The first-person perspective can be a great boon in a huge range of games. It's very effective indeed at making the player feel more immersed in the experience. For example, first-person horror titles place the player character right in the center of the scares, rather than a third-person view from directly behind them. This is what makes the Outlast series' camera action as effective as it is. Some fantastic first-person action games also make excellent use of the perspective.
There are some other titles, however, that may seem like an ill-fit for first-person. It's experimental, perhaps added as a bonus mode, or an optional toggle that is rarely used. This doesn't mean that it can't work out very well indeed, though. These titles were never expected to feature a first-person viewpoint, but they owned it and made it quite entertaining.
Tekken 2's Wireframe Mode
Far From The Most Practical Way To Play, But Iconic Nonetheless
Tekken 2, while not as character- or feature-packed as its successor Tekken 3, included some content that the latter wouldn't. These include fighters (Roger the boxing glove sporting kangaroo, Devil and Angel among them), forms like Prototype Jack, and silly bonus modes. Big Head Mode is a staple of classic gaming, and it's no less hilarious here. What was even more notable, however, was Wireframe Mode.
This mode is so named because it provides a first-person view of the action, showing the opponent through a green wireframe model of the chosen character. It's not a specific game mode, but a feature that can be activated at the start of a match via a button combination when the full roster has been unlocked. It will absolutely throw off the player's ability to fight as they usually would, and it's little surprise that it didn't return in later titles, but this was a fun, silly, bold addition that is such an anomaly and a lot of fun to mess around with.
Command & Conquer: Renegade
Take The Fight To Opponents Directly
In strategy games, players often simply produce unit after unit in an attempt to rush the enemy base. We watch the action from above and direct the units forward, in a lot of cases, but there's a certain detachment about it all. Command And Conquer: Renegade, though, added something unique to the series: The opportunity to play in first-person. Players who remember the GameCube's Battalion Wars, a sort of real-time spin-off of the beloved strategy series Advance Wars, will know exactly what to expect from this classic: The chance to control all manner of Command & Conquer units directly.
In the main campaign, the protagonist is Captain Nick Parker, who must help dismantle the plans of the Brotherhood of Nod. They seek to capture the Tiberium that they're fighting for and use it to develop a formidable army that would be all but unstoppable. In the context of the series, the FPS approach is a very novel one, and there's also the option to play in third-person instead. As with a lot of such shooters, the multiplayer is the crux of the experience, and this is really where Renegade sets itself apart. In typical series fashion, the two teams fight to control resources and objectives while building the right types of units to destroy their opponents. The highlight is that direct control, of everything from stealth tanks to artillery. It's a twist that should absolutely be revisited, though it's currently unclear what (if anything) is next for the Command & Conquer series.
Metal Gear Solid
A New Perspective On Stealth
Of course, achieving a first-person perspective in a 2D title is quite the challenge, and developers had to experiment with an array of techniques and approaches to make the idea work. In the Metal Gear series, 1998's Metal Gear Solid was the first game to embrace 3D and a true first-person perspective, This was one early title that helped reinforce an important unwritten rule: When a character enters a ventilation shaft or similar tight space, it's much less awkward camera-wise if the viewpoint shifts to first-person. Snake does this first very early in the game, when exiting the Heliport area, and the technique lends a lot to the atmosphere. Through Snake's eyes, we can see some of the area we will visit later through gaps in the vents, and the scale of them highlights the peril he's in during this lone mission.
In the original release, first-person is available at almost any time at the press of a button, but Snake is otherwise immobile during its use. It's also used to aim the Stinger missile launcher, which would have been incredibly difficult otherwise (aiming at the Hind with it during the boss fight would've been a nightmare). These are the well-known and practical uses of first-person in Metal Gear Solid, but there are more. For example, during the boss fight against Psycho Mantis, holding the button to use the first-person view will allow you to look through Mantis' eyes rather than Snake's, providing valuable hints as to where he's going and where he'll attack from next. It's just one of so many neat little secrets and tricks added to the game by Hideo Kojima.
Metroid Prime
Behind The Visor
There are some established series that have formulas you just don't mess with. That's the perspective of a lot of fans and developers alike, but sometimes the very best things happen when somebody takes a risk. Metroid Prime, created by Retro Studios and played entirely in first-person (Morph Ball segments excepted), was just such a risk. Fortunately, it was one that paid off in a huge way, as this 2002 GameCube hit became a phenomenon.
The first-person viewpoint allows us to essentially step inside Samus' Power Suit and see the fascinating, beautiful, and horrifying world of Tallon IV through her visor. The tiniest details really hammer this point home: We seen raindrops splashing on the visor, Samus's face briefly reflected in it by bright flashes of light, and watch as it fogs up a little in the cold. The game's atmosphere is unrivaled, and while that's something the series achieved very well prior to this point, Prime took the concept to new heights. Using the Scan Visor on new threats and artifacts in the environment really made it feel as though we were gathering snippets of information right along with our heroine, piecing together the mysteries of this planet. If you've got a special version of the game, it may be worth a fortune too.
City Of Brass
A Tense Roguelite That Will Have You Fearing Foes At Every Turn
Uppercut Games' City of Brass could have just been another 2D roguelite in an ocean of them. Luckily, two major factors set it apart: The Arabian Nights-inspired setting, and the choice to make the game a 3D adventure presented from a first-person perspective. As one of a series of unlockable adventurers, the player must traverse the city in search of the treasures within, while being careful to evade skeletal enemies and fiendish traps.
Those who remember classic video game adaptation Deathtrap Dungeon will have a good idea of what to expect here. The game is very light on the puzzling, but there are health-sapping traps at every turn and the enemies come from every direction. The perspective is unlike anything from the Prince of Persia games, and the whip mechanic provides something very versatile to experiment with. Perhaps you'll notice something protruding from the ceiling that you can use to swing yourself across to the exit of a room, conveniently evading several traps at once, or you may be able to strike a trap from a distance to activate it and blast your enemies with it instead. It's a very punishing experience, but one in which exploring the environment for those little things that may give you an advantage is key. First-person is a great way to make that work.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
