First-Person Options in Third-Person Games

I've been playing "The Evil Within 2" for the past couple days and I'm really enjoying it so far. The story is not bad, the game play is fun and responsive, the atmosphere is actually scary compared to the last one, and the stealth mechanics are pretty neat. One thing in particular though, really caught my eye. During certain stealth segments in the game and with the use of console commands on PC, the camera perspective switches from third-person over the shoulder view to a first-person view. This camera switch adds an extra degree of difficulty to the stealth mechanics, and flushes out the new forms of gameplay in the game. This got me thinking though, what other games switch to or add a first-person perspective that was originally third-person? And more importantly which ones do it well?

Besides most if not all driving/racing games allowing you to switch from over the car to first-person view, the only other two that comes to mind right now is "GTA V" and "Star Wars Battlefront". Both originally starting with or having a third-person view from the get go, then adding in the ability to switch to first-person view whenever you want. Now I know that there are probably more examples out there, but as of right now these are the only two that come to mind that do it well. 

In "GTA V", the gameplay perspective has been set in third-person for over the past 13 years since "GTA III". Until in 2014 when "GTA V" crossed over from the older console generation to the newer "PlayStation 4" and "Xbox One". With this crossover, the game developer "Rockstar", allowed players to switch over from the original third-person view, to a new first-person view. This allowed players to experience the open world sandbox like never before, and gave an extra degree of difficulty to playing the game. However, even with it being a cool feature, and it surprisingly working well, playing in first-person in a game that was originally third-person isn't always the best. First, the controls and gameplay doesn't really change much when you switch perspectives. So, when playing it feels somewhat off, as if it's not really meant to be played like this. Second, it limits your view, and in a game where someone can run up behind you and just steal your money, having a larger area of view is pretty important.

Now with "Star Wars Battlefront", the game always gave you the ability to switch perspectives. One was never locked out from the other. Now with this being an online shooter, giving the player the choice between playing in first or third person is amazing. It is fully utilizing this mechanic by giving everyone access to how they want to play. Do you want to have a sort of tunnel vision when you play? Then first-person is for you. Or do you prefer it when you field of view is larger for when you camp in a corner? Then third-person is the right choice. Giving players a choice on how they want to play gets huge thumbs up from me, however some might say that due to everybody playing with different camera perspectives, it creates an unlevel playing field. 

Games that allow for different camera perspectives can be a real plus to the game if done correctly. Though sometimes if done poorly or just lazily they can really feel like a cheap add-on that wasn't even worth the time of the developers or players. 

What do any of you think? I for one will always enjoy switching to a first-person view when given the choice in games. Do you prefer it as well or does the third-person option suit you more? Also, if any of you have any other examples of games that allow for different camera perspectives in game, please share them in the comments below. I would love to see more games with this feature. Until next time, everyone.

Motion Sickness in First-Person Games

The beauty of a first-person game is that they’re designed to make gamers feel as though they are living it. The story becomes your own, because the characters you play are meant to be you. It’s a brilliant way to immerse you into the game’s world, but while the majority of gamers can enjoy or even prefer first-person gaming, there are those who can’t. It’s not for lack of want; it’s due to a troublesome setback caused by video game motion sickness.
 
Motion sickness caused by video games, sometimes called simulator sickness, is caused when there is a disconnect between what your eyes are seeing and what your body is feeling. Basically, what is all comes down to is camera movement and what your eyes focus on when looking at the screen. The symptoms of this include, but are not limited to, headaches, dizziness, nausea, heavy sweating, and excessive production of saliva.

I've been playing "Mirrors Edge" and "Elite Dangerous" as of late and I have been experiencing headache after headache to the point where I have to walk away from the screen. I don't really succumb to motion sickness as much as I used to when I was younger, but something about those two games really threw me on a loop. As I stepped away from the games every now and then, I pondered on what allowed me to outgrow my sense of motion sickness.

From what I remember, I always used to sit up close to the TV, because that's what you did as a kid. I learned later that making some room between me and the screen helped a lot, but as of late I've been playing games on my desk monitor that's 20 inches from my face. Besides that, I also always played in the dark to help with the atmosphere of the game. Turns out, that's a big contributor to motion sickness as well. Lastly, I think I just forced through them. After multiple sessions of gaming growing up, I just got used to it. Now granted, my headaches aren't as bad as when I was younger, but I haven't been playing video games for a little over a week now. Maybe my eyes just got accustomed to not staring at a screen all day. 

