History Main / ThirdPersonShooter

Third-Person Shooter games on consoles, similar to FirstPersonShooters, often incorporate an aim-assist feature. Though just like FPS titles, motion-based control schemes such as gyroscopic aiming and "flick stick" arose as popular alternatives in the late 2010s thanks to titles like ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'', due to offering comparable aiming and precision to the traditional keyboard and mouse setup used by computer players.

Third-Person Shooter games on consoles, similar to FirstPersonShooters, often incorporate an aim-assist feature. Though just like FPS titles, motion-based control schemes such as gyroscopic aiming and "flick stick" arose as popular alternatives in the late 2010s thanks to titles like ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'', due to offering comparable aiming and precision to the traditional keyboard and mouse setup used by computer players.

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}''

->''"Absence makes the heart grow fonder; maybe the distaste I developed for cover-based shooting was rooted more in its overexposure than its inherent godawfulness. Now that it's the [[WideOpenSandbox generic sandbox]] that feels like the overexposed thing, it'd be nice to kill baddies without having to climb to the top of a radio mast first and peep through their changing room windows with high-power binoculars."''
-->--'''''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation''''' on ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar: Ultimate Edition''

A subgenre of shooters and a type of 3D game that has grown to prominence in recent years, especially on consoles. It is a shooter with either a free-rotating camera or AlwaysOverTheShoulder perspective. These games often combine the shooting elements of a FirstPersonShooter or {{Light Gun|Game}} shooter, with the jumping and climbing puzzles of a 3D {{platformer}} or a simple melee fighting system from a brawler.

Third-Person Shooter games with a free-rotating camera often incorporate an aim-assist feature, since aiming from a free-rotating camera is difficult. Many also have an optional first-person view, which allows for precise shots and looking around at environment features that are otherwise hidden from the default camera. In many cases, the player must stand still to use first person view, but some titles allow the player to play like a {{FPS}}; indeed, ''VideoGame/OddworldStrangersWrath'' actually ''requires'' the player to shoot from first-person, and in the chase camera view only melee attacks are allowed.

Modern third-person shooters have since adopted an AlwaysOverTheShoulder perspective, influenced by ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', and popularized and codified by ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar''. This style allows looking around and precise aiming, comparable to first-person shooters and light-gun shooters. This has eliminated the need for an aim-assist feature or optional first-person view mode.

The ability to TakeCover, and a reliance on it for victory, makes a game a member of the "cover shooter" sub-genre.

Melee attacks are more important in a third-person game, if only because close up fighting is easier in that perspective type, as are jumping and dodging. Add too much and it turns into a BeatEmUp or HackAndSlash game.

This genre is especially prone to incorporating [[UnexpectedGameplayChange sequences of other gameplay types]], such as driving and puzzle minigames.

The StealthBasedGame is a third person shooter with sneaking around in the dark elements and a stealth kill system (not to say that [[VideoGame/{{Thief}} some ]][[VideoGame/{{Dishonored}} FPS examples]] don't exist.)

* ''Red Dead''

* ''VideoGame/{{WET}}''

* ''VideoGame/ThePunisher''