Shooters- First or Third

[ihateghirahim]

The shooter genre is an old and very fun kind of game. It is, however, divided into two distinct genres. There's a ever-popular FPS, with Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, Goldeneye, and many other classic games. There's a focus on precise aiming, quick gameplay, and power-ups galore. Then there's the Third person shooter, with its roots in the old run and gun games like Contra. This genre contains Gears of War, Max Payne, Red Dead Redemption, and many modern Resident Evil Titles. It's a genre that certainly more diverse in terms of what it can do. It's emphasizes slower and careful gameplay, use of the enviroment, and the cover-system in more modern titles.
Which is you favorite?

 

[Mercedes]

Difficult one. I'd say that FPS' are my favourite way to play a game, I like first-person titles the most and I think Deus Ex: Human Revolution's first-person, with switching to third-person when in cover, was probably my favourite individual way to play a game, but I feel the genre as a whole has become a little boring to me these days. Wolfenstein: The New Order was a real return-to-form when it comes to the classic FPS campaign, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as various modern third-person shooters. For all its hate, I thought Resident Evil 6 was the title which really demonstrated an amount of versatility that third-person shooters offer, as did stuff like Vanquish. So, I think I'd have to go with third-person now, but I suppose I still do prefer first-person...

I'd say I'm still a bit un-sure, but third-person, right now, are my preferred games. That may change, as it already has once before, but that's that for now.

 

[Salem]

I don't prefer the third-person shooters, I don't like when the camera is too close to the character, but FPS are at least better.

 

[Emma]

I don't think it's that simple. Both have problems. The FPS genre is saturated with games that are constantly re-released in a nearly identical state every year. And third person shooters often have an awkward camera system. Red Dead Redemption actually had a pretty bad camera system and it was extremely difficult to aim. Most players I'm aware of are dependent on that game's auto-aiming system. GTA V on the other hand had a pretty good camera and it was considerably easier to aim. I think it largely depends on the game. But for the most part, third person shooters seem to, in general, have far superior storylines (GTA, Red Dead. Where as in most FPS games, you'd really by lying if you said the game had any story at all (Call of Duty). Or the story is all over the place and difficult to understand (Halo). With some rare exceptions where there is a story and you can understand it (BioShock). And you have some games that straddle both lines and are both first person shooters and third person (Fallout 3).

All in all I rather judge it by game than pick one genre over the other.

 

[Pen]

The only shooters I really own and play are Metroid Prime (FPS) and Kid Icarus: Uprising (TPS). Out of those two I strongly prefer Kid Icarus, so I'm gonna go with Third Person Shooters as my personal favourites.

 

[SavageWizzrobe]

I tend to prefer an FPS over a TPS because of not having to worry about the camera, and because the Metroid Prime series and Goldeneye/Perfect Dark are some of my favourite games of all time. It's not by a whole lot, though.

Granted, there are some FPS franchises that are plagued with staleness: a new game has to come out every year, and the gameplay remains more or less the same. Call of Duty is notorious for this, as it feels like the same game is released every year. I prefer playing old or fairly obscure FPS games rather than the mainstream ones, such as CoD. Did I also mention that I greatly dislike CoD's fanbase?

 

[CynicalSquid]

I prefer third person shooters. However, my reason isn't because of the gameplay, because I feel first person shooters have better gameplay. I like third person shooters because I feel like it adds to the story. Unless it's games like Fallout, Elder Scrolls (Not even a shooter but whatever), or any other games where you are the character and you choose their path, I feel that third person adds more to the story. With games like Fallout, you are the character. You are in control of their emotions, morals, relationships, decisions. Being in first person helps with the immersion so you actually feel like the character instead of some avatar. Which I feel like is more of a gameplay thing than a story thing. The gameplay involves you setting your path and feeling like the character, but the story is detached from that mechanic because it's told through your actions and decisions. However, in games where the character is set in stone with a set path and set personalities, the first person takes away from the bond with your character. You never see their face, so the connection with the character feels lost and vacant. It's like you're the character, but you're not. You're only looking through their eyes and experience things around them instead of experiencing them as a character.

Now, I do like the non linear gameplay and the feeling of choosing your own path that games like Skyrim give you. The games that immerse you and make you feel like you're part of the world. But I do really love the story driven games that put you in the action of the story instead of just telling it to you. I feel like, story-wise, Bioshock would have been better third person because you never see the characters you are playing. The connection is lost because instead of seeing the story and scenery around them, you are seeing it as them. Which takes away from that character, the main character, at least in my opinion. Mass Effect is the opposite though. You are the character, but you are seeing thing around you. You are playing as an avatar, but you're them. You make their decisions and carve their path. This is why first person is better in this situation to immerse you.

That probably doesn't make sense, but I really do feel like in games that don't involve you carving your path and are giving you a story to experience. Third person is just better for the experience, and I really enjoy games that tell you a story by putting you in the action and showing you the main character that you are supposed to grow attached to. With first person the attachment is lost because you're playing as them which makes you feel like you are the character, but you're now.

So, story-wise, third person is better, but gameplay-wise, first person is better.

 

[DoomDash]

For Multiplayer, FPS. Single, 3rd.