Summary
The perspective of afirst-person RPGis an aspect of those games that is sometimes underappreciated in the gaming world. With a first-person point of view, players are truly placed in the shoes of the characters they’re playing - seeing the world through their eyes.
It’s a component of RPGs thatpairs well with their characteristically vast environments. From this point of view, players can become easily immersed in the surrounding sights, convincing them that they’re actually the ones taking the steps through these locations. The games below are RPGs that take full advantage of this marriage of gameplay elements, letting players run wild to experience their rich worlds from a first-person perspective.
Updated on July 03, 2025, by Dylan Whitehall:With first-person RPGs being such a popular and diverse genre, there are many worlds out there for players to lose themselves in. From grand expansive vistas to oppressive gothic constructions, players are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding where to explore next. When this article was originally published, some of the heavy hitters and smaller projects quietly innovating from the sidelines were left unmentioned. This article has been updated to include such titles and will likely be changed again in the future, thanks to the constant output of games from talented developers in the industry.
AlthoughObsidian’sAvowedwas met with a mixed receptionbecause of its writing, one area that critics seem to agree unanimously on is its world design and sense of exploration. The game is filled with so many moments where players will ask themselves, “What’s behind that waterfall?” or “What’s at the top of that tower?”
AndAvowedremembers to do what some games unfortunately don’t, which is to reward players for seeking these places out. Each cave, monster nest, or obscured path will end in something worth the player’s time - whether it be loot or little nuggets of lore.Avowedhas plenty of the latter, with the game being based on another of Obsidian’s RPG series,Pillars of Eternity.
Upon the announcement ofAtomfall, many gamers were quick to call it a ‘BritishFallout,’ drawing parallels between it and Bethesda’s nuclear inspirations. Now that the game is in players' hands, it’s safe to say thatAtomfallis so much more thana different flavor ofFallout.
The game handles exploration differently from other games by doing away with traditional objective markers and quests. Instead, players will collect Leads - tidbits of information and clues they can collect through various means - that will guide them through the story and to new locations. It’s a system that makesAtomfall’s exploration feel more organic and rewarding when compared to other mainstay titles in the genre.
Set 20 years after the first game,Dying Light 2: Stay Humanplaces players in a world where the Harran virus has spread globally. The resulting zombie apocalypse has made society regress into a medieval state, something that is made evident by the many wooden structures that adorn the city of Villedor - the game’s main setting.
Exploring the city is not only intriguing from a world-building perspective, but it’s also fascinating from a gameplay one, too, thanks toDying Light 2’s signature parkour mechanics. With intuitive controls, scaling a building feels just as simple and easy as walking down the street, and the first-person perspective makes the experience feel ridiculously immersive.
The core ofS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobylis the environmental design of the Zone, a quarantined area bordering Chornobyl that is filled with all sorts of nuclear abominations. The Zone is eerily beautiful despite its destitute state, with its swathes of wilderness harmoniously contrasting its urban patches and supernatural anomalies. It’s a visual aesthetic that best encapsulatesEastern Europe’s post-Soviet take on the apocalyptic genre.
Besides the visual delights of exploring the Zone from a first-person perspective, players can also expect to come across the challenges of its hostile environment. Whether that be other humans or the Zone’s many mutants, besting these threats is difficult but fun nonetheless.
ThroughoutCyberpunk 2077’s tumultuous history, one thing has remained certain to fans and critics alike: that its main setting, Night City, is one of gaming’s most detailed and fun-to-explore urban environments ever. Drenched in neon lights and depravity, Night City is as beautiful to look at as it is dangerous to explore.
Waiting around every corner is another cyberpsycho for the player to shoot it out with or a reminder that beneath its glamour, Night City is a truly dystopian rendition of a potential future. Experiencing the setting in first-person makes it all the more immersive as players really feel that they’re wandering the streets of the city themselves.
In Arkane’sArx Fatalis,the sun has disappeared, forcing the races of this fantasy world to seek shelter beneath the earth. Exploring a setting without natural light is oppressive enough, butArxstretches its dark fantasy muscles by sowing conflict between the various races now forced to rub shoulders.
Arxdoesn’t hold players' hands either, leaving them to navigate this lightless world of war, famine, and monsters on their own. But it’s this lack of direction that makesArxsuch a treat to play even today. Mastering the game’s detailed systems and navigating these underground communities in first-person is an immersive journey all the way through.
Set on the alien-infested space station of Talos 1, Arkane Studios’Preysees players assume control of Morgan Yu as they work to uncover the secrets of both the station and their past. Exploring the eerie ship from a first-person perspective is a delight in itself, with its environments dripping in atmosphere and providing bits of lore for players to absorb while they fend off aliens.
WherePreytruly shines, however, is inArkane’s signature sense of player agencythat their games come packed with. Objectives can be approached from multiple angles, letting players lean into different tactics and follow different avenues to achieve their goals. Exploring these other paths becomes even more of a treat on multiple playthroughs, helping it remain fresh even for veteran fans.
Similar to games likeArx Fatalis,Dread Delusiondoes not hold players' hands. Dropped into its vibrant polygon world, players will have to figure out its systems and mechanics all on their own. This may sound daunting, or even annoying, to some players, but discovering a new location or figuring out something as simple as where to find a certain merchant can feel extremely rewarding.
Leveling up a character inDread Delusionis also achieved via the collection of Delusions, floating skulls that are scattered across the game’s world. Developer Lovely Hellplace’s decision to lock leveling behind these skulls actively encourages exploration, as players will need to search every nook and cranny to find them.
Wabbaboy’sFlyKnightis much smaller than some of the other games mentioned on this list, with speedy players being able to complete it in just a couple of hours, but that doesn’t mean its first-person exploration is without merit.
As a squire of a cursed order of Flyknights, players will descend into caves and dungeons to find the witch, Lunamoth, and vanquish her. BlendingRuneScapevisuals withKing’s Fieldgameplay,FlyKnightis a charming love letter to blocky RPGs, both in terms of visuals and mechanics.
Lunacidis an indie gem from developer KIRA that throws players into a subterranean world of fantasy and horror.CitingKing’s Fieldas a direct influenceon its Steam page,Lunacidhearkens back to classic ARPGs with its first-person dungeon-crawling gameplay.
Its environments are possessed by a sense of mysticism and horror, with players jumping from areas like serene underground forests to crypts filled with all sorts of ghouls. The magic ofLunacidis in its exploration and the many secrets laid throughout the world for players to find. To say much more about it would spoil the experience.
