To kick off this thread, yes, I know you guys just love reading my long winded posts… I’ll get this out of the way first.
My favorite genre of videogames is First Person Shooters. Ever since I played Wolfenstein 3D back on my dads useless Tandy, I’ve developed a love affair with FPS like no other. I’ve played a whole **** load of them and always find something innovative or fun that each FPS possesses that others don’t. Even many of the crappy Doom clones that came out in the early 90’s. Sure they sucked, but there was still that fun factor. Seeing what the developer was trying to do with the same engine that everybody else was using at the time meant that the gamer profited from experience, as did the developer. Some were cool while others I wouldn’t mind forgetting, but they all did one thing for me… escalate my thirst for more first person shooters.
With that out of the way, I’ll say that even though I love FPS’s, I (most of the time) am quite pissed off about the perspectives that the camera gives. Or rather, the proportions of your character to that of the world he’s traversing.
Turok was the game where I first noticed this problem and ever since, I’ve been looking for it in every shooter I play, and now during the wonderful period of one of the finest games to ever grace any home console, Metroid Prime (as if I had to say it) I find it inherent once again. Ok, I don’t consider Prime a true FPS, but you know what I mean.
What I’m talking about is this. When you play Metroid Prime, look at Samus’s height compared to that of steps, crates, boulders, and even the ground itself. Why does she seem so tiny when you’re right in front of a particular object??
For example: Go to the Main Plaza in the Chozo Ruins, and walk towards the half pipe and jump onto the second step, then walk directly up to the wall and take a note of where the top of her vision lies. The back of the step completely engulfs her sight. Then, jump up on the ground level above and see where her vision lies and also shoot it. It’s not much higher and it looks like from far away that the blast hit a spot on the wall not much higher than her ankle. Plus, look at the jump. Sure, Samus can jump higher than a regular human with the Chozo Armour, but when you land on the top step, it doesn’t look she jumped much higher than waist high. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself clear enough… I hope you understand so far.
After that, go anywhere and try this experiment. She seems regular size at a distance, but when you walk up to an object, she seems to shrink. But then when a cut scene happens in Prime, Samus looks regular height compared to her surroundings and everything is kosher. Wtf is up with that?
Why does she feel so small?? Is it just me, or is it a common thing in all FPS’s that can’t be correct because of the stationary camera?? <---Though I doubt that.
Take Turok 2 for example. In the first level, walk up to what should be the bottom bricks to the walls, but they’re fricken HUGE compared to Turok. They’re almost eye level for crying out loud! What gives? They should be shin high at best. When I look at my old high school, those bottom bricks aren’t at eye level… they’re not ungodly large, they’re the size they’re supposed to be.
Perspectives are messed up all the time in first person shooters and I want to know why. If anybody has any insight into what I’m explaining, or if you want to point out how utterly insane I am, go right ahead. I, however, do hope that I’m not the only one to notice this sort of thing in first person shooters.
Any input is welcome guys, I accept your rebut.
Good day.
My favorite genre of videogames is First Person Shooters. Ever since I played Wolfenstein 3D back on my dads useless Tandy, I’ve developed a love affair with FPS like no other. I’ve played a whole **** load of them and always find something innovative or fun that each FPS possesses that others don’t. Even many of the crappy Doom clones that came out in the early 90’s. Sure they sucked, but there was still that fun factor. Seeing what the developer was trying to do with the same engine that everybody else was using at the time meant that the gamer profited from experience, as did the developer. Some were cool while others I wouldn’t mind forgetting, but they all did one thing for me… escalate my thirst for more first person shooters.
With that out of the way, I’ll say that even though I love FPS’s, I (most of the time) am quite pissed off about the perspectives that the camera gives. Or rather, the proportions of your character to that of the world he’s traversing.
Turok was the game where I first noticed this problem and ever since, I’ve been looking for it in every shooter I play, and now during the wonderful period of one of the finest games to ever grace any home console, Metroid Prime (as if I had to say it) I find it inherent once again. Ok, I don’t consider Prime a true FPS, but you know what I mean.
What I’m talking about is this. When you play Metroid Prime, look at Samus’s height compared to that of steps, crates, boulders, and even the ground itself. Why does she seem so tiny when you’re right in front of a particular object??
For example: Go to the Main Plaza in the Chozo Ruins, and walk towards the half pipe and jump onto the second step, then walk directly up to the wall and take a note of where the top of her vision lies. The back of the step completely engulfs her sight. Then, jump up on the ground level above and see where her vision lies and also shoot it. It’s not much higher and it looks like from far away that the blast hit a spot on the wall not much higher than her ankle. Plus, look at the jump. Sure, Samus can jump higher than a regular human with the Chozo Armour, but when you land on the top step, it doesn’t look she jumped much higher than waist high. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself clear enough… I hope you understand so far.
After that, go anywhere and try this experiment. She seems regular size at a distance, but when you walk up to an object, she seems to shrink. But then when a cut scene happens in Prime, Samus looks regular height compared to her surroundings and everything is kosher. Wtf is up with that?
Why does she feel so small?? Is it just me, or is it a common thing in all FPS’s that can’t be correct because of the stationary camera?? <---Though I doubt that.
Take Turok 2 for example. In the first level, walk up to what should be the bottom bricks to the walls, but they’re fricken HUGE compared to Turok. They’re almost eye level for crying out loud! What gives? They should be shin high at best. When I look at my old high school, those bottom bricks aren’t at eye level… they’re not ungodly large, they’re the size they’re supposed to be.
Perspectives are messed up all the time in first person shooters and I want to know why. If anybody has any insight into what I’m explaining, or if you want to point out how utterly insane I am, go right ahead. I, however, do hope that I’m not the only one to notice this sort of thing in first person shooters.
Any input is welcome guys, I accept your rebut.
Good day.
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