Overview
You are the victim. First-person horror exploits perspective like no other genre—limited peripheral vision creates blind spots, spatial audio suggests threats you cannot see, and the camera becomes your frightened eyes. Unlike third-person horror where players watch a character suffer, first-person makes every threat personal. Amnesia stripped away weapons entirely; Alien: Isolation weaponised unpredictability; PT concentrated terror into a single corridor.
Fast facts
- Early example: Alone in the Dark influence.
- Breakthrough: Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010).
- Streaming era: Let’s Play phenomenon.
- Key innovation: Weaponless vulnerability.
Perspective advantages
| Element | Horror application |
|---|
| Limited vision | Blind spots, surprises |
| Spatial audio | Directional threats |
| Embodiment | Personal vulnerability |
| Intimacy | No character buffer |
Vulnerability design
| Approach | Implementation |
|---|
| No weapons | Amnesia, Outlast |
| Limited defence | Alien: Isolation |
| Fragile tools | Camera batteries |
| Flight only | Hide or die |
Environmental techniques
| Method | Effect |
|---|
| Darkness | Fear of unknown |
| Tight spaces | Claustrophobia |
| Sound cues | Building dread |
| Light management | Resource tension |
Sanity systems
| Game | Mechanic |
|---|
| Amnesia | Darkness/monster drain |
| Eternal Darkness | Fourth-wall breaks |
| Call of Cthulhu | Investigation cost |
| SOMA | Existential dread |
Streaming impact
| Factor | Influence |
|---|
| Reaction content | YouTube/Twitch appeal |
| Shared fear | Communal experience |
| Genre revival | Commercial viability |
| Indie boom | Low barrier to entry |
See also