History Main / CameraPerspectiveSwitch

* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWar III'', the perspective temporarily shifts from third-person to ''second''-person as Kratos delivers a beatdown on [[spoiler:Poseidon]].

* ''Franchise/MetalGear'' games switch between 1st & 3rd person depending on the actions the player is performing. If you are crawling through tunnels, guiding Nikita missiles or aiming with certain weapons, the view is 1st person. Otherwise, it is 3rd person. Certain versions of the game allowed the player to voluntarily change to first-person, and from the second game onwards the player can aim weapons in first-person.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' switches to third person when you perform a taunt. This can also be useful for looking round corners to see if there's an enemy player or a sentry ahead (or taking them by surprise with a taunt kill). Additionally, the camera also switches to third-person view when your team loses a match, where your character throws his hands up, cowering, un-armed, while the other team gets a speed buff and 100% random critical hits to clear out the losers!

This is an OmnipresentTrope for [[DrivingGame racing games]] (in fact, most driving games will have a button specifically dedicated to switching between several different views), so don't include any examples from that genre unless it's particularly different than the usual convention.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' allows the player to toggle into 3rd person view.

* ''Franchise/RockRaiders'': The game gave you the option of playing things from a Rock Raider's perspective. What makes this a somewhat unique example is that this game is an RTS. You can actually take direct control over a Rock Raider and move him around. While not very practical, it was mostly useful for the fun of it in a low-pressure mission.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' switches to third person when you perform a taunt. This can also be useful for looking round corners to see if there's an enemy player or a sentry ahead (or taking them by surprise with a taunt kill).

* The first ''VideoGame/{{Halo|Combat Evolved}}'' game was noted for this when it first came out. Normally you see in first-person perspective, through Master Chief's eyes, but whenever you climb into a vehicle the game switches to third person to give you a better view. The game also switches to a third person camera when the player dies.

* ''{{Albion}}'' has a first-person 3D perspective for dungeons and a third-person isometric perspective for most other places.

* ''LegoRockRaiders'': The game gave you the option of playing things from a Rock Raider's perspective. What makes this a somewhat unique example is that this game is an RTS. You can actually take direct control over a Rock Raider and move him around. While not very practical, it was mostly useful for the fun of it in a low-pressure mission.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' allow the player to voluntarily switch between first and third person perspective, though the game will automatically switch to third person during a character's death animation. Also, if the player is using V.A.T.S. the camera will occasionally switch to a dramatic third-person shot whenever an enemy dies, showing their death in slow motion.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' allows the player to toggle into 3rd person view.

* A battle in ''RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal'' goes into second person perspective as a monster chases you down a halll - that is, the camera is from the monster's perspective.

[[caption-width-right:350:Choose between first- and third-person perspective.]]

* Likewise,

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/SherlockHolmesVersusJackTheRipper http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sherlock_ripper.jpg]]]]

* Likewise, ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' switches between first-person and third-person views in certain contexts, such as conversations, and the player can switch between the two at any time. Interestingly, the game will automatically switch to a first-person perspective whenever the player equips a firearm, although it is possible to fire a gun in third-person - it's merely incredibly awkward.
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', like [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 its]] [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 predecessors]], normally has ThirdPersonShooter gameplay, but switches to first-person perspective in two situations: piloting an Atlas mech in the vanilla game, and piloting the underwater mech in the "Leviathan" {{DLC}}.

[[AC:StealthBasedGame]]
* ''Franchise/MetalGear'' games switch between 1st & 3rd person depending on the actions the player is performing. If you are crawling through tunnels, guiding Nikita missiles or aiming with certain weapons, the view is 1st person. Otherwise, it is 3rd person. Certain versions of the game allowed the player to voluntarily change to first-person, and from the second game onwards the player can aim weapons in first-person.
* ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' games from the second one onwards allow switching to first-person view (though some animations, such as lockpicking, still force a third person view).

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* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' allows the player to toggle into 3rd person view.

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* The first ''{{Halo}}'' game was noted for this when it first came out. Normally you see in first-person perspective, through Master Chief's eyes, but whenever you climb into a vehicle the game switches to third person to give you a better view. The game also switches to a third person camera when the player dies.

* ''{{Minecraft}}'' allows the player to toggle into 3rd person view.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRenegade'' is a FPS that switches to third person when riding a vehicle or climbing a ladder. It also allows you to switch to third-person when on foot.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' had an involuntary one in the Joker TV room near the Penitentiary. You come into the room, everything is in first-person (unlike the rest of the third-person game) and the Joker comes on the TV and delivers a chilling BreakingLecture.

* The ''CallOfDuty'' series, in it's multiplayer iterations, will switch a player's view to third person as they die, and then will rewind and switch to the ''opposing player's view'' (second-person perspective) to show how they were killed (known as the "killcam").

* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''

* ''{{Borderlands}}'' switches between first-person (when on foot) and third-person (when using a vehicle).

* The ''DungeonKeeper'' are normally played from a top-down perspective, but allow you take possession of any of the creatures under your command, switching to first person in the process.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' allow the player to voluntarily switch between first and third person perspective, though the game will automatically switch to third person during a character's death animation. Also, if the player is using V.A.T.S. the camera will occasionally switch to a dramatatic third-person shot whenever an enemy dies, showing their death in slow motion.

* ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' also allows the same 1st/3rd person camera system as ''Fallout 3'' and ''New Vegas'', as does its direct sequel ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', although the former was considered largely unplayable in third person.