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All games should become first person shooters

Leflus

Member
Err... Some of those games aren't first person shooters.

Personally, I'd classify Metroid Prime as an action-adventure game and Fallout 3 as an RPG.

What you're trying to say is: "All games should use a first person perspective".

With that said, I do think that the first person perspective can lead to more immersive experiences in certain types of games. Especially in games that lets you explore a huge, open world.
 

adj_noun

Member
FPS adventure game

all4pQm.gif


You, uh, shoot rock, paper or scissors at enemies, so it...it counts.
 

RM8

Member
Actually, I'd love seeing lots of FPS games in 2D run-and-gun form! I'd actually play them.
 

Toxi

Banned
Super Metroid is widely considered the best of the Metroid series. People are still waiting for the game that duplicates that formula.
Prime and Super both widely top lists for best Metroid game. With the deluge of great 2D Metroid-style games in recent years (Shadow Complex, La Mulana, etc.), I'm still waiting for something to replicate Prime's formula.
 

Tigress

Member
Fallout New Vegas is still an RPG with FPS elements (and if you ask most FPS fans, not very good FPS elements either).

And no, it should not become a shooter. I like it for the RPG part. The shooter part adds fun, sure, but it would ruin it if it actually became an FPS. Why I like it most is for its RPG elements (That are done far better than Fallout 3 or Skyrim).

Honestly, I can enjoy a good FPS with a good story but I'm glad they are short games cause I've yet to meet one that I'm not glad is over with when I finally finish it (I'm usually tired of them and ready for the game to end by the time I get a few chapters from the ending). And usually I need a break and a different style game after finishing an FPS. Where as I've played 400 hours on Skyrim and 200+ on Fallout because RPGs are really more my thing and I'll spend a lot of time on something if I am really into it.

Not to mention, just cause you enjoy FPS mechanics doesn't mean everyone does. Why should everyone else have their games sacrificed to do something you enjoy? Kinda a selfish viewpoint imho.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
It feels like something some new earth Christian would say! Lol I don't think so


FPS deliver only so much and can only tell a story with another person staring directly into the camera.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
I hate FPS games, so I guess I'd have to give up gaming. At least I'd save a ton of money.
 

DocSeuss

Member
The thread is more about the untapped potential of unexplored ideas. Thinking outside of the box, what kind of established franchises might actually benefit from the transition?

yes

Halo started off as a RTS, but it became a FPS. Thank god!

if2d6cXabQ9tK.gif


SWAT 4 is better than anything before it, whatever genre it was before. I mean, look at this tactical shit! XD

jbjmq1anXJy4vQ.jpg

heeeey, that's my Halo footage

that, uh... may see publication tomorrow so I'm not sure if you should actually be using it. I can give you unused Halo footage for giffing if you'd like!

Hey brah, great title. I think your actual point is that certain games have had some pretty awesome first person counterparts made? And that other games in the future could be given first person renditions that are also awesome? I agree! (especially about Metroid Prime)

Now, let me be honest; I have always thought that Sonic the Hedgehog would work really good in first person (no guns though). I'm probably insane, but using the mouse or stick to change the camera direction (and the thus the player direction) plus strafing could provide very quick movement response at ridiculous speeds.

Also, the concept of everything becoming first person kinda relates to the future onslaught of new VR games, the majority of which will probably be first person of some kind, even if they are based on older franchises which originally used a third person camera.

Sonic, eh? That's... actually really interesting. Since first-person games are more about movement than anything else, I can see that working out surprisingly well.

That's sorta my point. It's a mix of "hey, let's not pretend this trend is bad, because it's totally awesome," and "hey, let's think outside the box and how games might change if they switched genres."

Part of my goal here is selfish: I actually want to learn how mechanics might translate to shooters because I'm interested in making interesting shooters. I feel like talking about how, say, XCOM handles tension might help us figure out how to approach tension from a different angle in shooters.

