Am I Crazy?

[ADHSteve]

I love Cyberpunk, the universe, the game, the story... It's amazing, it's refreshingly brutal, it feels real, but also just ridiculous enough to just be more awesome. I love it. And I as I play this game again to jump into the DLC, I feel... meh.

Now, I want to preface that I'm just coming off playing over 300 hours of Baldur's Gate 3. I've been playing RPGs since the 90s and I've played just about everything you could throw at me. BG3 did something that spoiled me so bad that I think it has caused me to play games differently... And it's just because of the perspective.

This is where I feel like we're falling into a subjective debate about what's superior: first-person or third-person. To me, it's really subjective to the game and its intent. I play Hell Let Loose and Squad religiously and I would never play them if they were third person (ok, that's kind of a lie, but you get my point). So, if you want to debate that that's fine, I'm down. But I actually want to just say my peace on this and maybe you'll agree.

RPGs are the closest thing to "true" escapism for me. I play video games for a collective level of escapism, sure, but it's the "why I play" that's important. FPS games I play when I want action, immediate dopamine injection, release anger or stress, whatever. That's why I play those and I enjoy it - especially tactical shooters like HLL or Squad where you have teamwork and what-not involved. But I'll straight quit playing those for awhile because I had a really bad game with a bunch of idiots. You don't get that with RPGs - at least, I don't. RPGs are like true escapism to me because you're not you, but you're you? Like, you get to be someone else and not give a flying F- about the real world. This is where I think first-person falls short.

In first person, I feel like me. I am me. I make "me" decisions because I'm seeing the game's world through my eyes. Sure, it's my character's, but it's really mine. Third person changes that perspective. You see your character. You start to feel for your character because you're making decisions for them and seeing how the world reacts to them. Baldur's Gate 3 hit hard several times emotionally (and that's freakin' rare in games these days) because of tough decisions I made that negatively impacted the characters I've grown fond for. I'm not longer thinking about my kids or my job, or that 6th beer I've drank tonight... I'm absorbed in the world I've invested myself into.

I think that's why people loved and connected with the Witcher so much, despite not being able to create your own character. You grew fond of Geralt because you helped influence his decisions and write his story. It's a whole different kind of investment, I think.

So why's this relevant to Cyberpunk?

I don't think Cyberpunk is a "me" game. I don't want to be "me" in some Cyberpunk world. I want to create characters like my current character: a female nomad low-tech netrunner. Or my first character: a male street kid solo. I don't give a ♥♥♥♥ about me. I don't like me. I wanna be that. Or be a part of that story. Or tell it. Whatever. You get what I'm saying? Like that level of customization and then witnessing it interact with the world is just a whole different other vibe...

I have a compromise. Bro, okay. If you wanna be in the action I'm totally cool for that FPS portion right? But like. Cutscenes and conversations and like hard story-moment action set pieces like... That should be 3rd person, mo-capped, whatever...

Am I crazy?

PS: Sorry, I am really baked right now and really wanted to get that off my chest.

[Doom MD]

Yeah

[I Love Emma Stone]

I would much rather have third person. I want to actually see my character in gameplay. Not just in cutscenes.

[carnie2]

If you noticed that all the turntable record players in the game, turns the wrong way around, then your not crazy.

[ADHSteve]

Originally posted by carnie2:

If you noticed that all the turntable record players in the game, turns the wrong way around, then your not crazy.

I will no longer be able to un-see that. Thank you. lol

[ADHSteve]

Originally posted by 4FromHell:

I would much rather have third person. I want to actually see my character in gameplay. Not just in cutscenes.

Yeah, I would agree. I was thinking more like what GTA does where you can toggle it in the menu or whatever.

[angelsenvy228]

Hard disagree, the first person works fine for me in this game and it would be really weird and jarring to have the cutscenes happen in third person. Plus if you look the scenes are crafted to fit first person perspective, like when you are sitting on the couch talking to the Peralez folks, most convo scenes are framed perfectly like a movie shot. 3P would throw all of that away, the plane flying straight at you in the DLC, all of that impact would be totally lost in detached 3P in my opinion.

Then again, I do not share your correlation of first or third person perspective and whether I am playing as "me" or not in a game. You have the VA to constantly remind you who V is. And I get that you may just want the option and while that sounds good, why would they include an option to play the game in an objectively less impactful way that throws out a lot of their design philosophy of the whole game. Look at the ending PL cinematic where you do get 3P perspective and how does that look? You look like a bald mook and I'm pretty sure that wasn't even the face I gave my character in the editor lol.

You also require more dev time to make all the actions and animations look super smooth for 3P, look at your shadow in this game when you run around and jump, the animations are pretty barebones and you can tell from that. I just don't see it, I think you just take it as a piece of art that was intended to convey its message in a certain way, and that is done through first person.

[Whisperill]

What if we had both? Everyone could play as they wanted. I was expecting 3rd person with this new DLC but no...

[FlashXAron ☕ (Alex)]

In RPG I somehow, always play me . so I prefer the 1st more immersive view.
But when a team or squad is involved I also prefer 3rd view, to play it more tactical and take care of my team members.
Cyberpunk is for me the most immersive game I have played until now and I think I have played near 500 games or more , not that short 30min games counted, which I try to evade.
BG 3 around 300h, Starfield 259h and this now also near 300h ... even I finished GTA V , I hated all playable chars and even would have liked to kill them all at the end, so it was good it was 3rd person and hated that switching, as I have to identify with the main char.
...
So Team based 3 and more chars ... 3rd view
1-2 char ... 1st view and it will be always more immersive for me
...
and not really able to play opposite to my world view , special , when I care for my char.

[FlashXAron ☕ (Alex)]

Originally posted by Whisperill:

What if we had both? Everyone could play as they wanted. I was expecting 3rd person with this new DLC but no...

too long to develop for the devs or both would feel weird, like in Starfield

[VOLUME SHOOTER]

my only complaint with cyberpunk is lack of third person

[['w']]

mhm#

[Braiven]

First wall of text I could read on Steam. I definitely agree with you that the third person helps to roleplay/ dream as someone else. But you can also learn how to do that in first person with a little bit of training and will. But I think you're missing something important.

Your brain evolved and your "escapism drug" isn't working anymore. Your mind reached the end of this tool. You saw every world, dreamed about every being and you wish you could touch or enter these worlds more than the tool allows you to do. It's the weird paradox of existing but not. Maybe the echo of "reality" itself.

There is only one solution. Try to find your peace with it. Embrace your limitations and try to play games for another reason. Try to play them just to play them and what ever happens happens. Your new tool will be your mind. Use your gathered knowledge from games, movies, books and what not and create your own worlds.

[I Love Emma Stone]

Originally posted by Whisperill:

What if we had both? Everyone could play as they wanted. I was expecting 3rd person with this new DLC but no...

Exactly right. Spot on right 👍
Give us both options.

[Fractured]

Decently done first person RPG's are so damn rare. Compared to the rest of the market, that a HUUUUUUUUGE chunk is third person. I'm happy to finally have a RPG game that is dedicated to first person, and feels solid with it.

Hard disagree with OP.

[Whisperill]

Originally posted by Fractured:

Decently done first person RPG's are so damn rare. Compared to the rest of the market, that a HUUUUUUUUGE chunk is third person. I'm happy to finally have a RPG game that is dedicated to first person, and feels solid with it.

Hard disagree with OP.

I would say its selfish. You may enjoy 1st person but he may not. Its companies fault. They should bring both of them. So everybody could be happy with their own play style.