Games That Make Great, Unexpected Use Of First-Person

Seeing the game through the player’s eyes, known as first-person perspective, can really enhance many different types of games. It’s particularly good at making you feel like you’re in the game world. Horror games, for instance, are much scarier when you experience the events directly, rather than watching them happen to a character from behind. This is a key reason why the camera work in games like Outlast is so impactful. The first-person viewpoint also works wonderfully in fast-paced action games.

I’ve noticed some games where first-person just…doesn’t seem natural at first. It feels like something extra, maybe a fun little addition or an option most players won’t bother with. But honestly, it can really work! These games weren’t built with a first-person view in mind, but they totally embraced it and ended up being surprisingly fun to play that way.

6. Tekken 2’s Wireframe Mode

Far From The Most Practical Way To Play, But Iconic Nonetheless

Though not as extensive as Tekken 3, Tekken 2 had unique content of its own. It featured characters like Roger the kangaroo, Devil, and Angel, as well as different character forms like Prototype Jack, and fun bonus games. Big Head Mode, a classic gaming feature, is still funny in this installment. However, the most memorable addition was Wireframe Mode.

This feature gives you a unique first-person perspective, displaying your opponent as a green, wireframe version of your own character. It’s not a separate game mode, but something you can turn on at the beginning of a match after unlocking all characters. It drastically changes how the game plays, making combat much more difficult, which is probably why it wasn’t included in later games. Still, it was a fun, quirky, and surprisingly enjoyable addition to the game.

5. Command & Conquer: Renegade

Take The Fight To Opponents Directly

Strategy games often involve quickly building up an army and sending it to attack the enemy base. Typically, you view the action from above and give orders, which can feel a bit distant. However, Command & Conquer: Renegade did something different for the series: it let players experience the game in first-person. Those familiar with Battalion Wars on the GameCube – a real-time offshoot of the Advance Wars series – will understand what Renegade offers: the ability to directly control various Command & Conquer units.

The main story follows Captain Nick Parker as he works to stop the Brotherhood of Nod from seizing control of Tiberium. Nod plans to use Tiberium to build an incredibly powerful and nearly unbeatable army. This game offers a fresh first-person perspective for the series, with a third-person option available as well. Like many shooters, the multiplayer is the core of the game, and Renegade truly excels in this area. Players control two teams competing for resources and objectives, building different units to defeat each other. What makes it special is the ability to directly control everything from stealth tanks to artillery. This feature deserves to be brought back in future games, though the future of the Command & Conquer series is currently uncertain.

4. Metal Gear Solid

A New Perspective On Stealth

Creating a first-person view in a 2D game is difficult, so developers often try different methods to make it work. The Metal Gear series pioneered this with Metal Gear Solid in 1998, one of the first games to fully use a first-person perspective. It quickly established a common practice: switching to first-person when a character goes into a small space like a vent makes the camera work much smoother. In Metal Gear Solid, Snake does this early on, after leaving the Heliport, and it really adds to the game’s tense atmosphere. Seeing through Snake’s eyes, and glimpses of the areas ahead through the vents, emphasizes how dangerous his solo mission is.

The first-person view in the original Metal Gear Solid can be activated with a button press most of the time, though Snake can’t move while using it. It’s essential for aiming weapons like the Stinger missile launcher – trying to hit the Hind helicopter during the boss fight without it would have been extremely difficult. While these are the commonly known uses, there’s more to it. During the Psycho Mantis boss fight, holding the first-person view button lets you see through Mantis’ eyes, giving you clues about his movements and attacks. This is just one of the many clever details and hidden tricks added to the game by Hideo Kojima.

3. Metroid Prime

Behind The Visor

Some game series have a successful formula that creators and fans prefer not to change. However, the most innovative results often come from taking chances. Metroid Prime, developed by Retro Studios, was a big risk because it switched to a completely first-person perspective (except when using the Morph Ball). Luckily, the risk paid off, and this 2002 GameCube game became incredibly popular.

Playing as Samus in first-person feels incredibly immersive, letting you experience the stunning and often frightening world of Tallon IV directly through her visor. Small details, like raindrops, reflections, and even the visor fogging up in the cold, really draw you in. The game’s atmosphere is exceptional – something the Metroid series always did well, but Prime elevated to a whole new level. The Scan Visor mechanic, which lets you collect information about enemies and objects, makes you feel like you’re unraveling the planet’s secrets alongside Samus. And if you happen to own a rare copy of the game, it could be quite valuable!

2. City Of Brass

A Tense Roguelite That Will Have You Fearing Foes At Every Turn

City of Brass from Uppercut Games could easily have been lost among the many 2D roguelite games available. However, it stands out thanks to its unique setting, inspired by the tales of Arabian Nights, and its immersive first-person 3D gameplay. Players choose from a variety of unlockable characters and explore the city in search of treasure, all while avoiding dangerous skeletons and tricky traps.

If you’ve played the old video game Deathtrap Dungeon, you’ll quickly understand this game. It doesn’t focus much on puzzles, but it’s full of traps that drain your health and enemies attack from all sides. Unlike the Prince of Persia games, the viewpoint is different, and the whip offers a lot of creative options. You might find something hanging from the ceiling to swing across a room, dodging traps, or even trigger a trap remotely to harm your enemies. It’s a challenging game, but success depends on carefully exploring your surroundings for anything that can give you an edge, and the first-person perspective really helps with that.

1. Trespasser

An Ambitious Title That Was Certainly Creative

I always respect games that really try something different, and Trespasser definitely falls into that category. It’s a Jurassic Park game where you play as Anne, who ends up shipwrecked on Site B – yeah, Isla Sorna! – and things get prehistoric pretty fast. You’re basically scrambling to find any InGen gear you can to survive, because dinosaurs are everywhere. It was a really ambitious game, and honestly, sometimes that ambition got the better of it, but I still appreciate the attempt.

The game’s strength lay in making you feel truly present in the world. To achieve this, the developers intentionally avoided using a traditional heads-up display (HUD). Instead of seeing ammo counts on screen, your character, Anne, will tell you how much she has left – like saying “six left” or “eight shots.” That’s how you keep track of your supplies (though she might also awkwardly announce a number while shooting to update you!). You check Anne’s health by looking down at the tattoo on her chest. This unusual method, combined with the clunky controls – where you directly control her arm to pick things up – actually adds to the tension of being hunted by dinosaurs. It’s a control scheme that might seem silly today, almost 30 years after the game’s release. However, in 1998, Trespasser stood out with its massive, open world and incredibly bold ideas. It’s easily one of the most interesting first-person games ever made – not quite as fun as being the dinosaur, but surprisingly close.

2026-02-04 06:07