So what are my prevention's??

• Put space between you and the screen
• Play in a well lit room
• Just brute force it, your eyes will become accustomed to it eventually

Do any of you have any sort of remedies for motion sickness or do you still suffer from it on occasion. Share them in the comments below, who knows they might help me or others out. I've heard that some medication helps, but I never bothered. Like I said, I just forced my way through most of the time. Until next time everyone.

Motion Blur in First-Person Games

Over the many years, I've been playing video games, and more specifically first-person video games, I've noticed a certain aspect that is in many games that I can't quite seem to understand the purpose of. If you haven't noticed from the title, I'm talking about motion blur of course. 

Motion blur is the apparent streaking of rapidly moving objects in a still image or sequence of images. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single exposure, either due to rapid movement or long exposure. Think of it as when you're turning the camera around rapidly or the camera focuses on a gun in the player's hands. 

The problem I have with motion blur is that it creates a sense of blindness in some cases in video games. Even in racing games with an over the car view, it seems like everything around is blurred and not properly textured. Whenever I want to look around in-game to enjoy the scenery or I'm in the middle of a fire fight, the sudden camera movement causes motion blur that I find disorienting. Whenever I'm given the option to turn it off, I always turn it off.

The only reason I could see is using them for PR footage since it looks more cinematic when viewed as a trailer or machinima. But during normal gameplay, what is the purpose? Our eyes already account for the effects. Motion blur simply blurs the screen excessively to the point of annoyance. Depth of field on the other hand chooses for the player where to focus. Why would I want that loss of freedom? Our eyes naturally blur whatever we're not focusing on. Say it's a first-person shooter and I look at my gun, my eye naturally blurs the background, and vice versa. If the game is forcing the peripheral to be blurred and I want to glance over to the side of my screen to spot an enemy without moving, I am instead shown a blurrier image. I can't imagine a scenario I would ever want this. Games aren't still images or movies where we need to be shown where to focus, so why do game developers keep including these useless features?

I think this is part of the overall emphasis on post processing effects the last 5 years or so, the large majority of which make the game look or play worse. Light bloom is another culprit but at least when done minimally it can add to the imagery and realism. I must admit though, I can't think of a time this was ever the case. For the most part, post processing effects simply serve to make the image look blurrier. If game developers focus on the core tenants of textures, models, and lighting, and use the post processing for subtle improvements, I think we'd be better off.

What do any of you guys think? Do any of you enjoy the use of motion blur, or does it just give you a headache like it does to me. Also, if any of you know any uses of motion blur that were used well, please comment about them below. I would like to know from anyone. Until next time. 

Titanfall 2's momentum-based movement

Okay, I know this blog is not just supposed to be about first-person shooters, but rather other video game sub-genres based around the first-person perspective. But I have been on a "Titanfall 2" binge for the last 2 weeks and I want to express my love of the movement in that game. 

So, to start things off, let's first describe what "Titanfall 2" is. The "Titanfall" game series is a first-person shooter created by Respawn Entertainment, that consist of 6v6 matches of "pilots" and "titans". "Pilots" are highly skilled soldiers that use parkour and jump jets to maneuver around the map. This creates opportunities for some high-speed action. "Titans" are giant, 25 feet tall battle mechs that pilots use to fight alongside them or control it themselves and fight as a titan on the battlefield. 

Now enough about that, let's explain the movement system. As described before, "pilots" can use parkour and jump jets to maneuver around the map. This mainly consist of wall-running, sliding, mantling, double jumps, and some extra tactical abilities that can help with movement, like grappling hooks and speed boosts. The ability to tap a button to double jump and run across walls to create a sense of momentum is a simple concept that is used in some games, but is really well done in "Titanfall 2". It successfully takes the movement system and asks players to use it to define their play style. Are you a run and gun type of player? Then move around the map as fast as you want with a speed boost. Do like to take the tactical route in shooters? Then go ahead and jump on top of a building with a grapple hook to get a strategic advantage. Is taking the sneaky and quite way your style? Then go invisible, and flank the enemy team by running across buildings. It's a refreshing take on a movement system that has become stale in recent years. 



