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[Mama Smurf]

I think the game was designed well without the strafe. You can handle huge groups by timing your melee attacks. Certain weapons like the shotgun and TMP allow you to mow over several enemies quickly. Plus, the game also gives you a generous amount of explosive weapons.

It's not the designers built the game around strafing and then pulled it out at the last minute. Almost all situations can be dealt with the tools that were provided.

As someone said early, the analog issue is the only real failing of the control scheme. We have gone through nearly 2 generations of analog control--digital controls in 3D playing games are silly.

+

I made a point of not mentioning strafing.
Fuck strafing.

= one pissed off dog$

 

[dynamitejim]

If the point of RE is that it's an action game with horror elements, then it fails horribly since it controls worse than practically all other action games made to date.

Funny then, that I've been able to kill 1800+ enemies without any problem whatsoever. Not to mention that it's been extremely fun doing so or that my hit ratio is always above 75%. RE4 is about accurately targeting enemy bodyparts. If they wanted you to just strafe around enemies plowing them down, then they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of including the excellent hit detection. They want to you to get those gruesome headshots, take out the enemies' legs, shoot down the axes/sickles they throw at you, etc. Strafing would take your accuracy down to shit levels, and then what would be the point? The game does not need strafing. Stick to Max Payne or some shit if you really want it.

 

[ge-man]

+



= one pissed off dog$

My bad, although I think my point still stands when just talking about moving and shooting at the same time. The bad guys can be dealt without a lot of mobility.

 

[MarkRyan]

digital controls in 3D playing games are silly.

Um, the games for which people use keyboard/mouse are only using digital controls. No one complains about those.

 

[ge-man]

Um, the games for which people use keyboard/mouse are only using digital controls. No one complains about those.

Hence why I don't particularily care for the way that PC games control. I might be in the minority here, but I hate having to hold or toggle a key for walking and running.

 

[-SRV-]

As someone said early, the analog issue is the only real failing of the control scheme. We have gone through nearly 2 generations of analog control--digital controls in 3D playing games are silly.

VF4? SSX?

 

[dog$]

M Smurf I'll be fine

RE4 is about accurately targeting enemy bodyparts.

Well, that's what I was alluding to earlier: I don't believe RE has still made up its mind as to what it's trying to primarily be. Is it an action-horror game or the reverse?

If it's primarily an action game, why does it have a control scheme which I can't agree with?
If it's primarily a horror game, why are there so many things to shoot?

I watched my gf play the first part of 4. Within minutes, she's in the middle of some town with no less than five things chasing after her through the streets and houses, led by some nut with a damned chainsaw. And you're telling me my only choices are to either turn my heels and run or helplessly watch them come at me as I shoot? Really?

So, yes, I know it's all a design choice and etc etc. I just can't deal with this specific choice, I'm sorry.

...... oh, by the way, thank you all for not metioning Gun Survivor a single time through all of this.

 

[Foreign Jackass]

Surely his training taught him how to walk and shoot at the same time? Or how to roll away from oncoming enemies.

:lol I always think it's funny when you can roll in games. Rolling comes from action movies, dudes, they're not a useful move in real life. Do you think SWAT teams or U.S. Army soldiers are always rolling? Rolling is the best way to get shot stupidly.

Oh, and by the way, shooting a revolver is a rather hard thing to do accurately, infinitely more so while running. Do you see any people hunting animals while running, or U.S. marines running towards Arabs with their guns blazing? Strafing might be useful, but really, stop relying on real life to bring arguments into gaming topics, cause real life is BORING. If you wanted to argue against RE4, just say that you think the controls make it boring, not less realistic.

 

[Shogmaster]

I can do it, anyone can do it, but I'd prefer not to have to hold the stick halfway forward for most of the game than all the way. It's simply a preference, not a requirement.

You know what I smell? Lead thumb.

You don't understand at all. I mean your response to that quote doesn't even make sense, so I'm going to ignore your reply, and explain what what I wrote meant.

Ignoring doesn't make it go away. You might want to read it until the light comes on over your head.

If I ran all the time, and had analogue, I would only have to push forwards on the stick rather than forwards and a button.

GASP OMG IT MAKES SENSE END OF THE WORLD SHOGMASTER GETS IT NOW

Hopefully

Were you trying to argue just now that pushing on one stick is more work than pushing on one stick and a button? :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[ge-man]

VF4? SSX?

Noticed I mentioned 3D playing. Modern 3D still largely work along a 2D plane for instance. I'm talking more specifically about genres like action games.

 

[Mama Smurf]

You know what I smell? Lead thumb.

