[Top 15] Best 3rd Person Games for PC

Best 3rd Person Games for PC
Yeah, yeah walk it off buddy.


It's all a matter of perspective.

Ahhh the third-person, and I don’t mean that weird friend that insists on following you and your significant other everywhere. I mean that oh, so helpful perspective that makes our problems seem small and insignificant. In the third person, things just don’t seem so…..well, personal. Sometimes this is a good thing, especially when done in video games. It gives us a better view of our surroundings, lets us see our main character as a real person other than just a representation of ourselves, and kinda makes us feel like gods sometimes, to be honest. Here are some of the best games that give us that sweet third-person perspective while still making us feel every bit as involved in the story as their first-person counterparts.

15. Heavy Rain

Bringing up the rear is the emotionally gripping, narrative-driven gameplay of Heavy Rain.

Heavy Rain is an excellent third-person interactive drama game that tells the story of a hunt for a serial killer known as the Origami Killer. The game features multiple endings which depend on the decisions you make while in control of four protagonists (Ethan, Scott, Norman, and Madison). These endings can range from being relatively satisfying to downright depressing (it is a game about a serial killer - what did you expect, a musical number?)

 

The gameplay also includes quick-time events, a grim, tense atmosphere, and realistic characters. Dive into Heavy Rain, the award-winning dramatic masterpiece by developer Quantic Dream which promises to thrill and chill and every turn.

Heavy Rain Gameplay

14. Mortal Shell

Persistence is key for entry number 14, Mortal Shell.

Mortal Shell is a Souls-inspired (yay!) third-person action-adventure game that pits you against savage warriors and creatures in a post-apocalyptic world whose inhabitants are a shell of their former selves. You control a player character that exists as a specter that can inhabit the ''shells' of dead warriors. Each warrior shell conforms to various playstyles (knight, rogue, warrior, etc.) and is upgradable as you progress.  

In addition to upgradable shells, the weapons you find in-game can also be upgraded and conform to each shell’s specific build (you can be a rogue wielding a war-hammer, but I wouldn’t recommend it). Upon the death of your shell, your shade is ejected and forced to find another available shell to inhabit. 

Featuring challenging boss battles and unique gameplay mechanics, Mortal Shell is a great Souls-like game that balances inspiration from the Dark Souls series with some innovation of its own.

Mortal Shell Gameplay

13. Yakuza: Like A Dragon

Show 'em who's boss with entry number 13, Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

The Yakuza series is a cult favorite that has captured the hearts and minds of its fans with its silly, yet moving narrative, over-the-top characters, and intense beat-’em-up style combat. Yakuza: Like A Dragon, continues in the same thematic vein yet changes the gameplay to a more turn-based, RPG style. Another major change for all Yakuza fans is the introduction of a new protagonist to the series, Ichiban Kasuga, as he seeks vengeance against the man who betrayed him and his family.

Yakuza’s unique third-person RPG style allows you to assume different classes known as Jobs, each with its perks and drawbacks, to fight rogue members of the Tojo Clan (Ichiban’s yakuza family) and reclaim their honor. A major staple of the eclectic combat that is a part of the Yakuza series is the ability to use street signs, lampposts, bikes, and umbrellas (pretty much anything not nailed down….and some things that are!) to beat down your enemies. Not at all things that I wish I could do in real life! In addition to a dramatic story accompanied by unique side-quests, Yakuza: Like A Dragon is packed with enough content to keep you hooked for weeks.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon Gameplay

12. Warframe

Get lost in the futuristic world of Warframe, a titan of the free-to-play shooter genre.

Warframe is a free, third-person shooter MMORPG that takes place on a futuristic Earth where several warring factions jostle for control over the Solar system. You play as a member of the Tenno, an ancient race of sleeping warriors, who awaken from Cryosleep with very little recollection of events from their era.