(Example of the use of the grappling hook. Video by "ChristmasLights")


Ever since the release of the first Titanfall game back in 2014, other competitors tried to integrate movement systems into their games. For example, the last three "Call of Duty" titles have tried to push idea hard on all their players. The problem with this is that they were never really developed around the movement system, instead it just felt pushed in and unneeded. When we compare this to Titanfall, it feels like the game was built around the movement system and really takes advantage of the momentum based movement. Rather than it just being pushed in to a different type of game. 

Titanfall 2 also does some interesting things with its single player campaign as well. While it is still a somewhat linear campaign and story line, it still takes full advantage of the movement. Respawn Entertainment decided to craft large open spaces for players to take advantage of. Because of this, players are able to choose how they want to play. It's a refreshing use of a movement system, that breaks the mold of linear first-person shooter campaigns.

In the end, Titanfall 2's momentum-based movement system remains, by-far, the best in the first-person shooter genre. With its well done design to incorporate fast and fun movement, and mold breaking of the slow and sluggish gameplay that I feel like a lot of first-person shooters have had as of late. 

Does anyone else agree with me, or do you feel like shooters should be more boots to the ground style of gameplay. If anyone agrees with me, please suggest other games that incorporate a great movement system that incorporate momentum. The only other two I can think of right now are "Mirrors Edge" and "Dying Light".

Diversity in Overwatch

Now, today I wanted to go into something a little bit different. That's right, as you read from the title, today's post revolves around diversity. Specifically, diversity in one of my favorite first-person shooters to come out in the last year, "Overwatch". This game is an amazing first-person team based shooter that doesn't really change much in the terms of team based shooters. It doesn't break the mold, in fact it fits inside it perfectly, but that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's awesome. All and all it's just a really good game developed by the wonderful people over at Blizzard. Where two teams of six face off against each other to claim an objective or payload.

Now if you have never played Overwatch or gotten into the series at all, then you might be asking "What does this game have to do with diversity?" and I'll say "everything". (Note: I know that there are plenty of other games out there that do an okay job of expressing diversity, but I know this game the best and for a blog that revolves around the first-person aesthetic, I kind of put myself into a corner here.) As of right now Overwatch has a total of 24 playable characters, each with their own weapons, skill, and abilities. More importantly though, they are different in terms of race, age, gender, and size. You got guys and gals, thin and thick people, young and old people, human and non-human, and all in a variety of different races and nationalities. This game really breaks the mold of random white guys fighting against each other in shooters, which you see a lot of in games nowadays.

Besides that, the game also goes into discrimination territory too. The Overwatch universe is set within a world where people don't judge you on the color of your skin. They've grown past that and have bettered themselves from it, creating a more just and peaceful society. The advancement of technology grew so great and fast, it went to the point where the creation of artificial intelligence was created and robots pretty much became living creatures with their own thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, though humans and machines fought and a war was started. Even after the war ended and peace was achieved, people had a harsh view on the machines from then on. I don't really see this in many games, as much as this one, especially shooters for that matter. 

Each character comes from a different background that people can relate to in some way shape or form. Because of that, Overwatch has become a widely known and very popular video game that people can love not only for the great game play, but for its diverse cast of characters set in a world of heroes.

What do any of you think about this? Really, there's not much to go over, it's just a simple topic that I thought was interesting and one that the developers over at Blizzard did really well. Tell me some more games that played the diversity card well, or ones that played it bad.

Horror in First-Person

Hello everyone, in celebration of Halloween today's blog post I will be focusing on how first-person perspective effects the scare factor and all around spookiness in video games.

First off, I believe there are three things that can make or break a horror game. One, is the general atmosphere of the game. Whether it be a ghost town during a zombie apocalypse or a silent hospital that is haunted, creating a tense situation is key to perfecting a scary situation. Two, is the simple use of jump scares. While yes people criticize them for being cheap gimmicks that are overused in horror (which they kind of are), they are also just as effective as others forms of scares. Even if you know they are coming, the constant feeling of something popping up and scaring you, is within itself scary. Third, is the use perspective.