I want to help grow the genre, in other words.
 

rekameohs

Banned
no way, I love fps, but a lot of games would not benefit from it. Uncharted fps would be awful for example.
That's a good example. Uncharted is very much a shooter, but it would be terrible in first person because of the verticality of the combat and how important platforming/hanging/wall-scaling are.
 

Muffdraul

Member
30 years ago when "virtual reality" first being talked about as a concept, it seemed obvious that one day all video games would eventually be in the first person. I can't remember when the first time was that I heard someone say "I hate first person games, I like side scrollers or top-down, it's just more classic" I thought they were clinging to the past. I've been gaming since the early 70s, and one of my favorite things about it has been watching games evolve. I don't exclusively play first person games, I love third person games too... but the only difference is that you can see your avatar on-screen. Like MGS or Assassins Creed or whatever... you're still moving and interacting in a "virtual reality" type environment. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part I left behind side scrollers, top-down etc. ages ago. To me they're completely anachronistic. It's one of the main reasons I don't pay much attention to the indie scene, it's so flooded with old school throwbacks.
 

Denton

Member
First person? Sure, I love first person perspective. And third person. Lets me explore these virtual worlds more enjoyably than any other (I still wish Divinity OS was fpp/tpp, sue me).
First person shooter ? Fuck no. First person RPG, if anything :)
 

PSYGN

Member
I feel more immersed and in control of my character with FPS games. I saw a mod of GTA V in first person... I actually want to play it in first person now if it had polished FPS mechanics.
 

Tigress

Member
no way, I love fps, but a lot of games would not benefit from it. Uncharted fps would be awful for example.

I gotta agree with this. A lot of the fun for uncharted is the platformer elements (the trying to puzzle out how to get from here to there). You really can't do that well with a first person viewpoint.
 

DocSeuss

Member
Err... Some of those games aren't first person shooters.

Personally, I'd classify Metroid Prime as an action-adventure game and Fallout 3 as an RPG.

What you're trying to say is: "All games should use a first person perspective".

With that said, I do think that the first person perspective can lead to more immersive experiences in certain types of games. Especially in games that lets you explore a huge, open world.

The OP starts out by clarifying I meant perspective. I went with "first person shooters" 'cause I was hoping to provoke discussion.

I really think first-person Mass Effect could work well.

I do too.

Fallout New Vegas is still an RPG with FPS elements (and if you ask most FPS fans, not very good FPS elements either).

And no, it should not become a shooter. I like it for the RPG part. The shooter part adds fun, sure, but it would ruin it if it actually became an FPS. Why I like it most is for its RPG elements (That are done far better than Fallout 3 or Skyrim).

Honestly, I can enjoy a good FPS with a good story but I'm glad they are short games cause I've yet to meet one that I'm not glad is over with when I finally finish it (I'm usually tired of them and ready for the game to end by the time I get a few chapters from the ending). And usually I need a break and a different style game after finishing an FPS. Where as I've played 400 hours on Skyrim and 200+ on Fallout because RPGs are really more my thing and I'll spend a lot of time on something if I am really into it.

Not to mention, just cause you enjoy FPS mechanics doesn't mean everyone does. Why should everyone else have their games sacrificed to do something you enjoy? Kinda a selfish viewpoint imho.

psst, try reading the OP a bit more. You're normally pretty cool, Tigress, but I think you missed some stuff that, had you read, would cause you to think differently... because I'm not saying all games should become first person shooters, even though I used those words for my title. ;)

That's a good example. Uncharted is very much a shooter, but it would be terrible in first person because of the verticality of the combat and how important platforming/hanging/wall-scaling are.

FPSes actually have all the things you mentioned. Verticality brings in good combat, yo. But it would be fun to figure out a way to do shooting while hanging from a ledge.

30 years ago when "virtual reality" first being talked about as a concept, it seemed obvious that one day all video games would eventually be in the first person. I can't remember when the first time was that I heard someone say "I hate first person games, I like side scrollers or top-down, it's just more classic" I thought they were clinging to the past. I've been gaming since the early 70s, and one of my favorite things about it has been watching games evolve. I don't exclusively play first person games, I love third person games too... but the only difference is that you can see your avatar on-screen. Like MGS or Assassins Creed or whatever... you're still moving and interacting in a "virtual reality" type environment. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part I left behind side scrollers, top-down etc. ages ago. To me they're completely anachronistic. It's one of the main reasons I don't pay much attention to the indie scene, it's so flooded with old school throwbacks.