I don't know what that is. Unless it's nothing and you just mean my thumb must be made of lead.

Ignoring doesn't make it go away. You might want to read it until the light comes on over your head.

You're not responding to what I'm saying, so it gets ignored. If anything what you said should be lumped together with what you quoted me on first.

Were you trying to argue just now that pushing on one stick is more work than pushing on one stick and a button? :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

No. I was arguing the opposite. Because I generally walk in the game.

You can't even read dude, give it up.

 

[explodet]

Okay, we've gone from discussion to flame war.
I'll be over here if you need me.

 

[Timbuktu]

Were you trying to argue just now that pushing on one stick is more work than pushing on one stick and a button? :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

I think its the other way round. Pushing on the stick and a button is more effort than just pushing a stick and prevents you from pushing X,Y and A at the same time. But I think this is why the system may make more sense for RE4. I don't think it's intuitive, but it means that running requires more effort than walking, and that's exactly how it should be. With analgue controls ala Mario 64, pushing the stick all the way to run is no harder, if not easier, than it is to hold the stick half-way for walking. I guess with that system, many players would end up running for the majority of the game.

 

[dynamitejim]

Well, that's what I was alluding to earlier: I don't believe RE has still made up its mind as to what it's trying to primarily be. Is it an action-horror game or the reverse?

If it's primarily an action game, why does it have a control scheme which I can't agree with?
If it's primarily a horror game, why are there so many things to shoot?

It is what it is. If people stopped trying to pigeonhole every game into some lameass genre then you'd be able to take the game in for what the developers were trying to accomplish.

I watched my gf play the first part of 4. Within minutes, she's in the middle of some town with no less than five things chasing after her through the streets and houses, led by some nut with a damned chainsaw. And you're telling me my only choices are to either turn my heels and run or helplessly watch them come at me as I shoot? Really?

Sounds to me like your girlfriend's aim stinks. And yes, if you can't aim properly (which isn't at all hard in this game) then running is a valid strategy. Wouldn't you do the same thing if you had some chainsaw weilding maniac running at you? Find some higher ground where the enemies can't get you and unload some shells into them. Or learn how to properly take down enemies coming at you. All you have to do is take out their knees or feet. Hence, why the excellent hit detection is in the game.

 

[Shogmaster]

I don't know what that is. Unless it's nothing and you just mean my thumb must be made of lead.

Playing dumb suits you.

You're not responding to what I'm saying, so it gets ignored. If anything what you said should be lumped together with what you quoted me on first.

Playing semetics doesn't.

No. I was arguing the opposite. Because I generally walk in the game.

You can't even read dude, give it up.

Now you are trying to flat out BS an argument. You "generally walk" in RE4 and you'll be running low on ammo very quick or die often. You will have to run in many parts of this game. And the moment you start running, the pad +/- button run/walk arrangement makes little sense compared to one analog stick controlling both walking and running.

You know what I think smurfy? You lost this argument even before it started. Shit, you probably think iPod Shuffle is a grand idea. Enjoy the controls. :lol

 

[Mama Smurf]

Playing dumb suits you.

Honestly don't know what it is. Maybe it's not an expression that's used where I'm from. If that makes me dumb, fine, but I;m certainly not playing dumb.

Playing semetics doesn't.

There are no semantics here, what you said wasn't relevant to what you quoted.

Now you are trying to flat out BS an argument. You "generally walk" in RE4 and you'll be running low on ammo very quick. You will have to run in many parts of this game. And the moment you start running, the pad +/- button run/walk arrangement makes little sense compared to one analog stick controlling both walking and running.

Yes, I do. I walk down all the many corridors. I try to sneak up on people and take them out from a distance. I like to see what's coming as soon as possible rather than gettign places as soon as possible.

Of course I have to run in the middle of intense battles, but as I'm stopping to shoot as much as I am moving, if not more, I don't find holding down B to be a problem.

If I had to hold it to walk rather than run all the way down those long corridors though, I wouldn't like it much.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

re4 was good, controls coulda been better already beat it and traded it back in.... NEXT!

 

[dog$]

*rereads quoted post*

Sounds to me like your girlfriend's aim stinks.

So encountering enemies = bad aim?
Check.

if you can't aim properly (which isn't at all hard in this game) then running is a valid strategy. Wouldn't you do the same thing if you had some chainsaw weilding maniac running at you?

No, I'd try to kill the maniac and run away from it at the same time. 100% of the time.
I certainly wouldn't try to shoot it while remaining completely immobile.

