In video games, cameras are often taken for granted. We, the audience/players, are only aware of it when it goes horribly wrong, when we stare at awkward corners, when it moves to fast and makes us dizzy, when it fails to show us where to go next. In reviews, the words ‘bad camera controls’ are enough to make many potential players weary, but when was the last time anyone heard about a game with great camera work or beautifully polished camera controls?
In fact, what is the purpose of the camera in video games?
In films, the camera and wh
at it reveals (and sometimes, more importantly, what it doesn’t) is an important narrative device. Depending on its angle, framing and movement, the same scene can be a personal experience (standing there in the action with the characters) or add to the dramatic irony of a story (panning out to see an enemy approach a clueless protagonist, for example). Video games, being a young medium and camera controls only being an issue in the past 10 years or so, employ cameras almost as an afterthought. They are either first person, third person or overhead and even then there is the choice of letting the player be his/her own cinematographer or restricting the camera to what the player is meant to see.
The first, giving player control over the camera, is more widely used in western games. (which, overall, favor player freedom). It is sometimes adjustable between first and third person and allows for the player to focus on whatever he or she wishes to. There is still possibility for suspense and surprise, but the experience is always personal, character and player will experience the same things.
The latter, having a fixed camera, is most often seen in older games and the survival horror genre. Most
players, when talking about bad camera, are mentioning this type, the ones that don’t let them see a door they must go through or the evil Pyramid Head lurking in the corner. The player is free to roam the room but the camera angle will remain the same, sometimes shifting to better cover the area or catch the player’s attention. Cutscenes, which already take the control away from the player, use fixed camera for a more cinematic feel.
Players (and some critics) assume that the camera (be it the one they control or the one pre-set by the game’s developers) is their friend. It exists to help them in their adventure and tell them what they need to do. What I propose is the opposite, what if, what the player sees is against him?
But more on that later…
After playing the Too Human demo, Psychonauts, trying Tomb Raider all those years ago, and more recently attempting Grim Fandango, trust me – I know the camera is against me almost all the time. Give me FPS any day.
3rd person games, they just suffer since they can’t show everything yet the player might want to see more then the camera allows. Top down and first person works, but getting a limited FOV third person thing seems impossible for some development teams.
Also, usually the player-controlled camera for third person work okay – I mean, mouse controlled (controllers can be dire still with camera clipping). Max Payne worked well, as an example.
I second that, I think a walrus would have a better time with a console fps than I do. I don’t think i will ever get the hang of controlling the camera with the analog stick.
And yeah, I am just wondering if camera affects more than just gameplay. Also, I played Grim Fandango recently too (vintage game club ftw) though i got stuck in year 3…
I was just thinking about camera in games a few days ago, actually, and about how visual juxtaposition might be used in video games. We’ll see if I have time to write the essay I planned on it.
In the meantime, I eagerly await the “later” you mentioned when “more on that” will come.