Best Camera Controller in Third Person Games

Building a successful video game comes down to a series of crucial decisions. Everything from your color palette to your user interface can make or break your success on the open market. A key detail that needs to be thought about early on in your team’s planning is what type of player perspective you will use. The first choice is whether your game will be in first or third person. Just like writing a novel, the difference between these perspectives is night and day. Do you want players to see the world through their character’s eyes, or have a more omnipresent view of the world? In this article we will be focusing solely on the three main types of third-person perspectives seen in the gaming world, and the benefits and setbacks of each. As always, if you need help deciding which system is best for your game, or want some assistance programming things like cinematic camera cues or in-game camera controls, reach out to Argentics and we’ll be glad to help! Without further adieu, here’s our two cents on the best camera controllers for third person games.

Fixed camera systems are those in which players view gameplay from a series of fixed points, usually as though they are looking down from the sky upon their characters. This is a fantastic perspective for games that aren’t entirely player-centric, and want to let their story and action unfold in a more cinematic manner. Two of the most famous series to use this style are Fable and The Sims. These games have a very unique feel to them and execute the use of a fixed camera extremely well. While this angle isn’t for every game, if you’re trying to match the vibe of either of these iconic aries, it is worth drawing up some concept art from a similar perspective to see if you want to explore such a system for your own title. This perspective is also fantastic for tycoon and citybuilding games as it lets the player see more of the play area than they would from one character’s point of view.

Both casual adventure games like Animal Crossing and simulation sports games like NHL 25 benefit strongly from a fixed 3P perspective.

Another big perk of games played with a fixed camera system is that it allows developers to really showcase all of their art and assets on a player’s first playthrough. In open-world games that use more intimate camera settings, players are apt to walk right past a beautiful building, tree, graveyard, etc. without batting an eye at someone’s hard work. With a fixed camera, you can place your most impressive assets smack-dab in the middle of the screen and draw a lot of attention to them.

A great way that fixed camera angles can be introduced to games played in other perspectives is through minigames or mission-specific tasks. A steady view of a building-side in Hitman as you shimmy Agent 47 across ledges and under windows can give certain scenarios a mini-game-like feel and really change the way you approach a scenario. Other more movie-like games such as A Way Out used a fixed camera in certain scenes to conceal what your partner is up to, or to hide a big surprise waiting at the end of a mission. Games like these are a reminder that creativity is still king, and that your game does not need to be confined to just one perspective.

Fixed camera systems have a fairly niche applicability. While they thrive in story-driven and character managing games, they become tricky to program in genres where precision is key. A glaring example of this can be seen in sports titles, particularly the NHL series. When playing a multiplayer game on the same screen, the player attacking the net at the bottom of the screen needs to make a choice about their controller setup: should pulling back on their joystick still cause the player to wind up for a slapshot, or should all of the player inputs be reversed so they better mimic the movements of their hockey players? No matter your decision, it is always awkward and uncomfortable to essentially play a game upside-down from this perspective.

As with sporting titles, action games and shooters can get a bit tricky to control from this perspective, too. Should giving an “up” input cause your character to move up on the screen, or forward in the direction they are facing? In some games, this isn’t a big deal either way, but if you’re trying to react quickly in an action sequence, it can become a bit disorienting. Likewise, if your game involves gunplay or ranged combat, there is no great way to aim a shot. This perspective requires either a Dead Ops Arcade style where your shots go the direction your character faces, or a system that displays a line of aim or a throwing arc to help you direct your fire.

The last major drawback to a fixed camera system is its impact on player immersion. Though not a law of nature, set perspectives can have a negative effect on player immersion. Being able to see large parts of the world, such as enemies behind cover or a boss lying in wait at the far end of the screen can remove a lot of the suspense present in camera systems that follow the player more closely. If a tactical shooter or realistic action game is your end goal, then you may want to steer clear of this perspective.

