunno man. GTA V added first person mode after launch and it works really well.

[isturbo1984]

It does work well. It doesnt however work as good as the original game was sculpted and crafted. some games do blunder this, which is why I was saying it is foolish to just desire a specific camera angle.

[aileron]

I think it's pretty easy for a developer to have a first person / third person toggle. Now whether it looks better or not, or plays better or not, I'm not sure. A lot of people have mentioned the very good point about "looking" around corners in third person could give you an advantage in a multiplayer shooter.

[Ashaantha]

Hmm it really depends on the game for me. Some like Red Dead Redemption 2 I cannot, ever, play in first person. Assassin's creed games I couldn't even imagine playing them in first person. Yet games like Skyrim, Fallout 4? first person preferred. Just for examples. MMo's that give me the choice always zoomed out third person.

[ryan_]

Third person by far. I think the reason is that part of the reason I'm playing the game is the design of the world and the characters. I don't project that the character is 'me', I want to see the character running around. Exception is FPS games. But I wouldn't want third person in, say, counterstrike. There the character really is 'me'.

[MadMummy76]

I prefer choice. Let me play in first person mode, but also have the option to go in third person view. I like to look at my character from time to time. What's the point of customizing your character if you're in FP view all the way?

[aileron]

I guess the point for me is immersion and it's easier for me to play because... well, that's how I interact with the world in real life. But yes I do want to customize and see my character. Usually there are some screens in a game that pop up from time to time that show you your customized character, like an equipment screen or a cut scene. I customize myself in real life, hair style, clothes, but I don't need to keep looking at myself.

[Lysander Nemoinis]

Third-person, always. It's always easier to orient myself, I don't automatically crash vehicles within seconds, I prefer being able to see my character on screen, and in stealth games being able to see things from behind cover and see if you're actually in cover is a lot easier. First-person stealth always leads to me getting spotted because I have a third of my ass hanging out without knowing it.

[JackofTears]

Agreed, I find it a lot easier to navigate and function in a third person game. First person games actually break my immersion because I know I'm not doing the things my character is, so "my" arms look floaty and out of place in my pov; it instantly shatters my suspension of disbelief. Eventually, if the game is good enough, I can rebuild it but that means I'll spend the first 8 hours of the game far less invested than I might be otherwise.

[Henry09376]

I can play either. I prefer different perspective for different activities in the game. For me it is .Circumstantial.

[The Chosen One]

Depends heavily on the UI for me. I love to have the option is most cases, but some games are either great FP and bad TP or vice versa.

[Wineblood]

I prefer first person, but it's a much weaker preference in games that don't have shooting. Something like Dark Souls third person camera is fine, but in Warframe it completely winds me up.

[Cattraknoff]

It's situational. For straight up shooting I like to be first person. But it's also nice to be able to toggle to third person and look around more and see yourself, depending on the game. But in combat I'll usually prefer first-person. This is of course only speaking of shooter-style games and some RPGs.

[RedHawkDirewolf]

I'm fine with either but I've spent much more time playing in first person.

[bunnypunisher]

Depends on the game format and the story. I prefer first person for any shooter or FPS game (somewhat redundant). Other games where there is more of a story telling focus or MMOs, I enjoy a third person point of view. Something rather random and unrelated to gameplay, when designing a cosplay I prefer third person games because I can get all the different camera angles in to get all the reference art needed to work out the design.