Is third person the best way for cinematic storytelling?

[boi]

Gears 5, Spider-Man, TLOU, God of War, Control, Dark Souls, Alan Wake and so on and so on. You name them and most of them are games with great stories (or at least, is argumented as such) and use the third person perspective. Is cinematic storytelling best done through this perspective or is it just a coincidence?

I have to say - it has taken me a while but I always used to think it is first-person. This is because this was definitely the dominant genre I played while growing up (Soldier of Fortune, Halo, Quake, Doom) and I would always argue that other genres cannot match the immersiveness of first person. This is because you *are* the character player and you experience him. However, with third-person you can include the nuance of other characters more believably, for example this scene:

Spoiler: Spoilers for God of War

With third-person, is it more understandable that the camera can zoom in very closely on Atreus. In first-person, that would be hard because one cannot magically zoom in on another person.

How does Era feel about what is the better medium for storytelling. Third person or first person.

 

[Bundy]

Yes. 3rd person is the best way imho :)

 

[Aaron D.]

What was that beach landing level in OG Halo?

Yeah, cinematic can come in all camera forms.

 

[ckareset]

I don't think it matters. I prefer 3rd person because I like to see my character

 

[Neoleo2143]

First-person can be done for movies and it can be done for games.

 

[Acquiescence]

I think so, yes. Storytelling tends to be affected for the worse when the camera is just limited to just a first-person view.

 

[Doctoglethorpe]

Cinematic yes. 1st person is more immersive though.

I enjoy both.

 

[iamandy]

The best way is the way that the story needs.

 

[Lord Vatek]

Absolutely. The best first-person stories are ones that use the environment instead of cutscenes.

 

[More_Badass]

By "cinematic", do you mean narrative-driven scripted set-pieces?

The cinematic platformer (inside, Little Nightmares, Anorher World) and the various set-pieces in Mirror's Edge, Wolfenstein etc also excel at those

 

[boi]

By "cinematic", do you mean narrative-driven scripted set-pieces?

The cinematic platformer (inside, Little Nightmares, Anorher World) and the various set-pieces in Mirror's Edge, Wolfenstein etc also excel at those

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Yes.

 

[Z-Beat]

I like first person for war games and third person for adventure/exploration

 

[ClickyCal']

Cinematic, yes. Look at bioshock infinite trying to be a weird of hybrid of cinematic and immersive....it didn't really work, imo.

 

[Slim]

3rd person always

 

[Ryo]

Cinematic, yes. Look at bioshock infinite trying to be a weird of hybrid of cinematic and immersive....it didn't really work, imo.

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I was about to agree with the OP until I read this.

 

[Deleted member 8196]

Half-life?
Portal 2?

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

Cinematic yes. 1st person is more immersive though.

I enjoy both.

Click to shrink...

I agree.

 

[Hentailover]

Generally, yes. Cinematic requires full control of camera and angles for said cinematic effect. That ability is undeniably diminished by severely limiting that camera work.

It's not that it's impossible to make a cinematic experience in first person, I'm sure there are even entiremovies shot likethat. But it's inherently a limitation you'd need to intentionally work with or around, and ultimately you will be sacrificing some cinematic aspects in favor of whatever benefits you believe this change of perspective can bring to your vision.

 

[Lausebub]

If you want the player character to be a integral part of that story then yes.

 

[FlintSpace]

For my money, Third person always wins.

 

[boi]

Ok so can someone name good cinematic storytelling in first person (that is out now). For me the Halo and CoD campaigns (the first Call of Duties) come to mind.

I also really really liked BioShock Infinite and Far Cry 3 - especially the latter I think could not have been done so well in third person because its so much about Jason himself and not about other characters as much.

That is why I think the FC5 story is shit because its not about the you playing a central well known character but an anonymous stranger. You cannot resonate with the rest from a first person because it just feels you are an observer.

 

[McNum]

Ok so can someone name good cinematic storytelling in first person (that is out now). For me the Halo and CoD campaigns (the first Call of Duties) come to mind. I personally really really liked BioShock Infinite and Far Cry 3 - especially the latter I think could not have been done so well in third person because its so much about Jason himself and not about other characters as much. That is why I think the FC5 story is shit because its not about the you playing a central well known character but an anonymous stranger.

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DOOM?

