History Main / FirstPersonGhost

* As with ''Mirror's Edge'', the developers of ''VideoGame/DeadIsland'' opted to use the same third-person model for the first-person viewpoint; toggling third-person, especially on the [[ObviousBeta pre-patched]] PC version, would end up with the player character [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXmZX8iz2SE being no better off than a typical zombie]].

* Not just FPS games suffer from this. The ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' games are a series of first-person puzzle games that had a First-Person Ghost whose only visible appendage was a floating hand cursor. Justified in ''Myst'' and ''Riven'' due to movement limitations, but by the time ''Myst III: Exile'' rolled around, the player could not only look down and see that they had no feet, but also wind up standing ''on thin air just off of the edge of a cliff.'' It's worse in ''Myst IV: Revelation'' when [[UncannyValley the hand cursor gained a more realistic look.]] You could even inexplicably tint the hand strange, unearthly colors other than 'skin tone' or 'heavily pigmented skin tone'. The developers thankfully fixed this in ''Myst V: End of Ages''. All of this was done in the name of maintaining a FeaturelessProtagonist.

* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', the "thirdperson" command would allow one to have a third-person view over Gordon, with a complete model, though you still can't see anything other than your arms in first-person mode. Amusingly, in the expansion packs, the new player characters still used Gordon's model, and in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', using the same command would result in seeing just Gordon's arms.

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' lets you see Chell by looking through the portals, but you can't look down to see her legs and she doesn't cast a shadow (even in rooms in ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' when other objects do). As with ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'''s gravity gun, you use the portal gun to pick up objects, but before you get it Chell seems to pick up things by glaring at them. [[http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/40861869135388711/7B4911C953C7458C90F4F0F19CB1382FEF704755/ Looking at yourself through the first portal, or the same portal's cameo in Portal 2 shows any object you're holding floating in midair.]]
* ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' and ''VideoGame/SystemShock2''. ''[[http://www.it-he.org/sshock.htm The Hacker's Guide to Sin]]'' goes further: not only does the main character have no feet, but he's able to activate healing stations from 13 feet away, yet unable to search bodies across a gap, so he most likely has boneless tentacles that snake along the ground.

* In ''VideoGame/SpookysJumpScareMansion'', the PlayerCharacter's looks is only seen during some cutscenes, but it remains ambiguous enough. Looking into a mirror even produces a glare to hide their looks.
* A grand majority of Virtual Reality games do this as most systems up to this point only track your head and hands, leaving you nothing more than a floating head and pair of hands and it's PlayedForLaughs in the above example. Some games do model a full character and move their legs automatically in those instances.

* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' lampshades this trope: the player-character of ''Hero's Duty'' (the first-person shooter) is a robot with a pair of arms mounted on caterpillar tracks [[ScreensAreCameras and a TV screen for a head.]] The player only sees the arms.

** ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'' averts this like all the games after ''Combat Evolved'', but let's you un-avert it by playing with the FOV slider. Setting it any higher than the default of 78° will hide your legs, likely to prevent you from seeing that there isn't an upper body connecting them to your arms.

** ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'' still averts this much like the games before, but let's you un-avert it by playing with the FOV slider. Setting it any higher than the default of 78° will hide your legs, likely to prevent you from seeing that there isn't an upper body connecting them to your arms.

* ''VideoGame/{{Geist}}'', while not allowing you to see your legs by not letting you pan down to look, does show you doing EVERYTHING in the corner of the screen when you're possessing someone in the main single player mode.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' not only allows you to see Samus' lower body and arms when she's sitting in her spaceship, you can also view her skeleton when using the [[XRayVision X-ray visor]].
** The ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' in general. You can see Samus' eyes reflected in the Visor whenever a flash of light comes close, you can see her reflection in various reflective surfaces, etc.

[[caption-width-right:268:Anne from ''[[VideoGame/JurassicParkTrespasser Trespasser]]'', or what little you can see of her at least.]]

* In flight simulators using fully modeled 3D cockpits you will often see your flight controls, which in some cases move based on the player's control inputs. But you almost never see the "body" of your pilot. Apparently the pilot is controlling the plane via TheForce.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' also lets you see your feet and legs (including the infected if you play as one) when you look down, but they don't appear if your graphic settings are too low. Humorously, the height at which your body is situated [[GoodBadBugs makes it look like your arms are sprouting out of your neck, at least from your point of view.]]

** ''VideoGame/{{SWAT 3}}'' as well, but entering the code "handsup" would make them visible.

* ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' plays this quite straight; unless you get into a vehicle, the only parts of yourself visible are your arms.

** In ''FEAR 2'' there are a small number of mirrors where you can see your character model. They also changed it so that you ''do'' have to use your hands to press buttons, turn wheels, and move objects - but still not to open doors (unless you like to [[DynamicEntry loudly bash them open with melee attacks]], since they added that too).

* ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' averts this, with the player character's body fully visible during most actions.

[[folder:ActionAdventure]]
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' not only allows you to see Samus' lower body and arms when she's sitting in her spaceship, you can also view her skeleton when using the [[XRayVision X-ray visor]].
** The ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' in general. You can see Samus' eyes reflected in the Visor whenever a flash of light comes close, you can see her reflection in various reflective surfaces, etc.
** When you go into third-person view via Morph Ball or Screw Attack, Samus clearly has a model and it moves fluidly. However, her model vanishes the minute you go back to first-person view. You can also aim her arm cannon straight down, but you'll never see her feet.
* ''VideoGame/{{Geist}}'', while not allowing you to see your legs by not letting you pan down to look, does show you doing EVERYTHING in the corner of the screen when you're possessing someone in the main single player mode.
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' lets you see your whole body, including any cybernetics you have.
* ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' allows you to see your body for the first time in the series.

* ''VideoGame/TheCaregiver'': If you look down, you can see [[PlayerCharacter Tomita Sachie]]'s body.

* Justified in ''VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest'', as the player character is a literal ghost. Not so justified in its sequel, ''The 11th Hour'', which only shows you the beam of Carl's flashlight; he still apparently opens doors or manipulates puzzles telekinetically.