Summary
Some fans prefer to play first-person games, while others naturally opt for third-person experiences. Each style of play has its pros and cons, and, of course, there is a layer of pure subjectivity to the matter. These days, developers are a lot more accommodating of the player’s preference, including options to play in both styles. Games such asRed Dead Redemption 2andGrand Theft Auto 5both feature first-person modes despite being primarily third-person games. However, not every game incorporates this dual perspective.
This is where modding comes in handy. Indeed, many of thebest third-person gamesdon’t normally support first-person play out of the box, but modders have figured out clever ways to add it in unofficially. This allows users to experience their favorite games in a whole new way while allowing fans of primarily first-person-style games a good jumping on point. While one’s mileage may vary for some of these mods, these are a few third-person games that have first-person mods worth checking out.
1Max Payne Trilogy
Surprisingly Immersive Despite The Jank
TheMax Paynetrilogy is one of the most beloved third-person action games of all time and is often cited as an early pioneer in the genre. This, however, hasn’t stopped people from adding a first-person mode to the game. Various mods that accomplish this can be found on both the Nexus Mods and ModDB pages for the series by several different authors.
All these mods do is take the default camera position and move it into Max’s body. It may not be perfect (one may even catch a glimpse of Max’s head while performing certain actions). However, they are surprisingly immersive, add a new flavor tothe series' signature combat, and are relatively easy to install for each game. Above, players can check out one of them forMax Payne 2.
Since the game was first released inearly accessin 2021,Valheimhas seen countless mods released online for fans to experiment with. One of these mods is a first-person mode by Azumatt, which can be found on Valheim.thunderstorm.io, where it is actively updated to work with each new update the game receives.
Like any third-person game, simply adding a first-person mode is bound to come with some issues, thoughValheim’sare rather minor. There is only occasional minor clipping during certain movements. Some may also need to change their field of view for it to look right.
3Resident Evil 2, 3 & 4 Remake
Bringing A New Perspective To The Horror Classics
TheResident Evilseries has had its fair share of stylistic shakeups throughout its nearly thirty-year lifespan. WithResident Evil 7,the series finally moved into first-person territory, something the very first game almost did back in 1996. The success of this move undoubtedly contributed to players modding theResident EvilRemakesof2,3, and4to also feature it.
This is accomplished by downloading the REFramework mod on Github.com, in which there is a version specific to each game. The in-game menu added by the mod allows for extreme fine-tuning of FOV, camera placement, and much more. This is a must-have for anyResident Evilfans who want to make the games even more frightening.
It is a crime thatthe excellentDead Space Remakedidn’t have any sort of first-person toggle because the mod for the original proves that it works absurdly well concerning survival horror. The interesting thing about the wayDead Spaceworks, though, is that Isaac’s stats like health and stasis meters are displayed on his suit, meaning they can only be viewed in third person.
By playing in first-person, the player is forced to pay special attention to Issac’s breathing and heartbeat as well as how many stasis packs they pick up, among other things. This adds a layer of stress and discomfort that is both realistic and terrifying in the face of the necromorph onslaught. This mod was recently released in 2023 by ReverseEngineeringGamer on the game’s Nexus page and requires Cheat Engine to function.
The Witcher 3is already one of the best andmost immersive fantasy action gamesthere is. However, it lacks an official first-person mode likeRDR2or theElder Scrollsgames, which can be a turn-off for some people (similar to howCyberpunk’slack of third-person was a turn-off). The Gervant First Person mod by crthdr on Nexus is an actively supported mod that changes the perspective from third to first-person in every scenario, though it is highly configurable.
The mod gives the game an almostSkyrim-like presentation while exploring, and fans still get the awesome feel of aWitchergame in most other aspects. Nevertheless, players may need to download some extra combat-related mods to minimize some jankyness.
