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I beat Resident Evil 4 for the first time. I still don't like tank controls.

Tanks strafe in your dimension?

When I push left in an fps I strafe, tank controls don't do that.

Tank controls are not defined by a camera in a video game, they're defined by how a tank can only have momentum forward or backward. They stop to turn.

This isn't tank science, here.

In RE4 you need to stand still before you move to the left or right, in a FPS you don't. If you control the game well (or older REs too), you can make it look like you're changing directions seemlessly, but that's not actually true .

Tanks can't turn 180º either, which you can often do in games with what is usuaIly referred to as tank controls. Honest question, if Resident Evil 1 allowed Chris or Jill to strafe, but you still did so relative to the camera (i.e. if you are facing right and you strafe "right", you move towards the camera), would you still say they have tank controls or not?
 

kikiribu

Member
RE6 is the better game


yeah i said it
Not like you'd be in the minority these days. I think most gamers that don't have the nostalgia disease would have a lot more fun with RE6 these days, myself included. Tons more replay value, better controls, co-op, silly yet fun story, etc. I'm not ashamed to say it. Only thing I hated about it was the overdone QTEs but RE4 had them too, so it's whatever.
 
RE4 does have tank controls, it's the camera that changed.

This, you press up and down to go forward and backwards and then rotate with left and right, that's tank controls.

Tanks can't turn 180º either, which you can often do in games with what is usuaIly referred to as tank controls. Honest question, if Resident Evil 1 allowed Chris or Jill to strafe, but you still did so relative to the camera (i.e. if you are facing right and you strafe "right", you move towards the camera), would you still say they have tank controls or not?

???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHXK-fKPSw
 

tkscz

Member
RE0,1,2,3 have tank controls

RE4 doesn't

It's literally the same control scheme, just an adjusted camera. Tank controls usually mean when you hold back on the movement (Analog stick or D-pad) instead of turning around, the character walks backwards.

RE6 is the better game


yeah i said it

You have your opinion, but I have mine and they do not agree. Re6 has so many issues. The controls aren't tank anymore, but there is too much shit on your controller. Too many areas are "shoot the enemies until time runs out" or "until all enemies are dead". Pacing is awful, very few breathing areas (RE5 had the same issue). I can go on why I can't stand RE6.
 
I didn't like it a first too but by the time I reached the castle, it finally clicked or more like I finally had to do or die in other to continue because shit got serious by the Water level.
 

Zebetite

Banned
The number of people on the first page who are extremely confident in expressing their complete lack of understanding as to what "tank controls" actually are has to be one of the closest and densely-packed concentrations of self-owns in recent memory
 
Tanks can't turn 180º either, which you can often do in games with what is usuaIly referred to as tank controls. Honest question, if Resident Evil 1 allowed Chris or Jill to strafe, but you still did so relative to the camera (i.e. if you are facing right and you strafe "right", you move towards the camera), would you still say they have tank controls or not?

I mean, it's QOL features thrown on top of tank controls, but its obvious where the core movement comes from even with quick turns and such.
 
Tanks can't turn 180º either, which you can often do in games with what is usuaIly referred to as tank controls. Honest question, if Resident Evil 1 allowed Chris or Jill to strafe, but you still did so relative to the camera (i.e. if you are facing right and you strafe "right", you move towards the camera), would you still say they have tank controls or not?

The camera doesn't matter. Stop saying it matters. It's not a term that came because of controls in video games.
 
It absolutely does have tank controls and they absolutely do not hold up. The biggest gripe I have with the ridiculous amounts of RE4 ports is that only the Wii and PC version improve the controls and that's only due to their input styles.

Playing the original GameCube and PS2 versions of RE4 nowadays feels clunky and obtuse. Still a 10/10 game but the controls don't hold up to scrutinity. No shame in admitting that.
 

Anung

Un Rama
The number of people on the first page who are extremely confident in expressing their complete lack of understanding as to what "tank controls" actually are has to be one of the closest and densely-packed concentrations of self-owns in recent memory

Yeah, the first page gave me a good laugh.
 

meerak

Member
What an embarrassment.

Of course RE4 has tank controls.

Look how people pile on top of shit they don't know because someone else said it, then feel the need to defend their bullshit. This is the exact picture perfect reflection of modern threads.

Tank controls are exceedingly simple as a concept.

RE4 has tank controls.

It's insane that a debate would arise around this. There's nothing to say about it.

ANYWAYS, OP.

Sounds like based on your mechanical preferences you would have preferred a more arcade experience. Curious if you've played the previous Resident Evils?

On thing I think is interesting about this game, especially now, is that it is a hybrid of action / survival, unlike the previous games, which are more weighted in survival (effectively becoming more and more action with every passing game).

I'd be curious to know if you enjoy tank controls in the more survival-facing games. I could see the action lean of RE4 causing annoyance with the tank controls if you didn't play your way through the series.