Gameplay involves your playable character occupying mechanical combat units called Warframes and completing missions with a four-person squad. To this end, there are both story mode missions as well as regularly scheduled missions that rotate from time to time and do not impact the story. In addition, there are PVP modes that pit you against the Solar system’s finest, and several co-operative modes with varying victory conditions (defend a particular point for some time, defeat a certain number of enemies, etc.) which add much variety to the gameplay.

Warframe Gameplay

11. Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

Control massive armies, dictate battlefield tactics and hardly ever bathe in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is a medieval third-person strategy game where you play as the leader of your very own army and do what armies do best - make war! It’s an interesting blend between a third-person single-player action RPG and a complex military strategy romp that allows you to micromanage your character, your army, and even the cities you conquer (or plan to conquer). You inhabit the fictional continent of Caladria and play as a member of six fictional factions who often mirror the characteristics of real-world former empires such as the Romans, Mongols, Celts, and Rus.

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is a prequel to Mount and Blade: Warband and uses a single-player sandbox campaign with no set missions to complete in any particular order (so just let fly that arrow wildly and see where it lands!). There is also a multiplayer mode that allows you to connect and skirmish with players from all over the world. In addition, there is a great emphasis on customizability; you can tweak the game to serve your own needs thereby setting the field to your advantage. If you’re a fan of third-person RPGs and strategy games, this hybrid is a great choice!

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord Gameplay

10. Fortnite

Build, shoot, lose to a teenager, and do it all over again in the hit battle royale shooter, Fortnite.

This game needs no introduction so I won’t bother with one. Fortnite has been a pop culture sensation of a game ever since 2018 and has garnered the attention of politicians, celebrities, and us, regular schmegular folks with its cartoonish art style and battle royale gameplay. Fortnite’s gameplay is unique even among the battle royale genre (which it helped popularise) in that it features its famous building and shooting mechanic where characters can build elaborate structures to defend themselves and confound enemies while also blasting them in the face with wacky guns. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of Epic Games’ free online third-person shooter, then go ahead and give it a try today.

Fortnite Gameplay

9. Detroit: Become Human

Become a real boy in entry number 9, Detroit: Become Human, the popular interactive game by developers Quantic Dream.

Our second interactive game on this list is Detroit: Become Human by developers Quantic Dream (they’re pretty much specialists at this by now).

Detroit: Become Human is a thought-provoking drama that explores the boundaries between humans and machines in a futuristic world. The plot follows three androids who struggle with their sentience and the existential questions that follow as they make their way through a world in which androids are subservient to humans.

Continuing with the same third-person interactive style as Heavy Rain, Detroit: Become Human features quick-time events, dialogue choices and multiple endings depending on said choices. Characters may also die as the story progresses, depending on the decisions you make. These deaths cannot be reversed, once again giving weight to every choice.

Detroit: Become Human Gameplay

8. The Division 2

The Division 2 takes the number 8 spot with its thrilling cover-shooting gameplay and compelling narrative.

This sequel to Massive Entertainment’s massively successful third-person shooter, The Division, hits all the targets of its predecessor and then some with improved loot distribution and side mission quests that keep you occupied for days upon days. The Division 2’s story picks up right after the events of The Division where a new team of Division sleeper agents tries to find a cure for the series’ pandemic (art mirrors reality, huh?), Green Poison while fighting off waves of bandits. 

The game follows an open-world format that encourages exploration, along with a Story Mode and three PVP areas known as Dark Zones where you can defeat tough enemies for awesome loot. However, be wary because your loot can be stolen by other players until you’re extracted from the area so, you know, get it insured or something.

The Division 2 Gameplay

7. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Hmmm play one of the best Star Wars games ever made, you must!

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is what happens when you subject Star Wars characters and lore to a Dark Souls universe. This third-person action-adventure game follows the story of a young Jedi padawan as he tries to complete his training while being pursued by a Galactic Empire death squad. Events are set in a post-Hayden Christensen world after the fall of the Jedi Order and feature Imperial stormtroopers, droids, and Force-wielding enemies as well as wild beasts from various planets. 

