Why I Generally prefer to play Video Game in Third Person

 Video Games come in all kinds of different shapes & sizes with varying types of gameplay. Also, they can be played from different perspectives. This means where & how the player views the game world in relation to the player character. For example, games like Halo & Call of Duty are typically played in first-person, with the camera positioned to show what the player character sees. This is usually done to create a sense of immersion for the player, by essentially saying “hey, the protagonist is you”. Other games, like Mass Effect, are played in the third-person perspective, with the camera being placed behind the player character. In this view, you see the full model of the character, including what outfits they are wearing and any equipment that they may have on them. There are other camera perspectives, such as isometric, where the camera is pulled up at an angle. You typically see this perspective in games like Pillars of Eternity or the original Fallout Games. There is also the side-scrolling perspective featured in games like the original Sonic the Hedgehog & Super Mario Bros. games. From this perspective, you see the player character from the side as they move up, down, left or right to progress through the game.

What I want to do here is do something similar to what I did with my previous blog when I discussed why I pre-ordered a game before playing the demo. I want to go through why I generally prefer to play video games in third person. 

As a kid, I grew up playing games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Spyro the Dragon & eventually Crash Bandicoot. I later went on to play Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter. All the games that I have just mentioned are platformers. I do feel that this is definitely a contributing factor to why I prefer to play video games in third person. I do not think I even played any games primarily in first person later on.

I remember for my PlayStation 2, I had a couple of Demo Discs, one came with the console, while the other I received through the post after filling out a quick form. On one of the discs, there was a playable demo for a racing game, I think it was something to do with Rally racing. I started playing & the camera was in front of the Car. I could not see the track properly and was crashing into everything. Eventually, I figured out how to change the camera perspective to be behind the Car. Now I could see everything more clearly & was slightly better at playing it. 

Do not get me wrong, I have played Games like Quake, Doom & Halo and have enjoyed them very much, although I prefer to see my character completely. In games like Mass Effect or any role-playing game for that matter, if I create a customised character, which has a custom appearance & not just attributes, then I definitely want to see it. I am someone who can spend a good hour or so customising my character to be just how I like it. If I can barely see my character afterwards, I would find it annoying. I have watched my partner play The Outer Worlds. I can say it is a really good Game, but you do not really get much chance to see your custom character, unless you leave them idle. For me, it does not matter if I can customise the character’s whole appearance or just change their outfits; I still like to see it. I am someone who likes to see as much detail as I possibly can. If my character is driving a Car, then I want to see them driving that Car. In Games like Half-Life, when the player character drives a vehicle, even though the game is in first-person, you do not actually see their hands on the wheel, which I just find creepy.

So, there you have it - Why I generally prefer to play Video games in third person. Which perspective do you prefer to play Video games? Let us know in the comments. See you next time!