Recently I played the entire story line of the "Dead Space" game series, and it didn't really come to mind until now. I was never scared once throughout the entire three video games, and they are known to be the scary sci-fi re-imagining of the resident evil franchise. Don't get me wrong there were plenty of spooky and spine chilling moments in my play-through, but not once did I ever freak out due to a scare. I was more worried about my ammo conservation then the killer alien/zombies on the ship. The reason why I believe I wasn't scared was because the game took place in a third-person perspective.

"Dead Space 3"

This is where my previous point comes into play. The different uses of perspective are a critical piece of any horror video game. In a third-person perspective you are given an over the shoulder view of your character. This gives you a wide view of everything your character sees and then some. With having the entire room in your field of view and a simple camera turn to look behind you, there comes a slight miss in the immersion factor. In a first-person perspective, your view is very limited. You are only able to see what is directly in front of you, and for you to see what is behind you, you would have to do a full 180 degree turn. In doing so, you create an opportunity for the game to pull off a jump scare when you turn back around. A semi-recent example of this would have to be in the "Outlast" series. The entirety of the game is taken place in a mental hospital full of deranged killers, and you the player are trying to escape. It takes place in first-person and the game makes full use out of that. Throwing jump scares, chase scenes, and hiding segments at you from the start, and it's your job to play the game using only your eyes and a night vision camera to see what's in front of you.

"Outlast"

I guess in short what I'm trying to say is that horror video games set in a first-person perspective are far more tense and terrifying due to your limited view and increased sense of immersion. It really adds to the atmosphere by decreasing what you can witness, and really emphasizes on those jump scares by getting in your face. 

Tell me what you guys think in the comments below. Do you agree with me that first-person adds to the spookiness in horror games, or do you think other perspectives give off a better vibe when it comes to horror? Also, in spirit of Halloween, tell me some good scary games to play for October. I've been wanting to expand my collection and would love to see what you guys suggest.

First-Person Shooters in eSports

CSGO Championship

 If you are or have ever have been associated with the gaming community, one point or another you have come across something called "eSports". For those who are not aware, eSports is simply electronic sports. Meaning, competitive gaming between two individuals or professional teams playing against each other. The most common video game genres associated with eSports are MOBA's (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), RTS's (Real Time Strategy), Fighters, and of course FPS's (First-Person Shooters). Esports are global in a way that few traditional sports are. They transcend national borders, language barriers, markets, and celebrate experiences that reward skill, commitment, and cooperation.

Rainbow Six: Siege

 For being quite popular, eSports weren't widely known until the early 2000's when Arena Shooters like "Quake" were popular. It was the time where everything was fast paced and chaotic to the point where only those who were playing could understand what was happening on screen. As opposed to now where the main First-Person Shooters associated with eSports are now games like Counter Strike and Rainbow Six: Siege.

Quake

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong these games, it's just that for me, they lack that high octane, fast paced action that's hard to come by any more. Instead you get long periods of time where you're watching someone sit in a corner for 15 minutes. The once ever so popular sub-genre called Arena Shooters, were amazing for competitive gaming, and for me being a sort of casual who never truly got into the competitive side of gaming, there was always something enjoyable when you watched someone play the game at the highest level. Knowing more than just running and gunning, and using high amounts of knowledge, strategy, and tactics to survive.

Now, whenever I'm on Twitch, most of the FPS's games in the eSports side of gaming is being blinded by MOBA's and RTS's. And not only that, but the fighting game community is full of nothing but hostile people looking for grudge match. I feel like First-Person Shooters aren't as popular as they once were. I don't know, I guess I just want that fast paced, high action, and friendly competition that first-person arena shooters brought. Oh well, I hope to see the FPS genre still have a share in the eSports community, and one day bring in some new heavy hitters that will break the mold of slow objective based shooters.

First-Person in Virtual Reality: Do I think it's worth it?

In the past, few years virtual reality has become a new way in consuming and producing content. From streaming videos on your phone to training new employees with hands on equipment, virtual reality is becoming more mainstream in many ways. For this blog post however, I will be talking about one form of content in particular. That is of course, first-person video games. 

