Poll: Your preferred gaming view?

Your favorite?

  • First person

    Votes: 34 68.0%
  • Third person

    Votes: 6 12.0%
  • Isometric

    Votes: 6 12.0%
  • Side-scrolling

    Votes: 1 2.0%
  • Top-down

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 6.0%

  • Total voters
    50

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,672
2,816
126
I personally prefer first person. While the others can certainly be fun, they all feel like you're controlling a character.

Only first person feels like you're actually controlling yourself. That's why I also prefer inverted mouselook, but that's another topic.

This is especially true if you look down and see your body/legs, and if your silhouette casts realtime shadows when you're next to a wall, like Fear is doing when I'm replaying it now.
 
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sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
5,618
126
First Person for most games. Third Person works well with many games that use it though. Don't like Isometric at all, although I wouldn't reject a game with it, then again I play no games that use it.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
33,929
1,097
126
Isometric for strategy games, first-person for combat games. Third-person is the devil.
 

GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
6,715
7,004
136
Variety is the spice of life: I like them all if it suites the genre of game I'm playing.

A first person strategy game wouldn't be much fun while isometric shooters just feel wonky and weird. Etc.
 
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shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
4533355.jpg
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
21,899
819
126
Mostly third person. Sometimes I switch to first but gtav has horrible first person
 

Midwayman

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
5,723
325
126
Depends on the game. If you're controlling a single character 1st person generally, but some stuff like diablo is better in isometric.

3rd person generally is just them doing 1st person and blocking half the screen with your character.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
21,899
819
126
Depends on the game. If you're controlling a single character 1st person generally, but some stuff like diablo is better in isometric.

3rd person generally is just them doing 1st person and blocking half the screen with your character.
When I played Dragon Age: Origin I used 3 24" screens. My third person view character was in the center screen. It was an awesome experience.
 

Midwayman

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
5,723
325
126
When I played Dragon Age: Origin I used 3 24" screens. My third person view character was in the center screen. It was an awesome experience.

Melee combat games I sorta give it a pass. Its a lot harder to judge distance in 1st person mode.
 

EXCellR8

Diamond Member
Sep 1, 2010
3,979
839
136
I guess first person would be my favorite but preference-wise I agree, depends heavily on the game. I suppose first person is technically more "immersive" than third person view but some games do a decent job of bridging the gap with the old over-the-shoulder view, like Gears of War, RE4, evil within etc. While I really like first person, I absolutely love those third person experiences too.
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
Super Moderator
Aug 22, 2001
28,270
19,907
146
I voted other as I have no preference. There are so many elements that go into making a game fun, and so many types of games, that I don't even have a favorite genre. My only qualifiers for a game are, whether or not it is fun and immersive.
 
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DeathReborn

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 2005
2,743
734
136
Isometric purely based on the most fun playing games has been in that view. All views have their place but games like Diablo are where I had the most fun.
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
5,189
184
106
It depends on the type of game it is. It also has a lot to do (for me) based on the chronological evolution of gaming from the moment I started to play them. I started with side (scrolling) and top down view, like many, then it changed a lot during the transition to and arrival of 3D gaming. I think that the real answer for this (again, speaking for myself here) is that I really don't have a preferred point of view in general. Although of course I usually do say that FPS or Third Person games are the ones I tend to like the most. But I can end up saying that a particular game couldn't (or could) have been "better" with another point of view, for instance.

For example, I wouldn't be interested by a Mario FPS game, it just wouldn't work, but when I saw the first gameplay videos (a few years ago) of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake as a third-person action game, however (instead of keeping the original top down view), then I was definitely for it. There's some types of games, and even specific franchises out there that I really think should stay with one (or their 'original') point of view; while some others could be 'flexible' enough and would still work fine if they explored new points of views from time to time.

Now, with all this said, my "preferred" point of views in most cases are First and Third Person. I also love Isometric / Top-Down for RTS games. But - ultimately - I really like them all, as long as the game I'm playing is good, then its point of view merely feels and becomes "natural".
 

maniacalpha1-1

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2010
3,562
14
81
Isometric for strategy games, first-person for combat games. Third-person is the devil.

PvE (if it's PvP, or a PvP server on an otherwise PvE game, no to TPP) MMORPGs, ehhhhhhhhhh....long as first person is fully supported, I guess it's OK.

Any other genre where you control a specific avatar (i.e., not RTS for example), the only excuse for third person is melee heavy game design, and even then, it's a weak one. In multiplayer, just no to third person except for extreme melee games and even then not sure I buy that as a justification.

And I'd like to challenge that TPP is more popular if sales figures are used to justify it....if a game is TPP only then duh, if people want to play it they have no choice but to play TPP. Using raw sales of the game that doesn't give a choice doesn't count.
 

bystander36

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2013
5,154
132
106
It totally depends on the game. ARPG's are either isometric or 3rd person (3rd person can be a lot like isometric if you zoom out enough). RPG's where you control a single player and FPS games work best in first person view, although over the shoulder view isn't bad in many cases. There are so many different types of games which work best with different views. They all work, as long as the UI also works with it.
 

PeterScott

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2017
2,605
1,540
136
Not First Person, because it gives me motion sickness.

Isometric because I primarily play RPGs mostly all the old school ones like BG1, BG2, PT, Fallout 1 &2, Arcanum, NWN, Dragon Age...
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Depends entirely on the game and the genre. Shooters are better first person, games like Diablo are great in the isometric view as are strategy games. Hack and Slash games like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry only work for me in third person. Top down or side scrolling for SHMUPs like r-type, strikers 1945, or metal slug. Platformers can be third or side scrolling depending on whether it's 2D or 3D.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
68,847
26,623
136
I have zero interest in third person view. First person is my preference. Side scrolling is okay for simple games but they generally don't hold my attention.
 

sweenish

Diamond Member
May 21, 2013
3,656
60
91
The view the game presents.

I play a lot of different games. Different perspectives are useful for different genres. Or does everyone want to play Civ in FPP?