What Cyberpunk 2077 Loses By Not Having A Third-Person Camera Setting

Cyberpunk 2077 was marketed on the strength of its open world and its meticulously detailed environments. However, the lack of a third-person camera setting in Cyberpunk cuts back on the player’s ability to absorb and enjoy the game world.

While the inclusion of multiple camera angles is unnecessary, open world games often lose out on a host of benefits from not integrating them. A wider, third-person camera angle breaks up the monotony during long periods of travel and allows the player to take in more of the game world around them. This is why many open world games, such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, allow the player to switch between two angles. Even games that formerly only used a single camera angle have integrated a switch system. Both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 allow players to move back and forth between first and third-person.

This is not to say that having a single camera system is a bad thing. Like anything else, the camera angles in games are an artistic choice. That being said, there are very few downsides to video games, including Cyberpunk, integrating multiple camera angles. This is because players have the freedom to strategically use different camera angles when it suits them. If combat feels awkward or uncomfortable in third-person, then players can easily switch to first person to make it easier. Likewise, if navigating the open world of Night City feels claustrophobic and limited, then Cyberpunk players can switch to third-person to maneuver.

Does Cyberpunk Need A Third Person Camera?

If there is a major downside to Cyberpunk 2077 adding a third-person camera angle, it’s that the game simply isn’t designed with a third-person camera in mind. Combat encounters, which are often built to include stealth as a viable strategy, may not be designed with the wider camera angles of a third-person perspective, and as a result it may be too late for Cyberpunk 2077 to include a new camera angle now. However, this conflict between camera angle and encounter design can be avoided entirely if the game is designed to suit multiple angles in the first place.

Regardless of its current design, much of Cyberpunk 2077‘s world layout and setting would be more enjoyable with a third-person camera mode. The tall buildings and winding, multi-leveled roads of Night City make it difficult to absorb the full scope of the player’s surroundings in first-person. This is why the game only allows the player the option of switching to a third-person camera angle when they’re behind the wheel of a vehicle. Even if it’s not a dire necessity, that extra field of view really helps players figure out where they are and where they are supposed to go.

Unfortunately, because a third-person camera isn’t necessary, there isn’t much likelihood that CD Projekt Red will patch in a new camera angle in the same way that GTAV did. As a result, Night City’s landscape will always feel large and maze-like from the player’s limited first-person perspective. Even worse, Cyberpunk 2077 players will only ever get to see the character they spent hours customizing and gathering gear for in mirrors and on the back of motorcycles.

About The Author

Jonah Schuhart
(148 Articles Published)

Jonah Schuhart is a Freelance Writer at Screen Rant. Growing up as the stereotypical gamer, Jonah absorbed everything he could about his favorite video games until adulthood came knocking. He decided to become a games journalist after his dad purchased a subscription to Gameinformer when he was 10 years old. Now, he follows in the footsteps of his early influences, giving his two-cents on the games he loves.

See also  Godzilla vs Kong Continues The MonsterVerse's Gojira Name Tradition

You can also find Jonah on Looper, where he writes about his favorite TV and Movies. Follow him on Twitter @JonahSchuhart, or reach him by email at [email protected]

More From Jonah Schuhart