The Big Question: Third Person Or First Person?

I think this is sort of a silly question but I’m going to ask it anyway: do you prefer playing third person games or first person games?

It’s a silly question because I can’t imagine playing, for example, Alien: Isolation in third person. On the flip side I couldn’t imagine playing Gears of War in first person. Which is really to say that specific games are built around these ideas. They can’t easily be switched back and forth, unless that game is Skyrim.

But if I had to choose, I think I’d definitely sacrifice the quote-on-quote ‘ímmersiveness’ of the first person view for the advantages that come with watching a fully realised, well-animated character obey your every command in the third person. I’ve just always felt that the feeling of weight that comes from great animation play out in response to your direction is so valuable to an interactive experience. It really adds something for me.

That being said — most of my favourite games this year have been in the first person perspective. Metroid Prime, one of my favourite games ever was in the first person perspective. So it’s undoubtedly a tricky one.

I’m going to ask it anyway: first person or third person, which do you prefer?


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