I love tank controls personally. Wish they were still more common.
 

Raptomex

Member
It absolutely does have tank controls and they absolutely do not hold up. The biggest gripe I have with the ridiculous amounts of RE4 ports is that only the Wii and PC version improve the controls and that's only due to their input styles.

Playing the original GameCube and PS2 versions of RE4 nowadays feels clunky and obtuse. Still a 10/10 game but the controls don't hold up to scrutinity. No shame in admitting that.
Despite my dislike of tank controls, I can see how the Wii version breaks the game, if playing with motion controls, that is. The gameplay so heavily relies on tank controls and everything comes together nicely because of it.
What an embarrassment.

Of course RE4 has tank controls.

Look how people pile on top of shit they don't know because someone else said it, then feel the need to defend their bullshit. This is the exact picture perfect reflection of modern threads.

Tank controls are exceedingly simple as a concept.

RE4 has tank controls.

It's insane that a debate would arise around this. There's nothing to say about it.

ANYWAYS, OP.

Sounds like based on your mechanical preferences you would have preferred a more arcade experience. Curious if you've played the previous Resident Evils?

On thing I think is interesting about this game, especially now, is that it is a hybrid of action / survival, unlike the previous games, which are more weighted in survival (effectively becoming more and more action with every passing game).

I'd be curious to know if you enjoy tank controls in the more survival-facing games. I could see the action lean of RE4 causing annoyance with the tank controls if you didn't play your way through the series.

I love tank controls personally. Wish they were still more common.
I'm not really a fan of survival horror games or RE. I've never played the earlier titles. That's not to say they're bad games. I'm just not a fan of the genre. However, I was interested in RE 4 because of its focus on action. Ultimately, I thought it was a great game. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I just don't like the tank controls. RE 4 hasn't changed my mind regarding them. However, I can at least tolerate them more because by the end of the game I barely noticed.
 

emag

Member
It's literally the same control scheme, just an adjusted camera. Tank controls usually mean when you hold back on the movement (Analog stick or D-pad) instead of turning around, the character walks backwards.

What did the S do in WASD? Every FPS has tank controls?
 
It absolutely does have tank controls and they absolutely do not hold up. The biggest gripe I have with the ridiculous amounts of RE4 ports is that only the Wii and PC version improve the controls and that's only due to their input styles.

Playing the original GameCube and PS2 versions of RE4 nowadays feels clunky and obtuse. Still a 10/10 game but the controls don't hold up to scrutinity. No shame in admitting that.

Why don't they hold up? Just because they don't let you move your character in the same way modern games do?

Giving the player more control over your character is not inherently better or more modern.
 

Melchiah

Member
- Too much Krauser. Krauser fight in the main campaign, again in Separate Ways, and again in Assignment Ada. Outside of the fact that he's easy to kill with a knife, it's somewhat of an annoying boss fight.

Agreed. The QTEs, particularly that against Krauser, are really tedious. It's always puzzled me why RE4 got a free pass regarding those, when they're maligned in other games.
 

tkscz

Member
What did the S do in WASD? Every FPS has tank controls?

Should've added in 3rd person and with no strafing.

Agreed. The QTEs, particularly that against Krauser, are really tedious. It's always puzzled me why RE4 got a free pass regarding those, when they're maligned in other games.

Wasn't done to death then and it wasn't everywhere in the game. RE4 knew when to use QTEs and when not to. It also gave you plenty of reaction time (Looking at you RE6).
 
This is why I fear re-playing RE4, I had such a good memory with it that I don't want to tarnish it by noticing how awkward it controls. It happened when I tried to replay Super Metroid.... :(

The number of people on the first page who are extremely confident in expressing their complete lack of understanding as to what "tank controls" actually are has to be one of the closest and densely-packed concentrations of self-owns in recent memory

Amen to that, haha.
 
The added difficulty of using original RE tank controls, and the reason they were derisively named tank controls, is that you have to make the mental adjustment necessary to control your character's viewpoint (with slow turns and backing up like a tank) and move them accordingly even though you can't control the viewing angle and indeed the angle is constantly changing. This was a big adjustment when players were used to the movement being relative to the screen.

If your viewpoint moves with the character that extra mental layer isn't there, and it's not what people were complaining about when they complained about tank controls. RE4 controls too intuitively and responsively to count.
 

daxter01

8/8/2010 Blackace was here
Encounter design,enemy placement and basically whole game is designed around tank control so it doesn't bother me even in 2017 also dat pacing
 
I agree with all the posters saying the game doesn't have tank controls. I also think RE4 is a 10/10 game. However, in introducing the game to new people in this decade, I have noted there is a clear resistance among some players to even take the time to get used to the controls. It probably comes from the "needs" of the mobile phone generation to have instant gratification, but still, the resistance is there.