First off, virtual reality or otherwise known as VR, is a three-dimensional computer generated environment that is created to give off an artificial, but otherwise life like experience that we can explore and interact with ourselves. With this technology we can play games through our own perspective, and not just through the perspective of a character on a screen either, no we experience it with our own two eyes. The way we experience this is with the use of a virtual reality headset.  To name off a few, those would be the "HTC Vive", the "Oculus Rift", and the "PlayStation VR". Now there are probably more out there that are currently being developed or don't have the spotlight shined on them, but when it comes to video games these are your three main competitors.
 

"HTC Vive"

"Oculus Rift"

"PlayStation VR"

My personal views on virtual reality when it comes to video games is that it has the capability to further our experience in video games in a true first-person fashion. However, I don't really think we are at a point where virtual reality is a revolutionary new way to play video games that will one day take away controllers and replace them with big awkward headsets. I think of VR more as a gimmick as of right now, mainly due to the lack of content being created for them. While yes there are plenty of games being created for this platform, I don't really see them as full-fledged games. Rather, they are more like experiences that you would share with some friends or by yourself for a short period of time then move on to something else.

Also, don't think these experiences comes cheap. As of right now, these headsets will cost you a sum of around $350-$600 depending on which one you choose, and that's just the headset alone. You will also have to invest into a machine to run the games as well. This can be another $300 for a PlayStation 4 or around $750 for a beefy PC.

Note that I have never personally used or played with VR, so my viewpoint may change depending on I have some hands-on time with one. As of right now though, coming from an outsider's perspective, I don't think VR is worth the time or money for a short 30 min. experience that I'll play for a week then never touch again.

Tell me what you guys think. Do you want VR to become the new normal way experience video games, or do agree with me and believe that it's just a gimmick that won't make substantial leap for quite a while? Also, if any of you own or have used a VR headset tell me what's it like in the comments below. Until next time everybody.

First-Person Shooters 1970's-1990's

I've noticed in the comments of my previous blog post that some of you wanted me to write about the history of some first-person shooters. I knew I was going to have to write about it at some point, but I just didn't want it to be my first post. The reason why is because, I wanted to give out the information about first-person games first, then worry about history at a different time. Now is that time. Today I will be going over the history of first-person games. Where the concept came from and how it developed over the years.

The earliest examples of first-person games go back to around the 1970's, when Steve Colley and Jim Bowery created two separate video game titles. Those two games were Steve Colley's "Maze War" and Jim Bowery's "Spasim". Comparing to modern games they were very simple concepts. In "Maze War" you were walking through a maze in a first-person perspective view and looking for giant eyeball monsters to shoot. The game "Spasim" was just a first-person flight simulator in space. Neither of these games were fully developed and sold. They were just simple projects to test in order to figure out what they could develop. 

Maze War                                     Spasim

Over the years many first-person games came out and were heavily popular in arcades. Light gun shooters being a good example, but they lacked any sort of interactivity that video games need. You were pretty much only on a set rail telling you where to go and then you could shoot any enemies on the screen. It wasn't until 1990's when first-person games got kicked into high gear. Texas developer Id Software created one of the first revolutionary first-person shooters that helped get the ball rolling. I'm talking about "Wolfenstein 3D" of course. For its time, the environments and character models were impressive, and it all ran smoother than any 3D shooter that had come before it. With the success of the game, it effectively popularized the run-and-gun style of shooting, making it easy for everybody to pick up and start playing from the get go. One year later "Doom" came into play, and it instantly became another cult classic. With it being better than "Wolfenstein 3D" by improving on every aspect that was previously made, and even adding things like fleshed out level design, a variety of weapons, and even multiplayer, "Doom" established the genre of first-person shooters for entire generations to come.

"Wolfenstein 3D"

"Doom"

Now I know I'm talking a lot about shooters right now, but they were the starting points of first-person perspective games. Later, the concept of first-person was used for other genres as well. With fantasy and adventure games like the elder scroll series, racing games like Forza, and in today's world indie development studios make a plentiful amount of games that tells a rich narrative story that are told in first-person. For now, I think this is a good stopping point. This blog post was mainly about shooters, later I would like to expand on this and show how first-person games can be something else besides shooters. This isn't to say I don't like shooters, but rather I think first-person games should be known for more than that. Until next time.

Game Mechanics of First Person Games

In today's blog, I will be describing first-person a little more in depth than before while also going over different game mechanics used in first person shooters ranging from the standard stuff you would find in all of them to more unique in game mechanics that you can't find in other games.