Interestingly, some designers of space games have said that first-person VR won't take off because it causes a lot more cognitive dissonance or something when you're playing. It's very hard for the human brain to reconcile first-person body movement with not actually moving. Sitting in a cockpit and sitting in a chair is much easier.

I feel more immersed and in control of my character with FPS games. I saw a mod of GTA V in first person... I actually want to play it in first person now if it had polished FPS mechanics.

I've heard that the FPS mod and real-time mod combined make GTA IV an utterly fantastic experience, so I assume the same would be true for GTAV.

First person? Sure, I love first person perspective. And third person. Lets me explore these virtual worlds more enjoyably than any other (I still wish Divinity OS was fpp/tpp, sue me).
First person shooter ? Fuck no. First person RPG, if anything :)

I wanted a catchy thread title. In the post itself, I hoped I made it clear that I meant first-person perspective.
 

RedSwirl

Junior Member
I think the problem is we don't have enough variety in first person shooters today. Too many of the retail ones are basically forced to follow a lot of Call of Duty's mechanics. The genre needs to branch out. There's a lot more that can be done in first person. Different kinds of worlds and level design.

This is partly why I enjoy the recent glut of first person adventure and horror games we've had come from the indie space recently.

Mega Man Legends could have worked as an FPS in all honesty.

I was about to say the same thing.

Someone could definitely do an FPS that felt like Mega Man in terms of structure and art direction. It would just be very different from other FPSs. Metroid Prime is very different from most FPSs.

FPS Dark Souls? Why would you suggest such a thing? Someone did make a mod for DaS1 that made it first-person...while it looked awesome it would make it beyond insanely difficult. Some games are better top down, or third-person. League is better top-down, Smite is better Third person, Mass Effect is better third-person. GTA is better when it's third-person. Some are better in first-person yeah, but it depends on the game itself, and of course the players preference.

Uhh... you mean King's Field? Y'know, a previous RPG series by From Software that was the predecessor to Demon's Souls and was directly inspired by Ultima Underworld, one of the games in the OP? That first person Dark Souls?
 

Daouzin

Member
Gross, I very rarely am in the mood for a shooter, but when I am I definitely prefer First Person ones, but I find first person games focused more on twitch reactions versus cool art/characters/worlds.

The only First person game in my top 10 games is the original BioShock, so you're completely off base. However, I am dying to play a horror game on Oculus.
 
At least the complainers about the lack of variety in video games would have a point then. :p

But otherwise, no thank you.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
i actually think we should do the reverse and offer third person perspective in fp gaming - as i don't feel first person adds to games, only detracts

(except racing sims and some horror games)
 
It actually seems likely once VR tech is in the majority of households.

Heh, I was just about to post this. :)

My view is that first person puts the player in a perspective much closer to the action and offers more opportunities for highly detailed environments that you can actually get close to, inspect and interact with them. It can also be more immersive, depending on how effectively its used. In that respect, yeah, there are possible, tangible benefits, or at least demand for trying something in first person, as the very fact that people make first person mods for numerous games sort of proves it, but it's a tricky thing. I'm a fan of FPS games so it's all good. I just hope we'll see more experimentation and different influences becoming more prevalent instead of the mostly military approach. Space AK's? No thanks.

Also, it doesn't really always have to be a shooter per se, right? Ultima Underworld isn't technically a shooter (although there's some arrows and spells I believe).

EDIT:
Well dang, I guess I misunderstood the shooter part, scrap that last sentence.
 