1) the controls are the same as the old ones for the most part
2) didn't expect a "those darn millennials" post
 

Kebiinu

Banned
Just read the first two pages before I couldn't take it anymore. Y'all really don't know what tank controls are?! Lmfao. It has nothing to do with the camera and everything to do with input. RE4 is definitely tank controls. The only difference is camera orientation but he plays exactly like a tank.
 

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
There's an interesting thing I read once about the one of the biggest differences between most Western and Eastern games. Western games more often have just 3-5 'main' control schemes that get improved over time almost every game uses some variation of, while more often Eastern games are more likely to use a much different way to control your character for whatever fits for the game in question but it might be less defined or more built on limitations for the game rather than complete ease of use.

There are many games with control schemes that certain games are 100% built around using, like the game is literally designed with those controls in mind, but many gamers and especially those who get used to the handful of control schemes most games use will identify them as a negative because they both are not as refined or are as used to them as the few control schemes often used.

I personally love Tank Controls but they give a very different style to how you will end up playing the game with them in a game and obviously don't give you as much direct movement control as some other schemes, but that lack of fluidity to not be able to turn is often in the design of games that use them.
 

aravuus

Member
Man I just can't get into this game. Despite the obvious tank controls which I never came across in my childhood (i.e re4 is the first game with them I've played) it does feel pretty good to play, just... I dunno. I'll give it another try when the HD textures mod is finished. And I'll play it on a harder difficulty than easy lol.

Either way, thanks for the most entertaining lttp thread I've seen in a while. First page is hilarious, but don't take it too hard tank control deniers.
 
Agreed. The QTEs, particularly that against Krauser, are really tedious. It's always puzzled me why RE4 got a free pass regarding those, when they're maligned in other games.

Krauser QTE was a pain, but nothing to compared to the Jill fight in RE5. On Professional difficulty, the margin for error was nonexistent. So frustrating.
 

Moze

Banned
Both RE4 and RE5 have tank controls. And they are better games for it.

Not sure how anyone can disagree.
 

Raptomex

Member
The added difficulty of using original RE tank controls, and the reason they were derisively named tank controls, is that you have to make the mental adjustment necessary to control your character's viewpoint (with slow turns and backing up like a tank) and move them accordingly even though you can't control the viewing angle and indeed the angle is constantly changing. This was a big adjustment when players were used to the movement being relative to the screen.

If your viewpoint moves with the character that extra mental layer isn't there, and it's not what people were complaining about when they complained about tank controls. RE4 controls too intuitively and responsively to count.
Leon moves like a tank. Tank controls. People can throw around all sorts of explanations regarding camera angles if they want. He moves like a tank. That's it. The quote below with the image sums it up nicely. I'm just baffled people don't see or understand it. The camera angle/static camera may affect what buttons to press in order to move in what direction (depending on the game I guess) but the character still moves like a tank.
kssXkZK.png


Goddamnit gaf, it's not that hard
Man I just can't get into this game. Despite the obvious tank controls which I never came across in my childhood (i.e re4 is the first game with them I've played) it does feel pretty good to play, just... I dunno. I'll give it another try when the HD textures mod is finished. And I'll play it on a harder difficulty than easy lol.

Either way, thanks for the most entertaining lttp thread I've seen in a while. First page is hilarious, but don't take it too hard tank control deniers.
I was just determined. People keep claiming it's one of the greatest games of all time so I should at least give it the chance. Plus, I like action. I just had to get used to the controls.
 
RE4 does have tank controls, it's the camera that changed.

Yeah, I'm a little confused by people saying RE4 doesn't have tank controls. The change in perspective doesn't mean it doesn't have tank controls unless there's something I'm unaware of...

Anyway, to the OP, I do feel like the more action packed the series became the more the tank controls and not being able to shoot or reload while moving felt ridiculous (this coming from someone who has always preferred tank controls in these games). Having said that, I would almost recommend anyone new to the series starting with RE4 and then have them go back to the older games. My reasoning being that the camera perspective in RE4 I think makes it much easier to wrap your head around using the tank controls which could help new players acclimatize to the controls of the old games more quickly.
 

Raptomex

Member
Yeah, I'm a little confused by people saying RE4 doesn't have tank controls. The change in perspective doesn't mean it doesn't have tank controls unless there's something I'm unaware of...

Anyway, to the OP, I do feel like the more action packed the series became the more the tank controls and not being able to shoot or reload while moving felt ridiculous (this coming from someone who has always preferred tank controls in these games). Having said that, I would almost recommend anyone new to the series starting with RE4 and then have them go back to the older games. My reasoning being that the camera perspective in RE4 I think makes it much easier to wrap your head around using the tank controls which could help new players acclimatize to the controls of the old games more quickly.
That's a very good point, actually. Now that I'm more accustomed to the controls.
 
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