First-Person
As I have discussed before, "first-person" refers to a graphical perspective rendered form the viewpoint of the player's character. In some cases, this viewpoint may be from the cockpit of a vehicle like "Ace Combat" or a perspective of a video camera in game like in "Outlast". Over the years in video game history, many different genres have used the perspective of "first-person", ranging from adventure games to flight simulators. The most notable of all genres to utilize this perspective is first person shooters (FPS), where the graphical perspective has a important impact on game play.

 

"Ace Combat"

Game Mechanics
What game mechanics are at their most basic form are constructed rules and methods designed for how you interact with the game. Video games with a first-person perspective uses a game mechanic that makes your character avatar-based, what that means is that the game displays what the player's avatar would see with the avatar's own eyes. Now because of this, the player typically doesn't see the avatar that they're playing as, aside from weapons, hands, and the occasional feet. Take "Call of Duty" for example, through the entirety of the game you play as soldier who is on the battlefield of some firefight. You don't have any sort of context of what you look like or even what you sound like for that matter. (Unless seen through a cinematic cut-scene) All you see is the weapon being held in your own two hands and a objective marker telling you to head in that direction.

"Call of Duty: World at War"

Now because games with first-person perspectives don't show the player's avatar body, there is no need for any sort of sophisticated animations for the player's avatar, nor do they need to implement any sort of manual or automated camera-control scheme as you would see in third-person games. Because of this, players have a easier time aiming, since they have free reign over what they look at as well as no representation of the avatars body to block their view. However, there is a downside when it comes to seeing through first-person perspective. Depending on how fast you move or how well depth of field was implemented in game, it is hard to distinguish specific items in game. That is why whenever there is a specific item needed to be interacted with in game most of the time it is either highlighted or shown where it's at by a objective marker. 

So we've gone over how first-person perspective can limit the way the player sees the in game world, so how do game developers help with this. One way is the use of color. With the making of all games color pallets choices are very important when it comes to creating the game world. Too many games use the bland color and texture of gray,green, and brown in many shooters, and in time it just becomes boring to look at as time goes on. That's why games like "Mirror's Edge" are a special. "Mirror's Edge" uses contrasting colors to differentiate between items the player can and cannot interact with. The setting in "Mirror's Edge" is a clean, white city that for all intensive purposes is rooftops, and the player is running on rooftops using the environment to help move them around. The way it shows what the player can use is by highlighting the objects in bright red through the power of your "runner vision". 

"Mirror's Edge rooftop"

It kind of goes to show that games made in first-person allows us to really experience the game in a more, I wouldn't quite say natural, but free-form kind of way. They allow us freedom of control in game, whether it be camera or movement. First-person video games lets us dive into what we can perceive as real life, and as time goes on it will only get better. With things like "Virtual Reality" being easily accessible today and "Augmented Reality" around the corner we can see the game and world differently through our very own eyes, but that's a topic for another day. For now that's all for this blog post, until next time.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Michael Soelter, and this is my first ever blog. Over the course of this blog I will be posting anything related to video games that are experienced or seen through in first-person. What this means is in video games first-person refers to a graphical perspective seen from the viewpoint of your character. Topics could include: new games coming out in the first-person genre, new ways to immerse yourself with the perspective of first-person, or thoughts and ideas of how first-person perspective is better or worse in some scenarios of video games. 

If you're wondering why I decided that this will be the main focus on this blog, it's because of two reasons. One is because, I've always thought that video games played through the perspective of your character were much more fun than other games played through other perspectives. As a kid I didn't understand why, I just chose to play what was more fun in my opinion, but as I got older I understood that the reason why was because of immersiveness. When you play in first-person, you see the world in the eyes of your character, rather than from up in the sky as seen in moba's or from the side of the screen as seen in side-scrollers. This allows you to experience the in-game world as if you were seeing it through your eyes, and I've always been drawn to that sort of feeling, that immersiveness that makes you feel like your in the game. Two is because, I've always been a sucker for first-person shooters. I feel like I know them the most out of all genres of videos games that I play, and I figured why not write something that I know and love about the most. 

So, that pretty much sums up what I think and what I will be doing with this blog. I hope someone finds this interesting and feels free to comment about what you think.