The Elder Scrolls has always been a first person series, but even though that is the primary way to play these games, the franchise also gives players the options to play from a third person perspective. And while having both the options is certainly appreciated, it just has to be said that the gap in quality between the two modes is quite noticeable. First person has always clearly been the way to go in The Elder Scrolls, with third person lagging far behind, and there’s a lot of reasons for that.
For starters, the third person camera just doesn’t feel right- plain and simple. Movement usually feels clunky, while the animations themselves are also quite subpar. As opposed to the first person mode, which just feels much more natural while playing The Elder Scrolls, it almost feels like you have to make an active effort to play the game properly in third person mode.
Then there’s the fact that combat in third person perspective is quite clunky. Sure, combat in first person itself has never been anything to write about either, but when you’re playing The Elder Scrolls in third person, combat just feels choppy and floaty. Weapons impact just doesn’t seem to have the same oomph, while the animations, once again, feel far below the expected level of quality.
Perhaps this is one area where Bethesda need to make improvements in The Elder Scrolls 6, whenever that launches. It’s not like third person is completely broken, but with some fine-tuning and optimization, it can become significantly better. For instance, just take a look at how Grand Theft Auto V makes use of both modes- both first person view and third person view in GTA 5 are top notch. Perhaps Bethesda should look at it and take notes.
This isn’t of course, the kind of thing that can make or break a game, and there are obviously other areas in The Elder Scrolls which are in much more urgent need of improvement. However, that doesn’t mean flaws in this area should be downright ignored, and any improvements Bethesda make to this effect would be much appreciated.
This article is part of our series on Bethesda’s next big entry into the world of The Elder Scrolls. Through this series we take a look at the possible new features that Bethesda can add into the next The Elder Scrolls game, based on what they implemented in the previous entries and player feedback.