What are some of the best third person shooter video games available today?

What are some of the best third person shooter video games available today?

Bill Kunkel (Editor-in-Chief, "Tips & Tricks" Magazine) gives expert video advice on: What are the most influential first-person shooters?; What is one of the best strategy video games available?; What are some of the most influential role-playing video games? and more...

Definitely 'Lost Planet', or 'Gears of War'. As I say there are very few true first-person shooters that come out these days, because a lot of them switch off. Sometimes you'll actually be first-person and then they go to what are called cut-scenes, which are non-interactive scenes that provide the exposition for the game and conversations that go on between the characters. So, sometimes you'll play a game that's first-person and all of the sudden we're going to a cut-scene, and now I see myself; I see the character I've been playing, and they're involved in a conversation or argument. There may even be action taking place; without my control the character may engage in a battle. This happens in Gears of War all the time. So, it's really that they've merged. Shooters have kind of become shooters, but they like you to see the character, because again, they have a character that can become a franchise, become a brand, and become a series, theoretically.