Video game developers, designers, and scholars have devoted a substantial amount of time to understanding immersion—the psychological state in which players feel present within the game world—and avatar identification. That is what makes a player really connect and engage with a game. First-person perspective is one identified way of making gameplay more immersive, immediate, and engaging.
Let’s be honest, no game is perfect. But the first-person games on this list are about as close as you can get. These are the games that innovated, iterated, or perfected the form. Many of these games built off what came before them and, in turn, shaped the landscape of first-person games to come. They are perfection in first-person games in that they are beloved landmarks of video game history, and would not have been the same game if they were third-person.
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First-person is more than shooters, and it’s more than a mode. It is a fundamental design choice that shaped the way these beloved games draw players in and are remembered long after they stop playing. Here are some honorable mentions that we would be remiss in omitting: Deus Ex, Quake, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Metroid Prime, Left 4 Dead 2, Thief: The Dark Project, and System Shock 2.
Half-Life 2
We Don't Go To Ravenholm
Half-Life 2
- Released
- November 16, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
It’s not a coincidence that so many of the games on this list used one Half-Life engine or another in their first iterations. The first Half-Life was iconic, but Half-Life 2 took that legacy and pushed it to new heights. Gordon Freeman continues to take on an alien invasion that is 1000% not in his job description as a theoretical physicist.
From the terrifying close-ups of the head crabs that leap at Gordon with no fear for their own safety, to the unnerving eye contact of the G-man, the first-person POV makes for some of the most memorable moments in early 2000s gaming. Half-Life 2 also introduced the strangely Gothic departure from the sci-fi horror of the rest of the game in the section in Ravenholm, which inspired many first-person horror games.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Rest In Peace
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Released
- August 21, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Iconic team shooter CS:GO had its humble beginnings in 2017 when it was released to little fanfare and critical acclaim. It then went on to become one of the most popular first-person shooters of all time. Many other games have attempted to copy the fast-paced combat with mixed success. Its recognizable hand and knife animations and multi-levelled maps make it incredibly obvious when another game is trying to emulate CS:GO gameplay.
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The problematic loot box mechanics notwithstanding, the game had an enthusiastic and dedicated fan base and a thriving e-sports scene. It’s worth noting that this entry clearly and deliberately differentiates between CS:GO and CS2 here. When CS2 was released in 2023, it controversially replaced the original. We may never play the original CS:GO again without hacks and mods, but it will live on in the players' hearts and minds.
Portal
Now You're Thinking With Portals
Portal
- Released
- October 10, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
Portal is arguably the Platonic ideal of what a first-person game can be. Chell, as the silent protagonist, is never seen, except through portals at a certain angle, and her relative anonymity is important in allowing the player to embody the player-character. This is absolutely necessary when navigating the fiendish and innovative physics puzzles.
The physics would feel completely different if the player were experiencing them first-person rather than falling face-first into a carefully calculated action loop. The loneliness of not seeing a single human avatar, player character, or otherwise, really enhances the empty dystopian test chambers of Aperture Science. Players really get the feeling of being at the mercy of the whims and machinations of GLaDOS.
Doom
You Are Doom Guy
Doom (1993)
- Released
- December 10, 1993
WHERE TO PLAY
This first-person shooter has stood the test of time. It has been revived, revitalized, reworked, and ported to just about any platform and format you could name, including PDF. The first-person view of Doom gameplay is perhaps one of the most recognizable sights in video games.
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It’s hard to imagine Doom without the gore and viscera flying into your character's face from a recently obliterated demon. The impact of the first-person POV and the intense soundtrack is undeniable and was quite revolutionary at the time. But as revolutionary as Doom was, it is important to remember that it was building off the legacy of Wolfenstein’s 3D engine.
Dishonored
No Trace, Clean Hands
Dishonored
- Released
- October 9, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Dishonored affords a level of moral flexibility and diversity of approaches in gameplay that no two players are likely to experience or interpret the narrative in the same way. The first-person perspective enhances the immediacy of a player’s moral choices in the game. It's hard to escape from the brutal death you have inflicted on a guard just doing his job when it is close to your face.
The skills and powers that Corvo uses, not to mention his fluid movement about the city, are stunning in first-person. Dishonored 2 could easily make a longer version of this list, as Emily’s play style adds a whole new dimension to the first-person gameplay.
GoldenEye 007
Slappers Only
GoldenEye 007
- Released
- August 25, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
Those who didn’t encounter GoldenEye 007 when it was first released may be baffled by this inclusion. Especially those whose first experience of the game has been on Xbox Game Pass, surrounded by newer, shinier games. But for many, GoldenEye 007 is such a potent point of nostalgia that it seems utterly perfect.
Rather than playing in the third person as the handsome and suave James Bond, players could take on a variety of characters, but always with the same outcome: a compelling first-person slapstick comedy masquerading as an action shooter. The joy of using your pixelated hands to slap NPCs or friends is just a delight that would not be the same without that first-person perspective.
Titanfall 2
Mech Fighting
Titanfall 2
- Released
- October 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- FPS
No one could have anticipated that the unremarkable Titanfall would be followed up by one of the most highly regarded first-person shooters of all time. Part of the enduring appeal of Titanfall 2 is the immediacy and streamlined action that first-person affords. The lack of an intrusive third-person character model makes for more intuitive combat and movement.
The combat, both in and out of BT, is fantastic. The first-person animation sequence of getting into the mech suit feels amazing due to its fluidity. Players can focus on the details of the mech interface while still maintaining a relatively wide field of view.
The Stanley Parable
The End Is Never The End
The Stanley Parable
- Released
- October 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
What is there to say about the narrative masterpiece that is The Stanley Parable that hasn’t already been said in a million articles and think pieces? The game is effective in large part because Stanley is so intangible, which gleefully messes with the player’s perception of what a video game ought to be. The Stanley Parable would be far less immersive without the first-person perspective.
It’s also worth noting that the impact of seeing Stanley in the third person is the death scenes, or in the more eerie sequences of the Ultra Deluxe release. Seeing the transition from first to third person in the infinite hole is part of what makes it one of the most memorable sequences in the new version.
Prey
Good Morning, Morgan
Prey
- Released
- May 5, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
One of the key effects of putting gameplay in first person is the sense of immersion and complicity that can emerge during morally confronting sequences. Aside from the immediacy of the horror elements in Prey, the first-person view draws the player into the moral quandaries at the heart of the core narrative of the game.
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The play is Morgan Yu, and the big twist at the end is only effective because of the additional subjectivity that the first-person angle provides. Like the headcrabs before them, the mimic typhons will hurl themselves at the player, attempting to eat them. This is made all the more terrifying by their proximity in first-person.
BioShock
Would You Kindly...
BioShock
- Released
- August 21, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Irrational Games
- Genre(s)
- FPS
The dystopian and labyrinthine ruins of the underwater city of Rapture have an intensity and a horrific resonance that the third person does not afford. The reveal of the haunting beauty of the decaying Art Deco buildings and the whale that drifts through the scene is unimpeded by a player character avatar. It is just the player alone with the view and the dramatic words of Andrew Ryan.
This is another game that draws on the first-person perspective to build complicity and subjectivity. When the character does something morally questionable, the player may feel more implicated in their actions. It also makes building upon the mythos of the player character easier and their characterization more flexible. This can be really important for future installations in a series.
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