 

[-SRV-]

Noticed I mentioned 3D playing. Modern 3D still largely work along a 2D plane for instance. I'm talking more specifically about genres like action games.

That's what I thought. Just wanted clarification. VF4 is "analog" with a arcade stick, but not with the PS2 controller.

 

[dynamitejim]

*rereads quoted post*
So encountering enemies = bad aim?

Dude, if she's seen the chainsaw guy then she's got the shotgun. Run into an area of the village that's narrow and wait until the enemies group up in front of you. When they get close enough, keep nailing them with the shotgun. Or better yet, if you have any grenades toss one into the middle of the group. You'll take out the villagers instantly and the chainsaw dude will only need a couple more hits with shotgun.

The point is, it's not that hard to take out a group of enemies. If you don't got the "skillz" then stick to something like Max Payne.

No, I'd try to kill the maniac and run away from it at the same time. 100% of the time.

How is that even physically possible unless you're shooting blindly over your shoulder? Are you gonna strafe? Have fun taking forever to kill anyone when your accuracy goes down considerably.

 

[Ristamar]

I think the game was designed well without the strafe. You can handle huge groups by timing your melee attacks. Certain weapons like the shotgun and TMP allow you to mow over several enemies quickly. Plus, the game also gives you a generous amount of explosive weapons.

It's not the designers built the game around strafing and then pulled it out at the last minute. Almost all situations can be dealt with the tools that were provided.

As someone said early, the analog issue is the only real failing of the control scheme. We have gone through nearly 2 generations of analog control--digital controls in 3D playing games are silly.

I heartily endorse this post.

 

[dog$]

Save the skillz bullshit for another forum or PMs, please.
I'm not trying to demean your gameplaying ability or lack thereof, and it's 100% irrelevant to this.

The point is, it's not that hard to take out a group of enemies.

Wrong.
The point is, as I initially said, is if a game has five+ things chasing after me and the only choices are have are to either run away from all of it or become a statue to neutrailize the threats, it feels unnatural to me and that's why I have an issue with the control scheme.

How is that even physically possible unless you're shooting blindly over your shoulder? Are you gonna strafe?

Again: Fuck strafing.
Here's an experiment you can do, if you have a BB Gun.
1) Go outside
2) Load BB gun
3) walk backwards
4) pull trigger
5) notice the BB goes forward while you are moving backwards.

Now, why can't I do this exact same series of events in a game where you use a gun as a primary means of handling threats?

Have fun taking forever to kill anyone when your accuracy goes down considerably.

I'd have absolutely no problem if RE let me do this and heavily penalized me for this ability in the process. It'd still feel 100% more natural.

 

[Mrbob]

:lol I always think it's funny when you can roll in games. Rolling comes from action movies, dudes, they're not a useful move in real life. Do you think SWAT teams or U.S. Army soldiers are always rolling? Rolling is the best way to get shot stupidly.

.

RE4 is one big action movie comprised in a game. Game is so damn good my complaints about it are limited. Just comes down to a disappointment in Leons restrictions in abilities to use.

 

[Mama Smurf]

You know what I think smurfy? You lost this argument even before it started. Shit, you probably think iPod Shuffle is a grand idea. Enjoy the controls. :lol

Didn't see this, you edited in after I started to post.

I don't think the iPod Shuffle is a great idea, I don't give a crap about it either way.Nice that you think I lsot before it even started though. Let's have a look at how things went down shall we?

1. I said I'd prefer to just hold down the control stick to walk as I generally walk in the game, rather than holding it part way.

You think this means I can't play games with an analogue stick, despite the fact that I said it was a preference. You then say I have lead thumb and I don't know what this means so that point petered out as you wouldn't explain.

= You read what I said wrong.

2. I said that if I ran all the time, I'd want analogue control too. This was to show that holding the button down is annoying if you have to do it for what you use most in the game.

You reply talking about how analogue sticks are supposed to give you varying degrees of control. What does this have to do with my saying that holding a button down if I ran all the time would be annoying?

= You've replied to a quote which doesn't have anything to do with your reply. You later call this semantics, suggesting I'm quibbling over minor points, when your reply doesn't even bare a relation to quibble over.

3. I finally realise in what way you're not getting part of point 1, I explain what I actually meant.

You reply saying I had just said the opposite.

I reply saying that I'd actually said the opposite of what you thought I'd said earlier.

= You choose not to respond to this, as there's no way you can get around this one.

4. I've said I generally walk in the game.

You tell me this must be bullshit, it's not possible in RE4 to walk more than run.

I show how it is possible if you play the way I do.

You've already decided that I'm wrong and you don't want to argue anymore

= We went nowhere.