As you progress through the story, you can upgrade aspects of your protagonist, Cal Kestis, such as his abilities, lightsaber, outfits, and ship. The game also features a Souls-inspired game mechanic (“meditation circles”) that allows you to save your progress at the expense of respawning all your enemies. Several puzzle-solving scenarios require you to use the Force by unlocking abilities you can only find through exploration and progression through the game’s main areas. With this fresh new take on Star Wars combat and exploration, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order stands as one of the best third-person games on the market.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Gameplay

6. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the fan service every DBZ fan had been dreaming of, all wrapped up in a nice bow.

Welcome back to the ongoing saga of one of the world’s most famous deadbeat dads with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, the latest third-person action RPG set in the Dragon Ball universe. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot follows the canon Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) story by taking players through different sagas in the franchise in chronological order. Throughout the game, you do battle against iconic villains such as Freiza, Cell, Majin Buu, and many others as some of our favorite Z-Fighters. 

Play as Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and even Yamcha (just kidding!) as you lovingly recreate some of your favorite battles from the anime series. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot also features RPG elements that allow you to traverse the world when not in battle and engage in activities that often take the form of mini-games (most notably, fishing), and sometimes take the form of extra training (most notably, fisticuffs). As a great homage to the anime series, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot holds up spectacularly and serves up nostalgia and fun on a well-designed plate.

DBZ: Kakarot Gameplay

5. Resident Evil 3 (2020)

Resident Evil 3's faithful remake ratchets up the horror at number 5.

Resident Evil 3’s remake is an example of a remake that hits the right notes by breathing new life into a widely-acclaimed classic horror game. Resident Evil 3 revisits the story of Jill Valentine as she tries to escape the zombie-infested Raccoon City and the dogged pursuit of Nemesis, the seemingly indestructible intelligent bioweapon developed by series’ antagonists, the Umbrella Corporation.

Resident Evil 3 features a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective and requires you to collect and store items, solve puzzles, and fight monsters that aim to eat your fleshy parts. Combat involves defending yourself against said monsters using various weapons including guns, knives, grenades, and even rocket launchers! Updated graphics lend an appealing new gloss to gameplay and a new 4vs1 multiplayer mode allows you and your friends to hunt an iconic villain (i.e., one of your friends) from the series. 

So give in to nostalgia and emotional masochism by revisiting Resident Evil 3, one of the most successful survival horror games ever made.

Resident Evil 3 Gameplay

4. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Get ready for the high-flying adventure and non-stop action of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.

Nathan Drake’s last ride signs us out of the series with a bang with exciting set-pieces, exhilarating gunplay, and clever dialogue. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a third-person action-adventure game that continues the story of Nathan Drake, explorer extraordinaire, as he once again searches for long-lost treasure. The game incorporates elements of stealth, puzzle-solving, hand-to-hand combat, and shooting that give you the high of being a daring adventurer à la Indiana Jones (without all the quicksand and snake ropes). 

Traversal in the game involves free-climbing to hard-to-reach areas, Drake’s signature parkour and grappling hook style, and some underwater terrain that requires him to swim and dive to discover clues and key items. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End also includes an online multiplayer mode that has you go toe to toe with other players in five different game modes as you each compete to be the Drakiest Drake. 

In light of the release of the Uncharted movie, there truly is no better time to sink your teeth into the series’ swan song.

Uncharted 4 Gameplay

3. Watch Dogs: Legion

Be everywhere and everyone in Watch Dogs: Legion, a unique stealth-action 3rd person experience.

Watch Dogs: Legion must be what it feels like to be a computer-savvy Varys. In Watch Dogs: Legion, you play as…..well literally anyone you want to. To be precise, you control not just one simple protagonist but rather an entire hacker organization, known as DedSec, as they aim to clear their names from tragic terrorist bombings they didn’t commit. “Somebody paid good money for this frame!” In addition, DedSec’s secondary mission is its ongoing campaign to liberate the citizens of London from the private military group, Albion, who have turned the city into a surveillance state in light of the bombings. 