Granted, it's not the deepest narrative, but the Doom Slayer makes his opinions known through the surprisingly expressive first person animation of his arms, you have moments where the game takes over and points your view at something important, and despite the Doom Slayer's best efforts, there are characters expressing their motivations and goals along with him. I mean something has to have been done right if part of why I want Doom Eternal is to introduce Samuel to the business end of a Super Shotgun.

It does help that the game narrative is completely in sync with the gameplay, though. The Doom Slayer is an ancient foe of the demons, and there are now demons on Mars. That makes him angry. You wouldn't want to be a demon when he's angry. So the demon slaughtering mayhem you do as a player, is exactly what the Doom Slayer wants to be doing anyway. Player and character motivation lines up 100%.

Biggest question is if it's cinematic enough. It definitely uses some cinematic tricks with framing in level design, especially some of the Hell levels seem to be made to look like a Heavy Metal cover from certain vantage points you are guaranteed to pass through.

 

[Sailent]

A good story is a good story, and you'll enjoy it in 1st, 3rd, 2nd, or 4th person.

 

[Pyro]

I think so. I've always felt a bit of a disconnect with how some first person games handle set-pieces and storytelling moments since it usually means putting down the controller and watching, and that feels wrong to do in first person where I'm supposed to be more immersed and driving the game.

 

[nib95]

Absolutely. I love third person cameras, not just for the cinematic emphasis and added camera visibility and control, but also because I absolutely love seeing my actual character, their different weapons, tools, equipment, clothes, animations, movements, facial expressions etc. I also feel that you can work with them better gameplay wise, eg having better visibility of dodging, rolling, jumping etc.

 

[Sub Boss]

First person works really well for an horror game, not sure if that counts as 'cinematic'

 

[DeadlyVenom]

If by "cinematic" you mean games trying to look like movies, yeah.

 

[PirateKingERA]

I rarely play 1st person games because of this.

 

[Instro]

Depends what you are going for I guess? Like I don't think you could replicate this in 3rd person, and have it be as impactful:



Neither method is superior to the other. I would say that 3rd person excels at delivering a more standard story experience, while first person excels at delivering the narrative in ways only a video game can.

 

[kennyamr]

Personally at least, I think so.

 

[Snormy]

I don't think it is necessary but I think it can help with picturing and seeing your character and their interaction with the world around them. I'm also thinking this doesn't need to be the default gameplay perspective either. Halo often uses 3rd person cutscenes. Destiny has moments even in gameplay where the camera pulls back to show your character, usually when doing something cool such as using a super or when you draw a sword.

If anything I sometimes think that 3rd person for cutscenes and 1st person for gameplay can possibly be the best as it offers a bit of everything. Seeing the characters up close from 1st person or seeing the scale and action further back from 3rd person. Execution matters a lot obviously and beyond just camera perspective but sound/music etc can make and break cinematics' impact.

 

[Hugare]

I almost said "yes", but then I remembered that Half Life 2 exists

And then Portal 2. And then Bioshock

So, nope!

 

[I KILL PXLS]

I think it does make it less jarring if the game wants to use traditionally shot cutscenes, but you can do equally cinematic games in first person. It's just not quite as easy to pull off since you can't rely on traditional movie techniques as much.

 

[PianoBlack]

This feels like recency bias. Half Life (both games) were revolutionary in terms of cinematic story telling, from first person perspective. I don't think there's anything inherent to 3rd person that makes it superior.

 

[Linus815]

Cinematic, yes. Look at bioshock infinite trying to be a weird of hybrid of cinematic and immersive....it didn't really work, imo.

Click to shrink...

Say what you want about bioshock infinite, but it did the whole cinematic storytelling thing brilliantly from a first person view.

 

[Nexus2049]

Only if your character is a crucial part to the story/game, where seeing the 3rd person model helps immerse in that part.

If the world is the character, I think first person is better.

 

[Joris-truly]

i kinda miss the cinematic first person action adventures like The Darkness (2007). They sorta seem to die out after the end of the early 2000's.

Third person is fine, but -for me personally- i feel more immersed in first person. Usually due to more freedom of movement and less context sensitive interaction design.

 

[Devil]

RE7, Wolfenstein, Bioshock, most of the so called 'walking simulators'... You could make such a list as OP did just consisting purely out of 1st person games as well.

Recently 1st person has become a tiny bit less dominant in general after its surge in the PS360 era. But both camera views are fine for cinematic storytelling. Just depends and what exactly you want to achieve.

 

[Glio]

It is the best for certain things, like all cameras. I don't like the tendency in some places to automatically despise everything that has another type of camera.