Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
he tries to open doors, use weapons (such as his trademark crowbar), or touch
other items in the game.
With shooters, though, the weapon your character carries can sometimes
obscure much of the image. The FPS POV also creates a limited field of vision
because you're only seeing the scene through the eyes of the character you're
playing.
Quite a few gamers seem to enjoy the TPS POV more than the FPS POV
because they feel in greater control of their character. The TPS POV provides
a broader view of what is going on during play, which can be helpful in fast-
paced combat games. This method of design also allows the gamer to see their
onscreen persona all the time, and that is helpful in role-playing games.
One of the most popular games utilizing the TPS POV is Max Payne , devel-
oped by the Finnish company Remedy Entertainment, produced by 3D Realms,
and published by Gathering of Developers for Windows. Later versions of
the game were ported to the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Advance by
Rockstar Games. The game is a noir tour-de-force and pits the hero, Max Payne,
against enemies terrorizing New York City. One of the fun features of this game
is that, instead of cutscenes placed between levels, the story progresses through
a series of comic-book-style graphics.
During gameplay, if Max gets into a firefight, the speed of play changes from a
normal pace to one showing bullet time, or slow motion, so the player can savor
all the action.
Figure 5.5 lets you compare first- and TPS POV. On the left is an image from the
game Max Payne , where the gamer can see Max and the extensive environment
and other characters to interact with. Contrast that with the image on the right,
showing the POV of the player who has assumed the role of Gordon Freeman in
Half Life , where you see that he (the gamer) is fighting with a crossbow.
FiGuRe 5.5 Compare the TPS POV on the left with the FPS POV on the right.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search