Tigress

Member
psst, try reading the OP a bit more. You're normally pretty cool, Tigress, but I think you missed some stuff that, had you read, would cause you to think differently... because I'm not saying all games should become first person shooters, even though I used those words for my title. ;)

Even with that, no, you're not right here. Not every game will benefit from a first person view (people have brought out uncharted as a very good example. Tomb Raider too for that matter). And, as I said in my post, not everyone likes those mechanics. No one mechanic should dominate and make every game like it. There's a reason we have different games that play differently. People have different tastes in what they enjoy. What you really like doesn't mean some one else is going to like it. That's why we have different games, because different people want different things out of their games. Hell, even within Fallout we have a ton of different POVs. There are plenty of old school fallout fans that think Bethesda ruined Fallout by changing it the way they did (I personally like both but I will admit I prefer 3 and Vegas myself, but that's a personal preference. And it's there because old school Fallout really isn't the same as new school Fallout. Just as old school fans prefer the old style). And hell, even a big divide between Fallout 3 and New Vegas fans. You really think all games should have the same mechanic when it's very obvious even within a series with similarities people can't agree on what's best for it?
 
Anything with multiple party members works better in isometric.

Trying to imagine Divinity: Original Sin as a FPS and yeah, doesn't really fit.

I can see making the argument for games where you control a single character (not saying I AGREE with the argument but I can see it being made) but when you have multiple party members I just don't see it.
 

ChrisD

Member
A Smash Bros. esque (that is to say, pull people from all over different game series) FPS would be great and we all know it.

Arenas with their own gimmicks. One of them could be a floating "fishbowl" of water, for instance. But there would be trigger events that could drain it all... Or flood it, pushing everyone down into a closed-in arena below, all before being lifted back up into the main bowl via a geyser!

Mario with Fludd, Luigi with a Vacuum (shoots fire/ice like Luigi's Mansion), Link with Bow and Arrow, Zelda with Magic, Animal Crossing Villager with Slingshot, Marth with Tomes.

You know it'd be great, guys.
 

Exr

Member
You can still find some Megaman 8 bit deathmatch servers via Doomseeker. Really fun game.
 

Leflus

Member
The OP starts out by clarifying I meant perspective. I went with "first person shooters" 'cause I was hoping to provoke discussion.
I saw that, but then I also saw that you classified Metroid Prime as an FPS. No worries, though. I understand what you were trying to do.

My suggestion is kind of boring, but I think it would be nice in this post-Metroid Prime world

Shadow Complex Prime:
The first one copied Super Metroid. It's time to copy Metroid Prime as well.
 

DocSeuss

Member
I think the problem is we don't have enough variety in first person shooters today. Too many of the retail ones are basically forced to follow a lot of Call of Duty's mechanics. The genre needs to branch out. There's a lot more that can be done in first person. Different kinds of worlds and level design.

EXACTLY what this thread is attempting to achieve. :)

Even with that, no, you're not right here. Not every game will benefit from a first person view (people have brought out uncharted as a very good example. Tomb Raider too for that matter). And, as I said in my post, not everyone likes those mechanics. No one mechanic should dominate and make every game like it. There's a reason we have different games that play differently. People have different tastes in what they enjoy. What you really like doesn't mean some one else is going to like it. That's why we have different games, because different people want different things out of their games.

I'm not actually arguing that all games should be first-person. I'm defending games that become first-person, and I'm asking people to suggest how games transitioning to first-person might work because I personally want to see more ways to approach FPSes. Think of this thread as a launching point to break out of the shooter paradigm.

I even said not all games SHOULD be first-person because of city builders. That's in the OP. I'm pretty clear about my intentions here. :(

The hyperbole in the title is me using a rhetorical device. I am not literally taking the position. It is intended more as a thought experiment.

Anything with multiple party members works better in isometric.

Trying to imagine Divinity: Original Sin as a FPS and yeah, doesn't really fit.

I can see making the argument for games where you control a single character (not saying I AGREE with the argument but I can see it being made) but when you have multiple party members I just don't see it.

So you've never played Rainbow Six? Totally works.


I didn't ask you if you didn't read the OP, but okay, thanks for telling me so emphatically that you didn't.
 
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