Use the high-tech skills of DedSec, to recruit new members with different skills (driving, shooting, or stealth), spy on and eliminate targets, and generally be a creep. The game uses a third-person perspective and gives you great freedom in terms of how you choose to complete missions and objectives. You can choose to employ stealth to avoid detection, hacking techniques that allow you to take control of various devices to incapacitate targets, or the traditional “guns-blazing” approach. What’s most noteworthy about Watch Dogs: Legion is that you’re able to recruit almost any NPC into DedSec, which gives you even more versatility in completing missions (and kinda makes you feel like a god).

Watch Dogs: Legion Gameplay

2. Grand Theft Auto V

More guns, more car chases, more wacky stories, and even more fun ways to be menace to society in Grand Theft Auto V.

Grand Theft Auto V sees the return of the hit series as well as some of the things that made it famous - wanton violence and wacky stories. GTA V features a third-person perspective (with the option to change to a first-person view) and enough guns to overthrow a small country. Take control of your three criminal protagonists as you commit heists while fighting government officials and other criminal organizations.

GTA V lets you loose in the fictional world of Los Santos and while it does have a linear storyline, does not restrict you from exploring the map and doing side missions. Your characters can get around on foot, swim or commandeer vehicles to get around the sprawling Los Santos map. You can even fly planes and helicopters if that floats your boat (or….lifts your wings?). Combat, be it against criminals or Johnny Law, involves the use of guns, rockets launchers, and good old knuckle sandwiches as you fight to carve out your own place in the criminal underworld.

Some of the same gameplay mechanics from previous Grand Theft Auto games return as well with the famous “Wanted” meter making another appearance. Your characters’ appearances are also customizable allowing you to change haircuts, add tattoos, work out and get ripped, and buy new clothes at your discretion.

So dive into Grand Theft Auto V and live vicariously through a criminal psychopath, an aging bank robber, and a young gangster. What could go wrong?

GTA V Gameplay

1. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Raid, reave, and live free with entry number 1, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla combines the finesse of the iconic Assassins with the brutality of the war-loving Vikings in this latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. In this third-person, stealth-based action-adventure game, you play as Eivor Varinsdottir, Viking raider, as you put your Anglo-Saxon enemies to the sword. During this period of history, you and your raiders seek to expand Norse territory across Western Europe while also taking the Assassin’s oath and confronting the series’ antagonists, the Order of the Ancients (aka Templars).

Gameplay in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla centers around the usual stealth elements that allow you to stalk, incapacitate and/or kill targets discreetly. There is also a return to the recently introduced “social stealth” mechanic that allows you to hide in plain sight by blending into crowds and performing everyday activities to avoid arousing suspicion. You can also climb buildings and survey your area using a version of a series staple: the Eagle Vision mechanic.

When engaging in combat, your character can use almost any weapon at their disposal on the battlefield and can now even dual-wield any weapon type, allowing for maximum damage output as well as the ability to look twice as cool. A bevy of optional side missions is also available to complement traditional story missions that progress linearly. As you complete objectives and defeat enemies, you can gain skills and allocate those skills accordingly to complete later objectives and defeat more challenging enemies. Finally, as you grow your Viking army you can create settlements that offer gameplay benefits to your character during combat or exploration (no wonder colonization was such a thing!).

With so much to offer in terms of combat, world-building, exploration, and story depth, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a must-play for anyone looking for a recent third-person adventure game to get hooked on.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Gameplay



Just a friendly islander NPC who plays video games and lays around at the beach. Selling coconut flavored side-quests at discount prices.
Gamer Since: 2000
Favorite Genre: RPG
Currently Playing: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Top 3 Favorite Games:Dark Souls 3 , The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt


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