Tracking cameras are those which follow the player from a few feet behind, and are fixed facing one direction (often in line with the characters frontside). Such a perspective is very similar to a first person experience as it prevents players from manipulating their camera angle to peek around corners or through windows without exposing themself. The debate rages on in forums about third person shooters like PUBG and Escape from Tarkov, and even in smaller fanbases like that of the dinosaur MMO Path of Titans. Proponents of a tracking camera think it is unfair if a player can lie behind cover and see an enemy on the other side. Path of Titans players argue it is unfair to predators if large herbivore builds can look behind themselves without turning around, as it makes them incredibly hard to sneak up on. Luckily, there are enough community servers out there to match just about any preferences, so try a few out and decide what is best for you!

Tracking cameras are also great for giving a character-based perspective in games already laden with a ton of controls. A good example of this is College Football’s “Road to Glory” mode, or NBA 2k’s “MyCAREER.” On console, controllers simply do not have enough joysticks or buttons to accommodate the player controlling the camera angle, so the game automatically tracking your player makes sure you can keep your focus on hitting that next nasty juke or eurostep.

Be a pro modes like College Football 25’s Road to Glory use a tracking camera, which frees up joysticks for user juke and tucking inputs. Games like Call of Duty use it to prevent players from camping behind cover and panning the camera to look for foes.

If the camera angle is fixed to the character’s perspective, some may ask why not just use first person instead? A big reason for this is that developers want to show off the art and animations they created for the main character. Nobody wants to spend hours perfecting their character’s appearance, just to see nothing but their hands on screen for the entirety of the game. Third person helps create a closer player-character bond as you are constantly watching them struggle through the gameworld, instead of always imagining yourself in that role.

The biggest drawback to a tracking camera is that it still doesn’t let players see everything about their character. The most glaring feature you miss out on is their face. Constantly viewing characters from their backside conceals the emotion of their face, which can make them feel a lot less personable. This issue can be remedied with a healthy blend of cutscenes or access to cinematic cameras while traveling, but these don’t always hit the same.

Last but not least are interactive camera systems. This system is very similar to a tracking camera, but lets a player pan the camera in any direction they please. Some games, like GTA and Red Dead Redemption, have this free-look feature constantly attached to the player’s mouse or joystick. Other more tactical games usually bind a button to the mouse or joystick so that the player is always squared up when running, unless you choose to move their head to look around. Either way, this system blends the worldview of a fixed camera with the immersion of a tracking camera to create a wonderful experience.

Story-strong action games like RDR2 use an interactive camera to let players see their favorite protagonist from all angels. Meanwhile, competitive battle royale PUBG uses one to let players look beside/behind them while traversing the map.

One of the greatest things about interactive camera systems is that you can always pan around and view your entire character. Being able check out the fine details of your newly acquired power armor, or get an up close view of the dust flying off of your trusty steed’s hooves makes for a cinematic experience tailored to what the player wishes to see. It is also just downright convenient to be able to look behind your speeding car for a split-second without panning your vision around and praying that the devs included a working rearview mirror. For reasons like this, interactive camera systems are super popular with casual racing games, as well as open world action games that have less of an emphasis on tactics, and more so on the story and world at large.

As previously stated, there is a lot of active debate about whether a free-looking camera is fair in competitive games. It can provide immense situational advantages to be able to look for enemies without being in their line of fire, but this advantage is not necessarily unfair as every player is able to use it. Where players become frustrated is when the flow of the game pushes them towards an enemy who is already in cover. In these scenarios, one player has the immense benefit of window or corner peeking, while the other is forced to run right towards them. Fortunately, just about every competitive game these days will also offer first person only servers that keep the playing field level for more serious gamers.

It would be foolish to claim any camera perspective is outright superior to the others. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on what type of gaming experience you are trying to create. For games laden with tons of controls, a tracking system takes one less thing off a player’s plate. Meanwhile, an interactive camera system is great for more casual games where players aren’t scumming for a competitive edge, as it lets them see the world from so many more angles. And of course, fixed camera systems give us all the joy of old 2.5D games while letting modern technology flourish and showcase beautiful 3D assets. It all comes down to which system best matches your team’s vision. Should you ever wish to consult with one of our experts about which system is best for you, or even get some insight from one of our programmers on the ups and downs of implementing these systems into your game, reach out to Argentics today!