Summary
- Landmark third-person shooters set staples: cover systems, over-the-shoulder camera and bullet time.
- They broadened the genre, merging horror, platforming, cinematic story, open worlds and RPG mechanics.
- Those innovations still define modern third-person shooters across styles and platforms.
While third-person shooters may be some of the most popular games around these days, it did admittedly take a few years until developers fully realized not only what people expect from the genre, but also the many different ways it could be taken. As with most video game genres, there have been several extremely important titles that helped to define what third-person shooters truly are, while also adding in their own gimmicks, mechanics, and systems to help push these kinds of games in new and interesting directions.
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As a result, the third-person shooter template that we're all familiar with today was slowly molded over time and influenced by a handful of excellent titles that have been released over the last decade or so. With arguably the most iconic game of this bunch recently receiving a remake and finally being ported over to a rival console, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on the third-person shooters that have helped not only make the genre mainstream but also establish what it even is at its core.
Gears Of War
Tight And Snappy Gameplay With A Focus On Gore And Brutality
Gears of War
- Released
- November 7, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Though the third-person shooter genre existed long before Gears of War arrived in 2006, there are two main reasons why so many people credit this influential title for being hugely important to the genre. The first is how it managed to incorporate a responsive and snappy cover system to resolve the camera issue that had plagued so many games that came before. Usually, a third-person shooter camera will wildly swing around the player as they're trying to pick off targets, but by allowing players to stick to a wall or pieces of debris like glue, it gives them much more control over their shots, resulting in gunfights being a lot more enjoyable to be a part of.
On the other hand, Gears of War also placed a heavy emphasis on its gore, encouraging players to annihilate the enemy Locust by obliterating them in any way they can imagine, whether it be with a chainsaw or just a good old-fashioned explosive shotgun blast. These days, there are a plethora of third-person shooters that include both the cover system and the bloody aesthetic that Gears of War is so well known for, with it being undoubtedly one of the most important games in the genre.
Resident Evil 4
Proving The Third-Person Camera Angle Belongs In Horror
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Though third-person shooters had long been associated with action and war games, Capcom decided to get a little experimental by incorporating a third-person camera into Resident Evil 4, which, of course, is part of the horror franchise. However, this time around, Leon was facing off against enemies who were a lot faster and more aggressive than the average zombie, and with the camera hovering just behind his shoulder, it created a tense and immersive gameplay experience that inspired the horror genre to reinvent itself for a modern audience.
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It wouldn't be long after Resident Evil 4's release that many other horror developers also started to use the third-person angle to amplify their own horror games, with Dead Space being the biggest example. While this does admittedly tend to lead to more action, it's also a clever way to keep players engaged by making them feel as if they are truly living the nightmare themselves. To put it simply, Capcom proved the third-person shooter genre also had an open spot for horror, with plenty of developers now being confident to merge the two into one terrifying package.
Ratchet & Clank
Adding A Little More Chaos And Excitement To The Traditional Platforming Formula
Ratchet & Clank
- Released
- November 6, 2002
- ESRB
- Teen // Mild Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Platformer
For a long while, platformer games had often been associated with kids, considering they didn't tend to contain any violence or mature content that would often be associated with horror, action, or fighting games. Insomniac, however, made the bold decision to reject this notion when they created Ratchet and Clank, a fun and stylized platformer where players spend a good chunk of the game blasting away robots with a massive arsenal of quirky weapons.
While there isn't any blood or gory content featured in the game, it's definitely a lot more action-packed than the likes of Mario, Sonic, and many of the other platformers that had gained notoriety at the time. Insomniac succeeded in striking a delicate balance between slow and strategic platforming sections and all-out chaotic gunfights that are an absolute blast to partake in, encouraging other platformer developers, who may have been hesitant to use the third-person shooter formula initially, to at least give it a try in their own games.
Uncharted
Naughty Dog's Passion Project Proved That Third-Person Shooters Don't Need To Be Mindless
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
- Released
- November 19, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Third-person shooters were often viewed as little more than mindless shooting galleries by those who have never played them, but one game that helped to change this common perception was the first Uncharted. While Nathan Drake is free to gun down a staggering number of enemies across his grand adventure, the game also has plenty of climbing, swimming, and even vehicle sections, which give the player a lot more to do than just simply running and gunning through each new area.
The game also focuses on its story and characters a lot more than the majority of third-person shooters did at the time, which were mostly aiming to be chaotic thrill-rides that were all about action and combat. In contrast, Uncharted took a more refined approach to each and every aspect of the experience, while also taking a page out of the third-person shooter playbook to appeal to a modern audience of gamers.
Max Payne
A Cool And Stylish Take On Third-Person Shooters, Packed With Unique Mechanics And Systems
Max Payne
- Released
- July 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
It would have been pretty easy for the third-person shooter genre to eventually run out of steam if it continued following the same formula, but in 2001, a game by a largely unknown developer came out of nowhere to shake up the genre for good. While Max Payne is well known for its bizarre but intriguing graphic novel-like story, what really made the game stand out was its incorporation of Bullet Time, a technique which many people were familiar with from The Matrix, which was released only two years prior.
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By slowing down time, players are able to pinpoint every one of their shots to take down an entire room of thugs in mere seconds. It might sound like a simple mechanic on paper, but it was a genius idea that allowed players to get a lot more strategic in how they played the game. Max Payne would be so influential that many future third-person shooters would directly copy this mechanic and modify it to suit their own gameplay, with popular examples being Vanquish and Wanted.
Crackdown
Merging Third-Person Shooter Gameplay With A Giant Unpredictable Sandbox
Crackdown
- Released
- February 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
From a developer's perspective, when creating a third-person shooter title, it would be easy to assume that all players want to do is simply fire away at as many enemies in front of them as possible. The truth is, though, this gameplay loop can become boring very quickly if there's nothing else to keep players engaged, and this is something that developers Realtime clearly took into account when creating Crackdown. Crackdown is a game that carries forward the basic templates of the third-person shooter formula, while also giving players the freedom to explore a giant sandbox that is packed full of activities to complete.
This means there's always something to get up to, whether it's a brand-new race, or even just a side activity to earn some extra EXP. Nowadays, third-person shooters set in big sprawling open-worlds have become extremely popular, and while there are many games that helped to merge the two, the one that deserves the most credit for inspiring the idea is definitely Crackdown.
Mass Effect
BioWare's Sci-Fi Adventure Proved That RPGs Could Work With An Over-The-Shoulder Action Combat
Mass Effect
- Released
- November 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
RPGs have been around for a very long time, but once modern consoles started taking over in the early 2000s, many developers struggled to find a way to make these games more accessible and easier to play for those who didn't play games on PC. Not willing to let their latest passion project fade into obscurity, legendary developers BioWare found a way to make their new RPG, Mass Effect, as familiar as possible to new gamers, while also adding in plenty of RPG systems to ensure it didn't just turn into one giant shooting gallery.
They achieved this by using a third-person camera angle, which was very different from the top-down view that a lot of classic RPGs would have as the standard. Therefore, while Shephard and his squadmates are free to gun down anyone who tries to stop them in their mission to stop Saren, there are also plenty of abilities and powers that can be thrown out in the middle of combat to spice things up. Of course, there's also the dialogue wheels and companion relationships, which reinforce the idea that, though this may be a third-person shooter game, it's also an RPG at heart, emphasizing that the two don't need to remain separate from one another.
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