Look, I didn't want to make this post, it's pedantic and for internet arguments to go this far it's pretty sad, but with your conviction that I had lost before I began, when you look at the above, I just couldn't let it go.

 

[CrisKre]

I don't know if anyone will agree *and I know a few will probably hate on me* but RE4 really has a lot in common with PN03. It even seems to use a similar engine (tweaked to infinity, thats for sure) and it controls VERY similar.
And by the way, i played a lot of PN03 and loved it.

 

[open_mouth_]

I swear, no matter what you're dealing with, people will find something to bitch about.

Yeah, you don't like the controls? Well how bout I shove that wavebird up your bloated ass?
You want to strafe, you say? Go play Serious Sam, asshole.

 

[dynamitejim]

Save the skillz bullshit for another forum or PMs, please.
I'm not trying to demean your gameplaying ability or lack thereof, and it's 100% irrelevant to this.

Not trying to demean your abilities. I was really disappointed with the controls too at first when I got the demo for preordering. But the fact is, once your aiming improves and you get some better weapons there really is no need to move while shooting. Using Leon's kick and suplex helps a lot as well early in the game.

Wrong.
The point is, as I initially said, is if a game has five+ things chasing after me and the only choices are have are to either run away from all of it or become a statue to neutrailize the threats, it feels unnatural to me and that's why I have an issue with the control scheme.
Again: Fuck strafing.
Here's an experiment you can do, if you have a BB Gun.
1) Go outside
2) Load BB gun
3) walk backwards
4) pull trigger
5) notice the BB goes forward while you are moving backwards.

Walking backwards while shooting wouldn't help much. You'd be walking way too slow to the point it wouldn't matter. And the enemies come up from behind occasionlly. You'd back into one and it would be all over. Just shoot out their legs and you won't need to back up.

Now, why can't I do this exact same series of events in a game where you use a gun as a primary means of handling threats? I'd have absolutely no problem if RE let me do this and heavily penalized me for this ability in the process. It'd still feel 100% more natural.

Believe it or not, ammo can become scarce if you use it without discretion. I find myself in that situation sometimes on the harder "professional" mode. You don't want to waste bullets by hindering your accuracy.

 

[Baron Aloha]

I thought the controls were fine. Being able to shoot while running/strafing would essentially turn the game into an Unreal Championship 2 rip-off (in that it would be a "FPS" in the 3rd person perspective). I for one am not interested in seeing that type of control scheme implemented in Resident Evil. If I want to play a FPS I'll play one. Furthermore adding the ability to move while shooting while still maintaining the ability to target specific body parts would require dual analog controls (which I personally despise with a passion like no other). All that does is serve to complicate things. Not only that but it would be much more difficult to target specific body parts while moving around.

I also like the fact that there is a run button. I agree with the poster who said it is more comfortable to just hold up rather than hold the analog stick somewhere in between to walk.

To the people complaining....the things you are complaining have been that way for nearly a decade. The fans aren't complaining and the developer seems intent on keeping things the way they are. At this point complaining will solve nothing. Frankly, you should just learn to deal with it and move on. I realize that some of guys simply aren't happy if you aren't complaing about something but give the rest of us a break (and this goes out to everyone not just the people in this thread). There are a ton of things I could complain about in any number of games but you don't see me posting about them because it grows tiresome (both for me personally and the people reading the posts) and because honestly, no one really cares.

I swear, no matter what you're dealing with, people will find something to bitch about.

HERE HERE!!!

 

[dark10x]

Why are people getting so upset over the controls? The controls in RE4 happen to work very well but are not optimal.

That's all there is to it. I think movement while shooting would be a nice addition, but it is not necessary to create a great game.

At least this hasn't gone as out of control as the old Metroid Prime control debates.

 

[Baron Aloha]

At least this hasn't gone as out of control as the old Metroid Prime control debates.

Unfortunately I think people are just getting warmed up.

Its like something goes off in people's heads like "Oh no, people enjoy a game that I do not (or that I do not see as perfect)!!!! And its a Gamecube game at that? I must put a stop to this."

 

[Shin Johnpv]

Here's an experiment you can do, if you have a BB Gun.
1) Go outside
2) Load BB gun
3) walk backwards
4) pull trigger
5) notice the BB goes forward while you are moving backwards.

I've had quite a few BB Guns over the years and yes you could do that, you'r aiming would suck and unless the guy was right ontop of you your chances of hitting them would be pretty slim, plus there isn't a bbgun out there that packs the recoil of a gun, and doing that with a gun would be much harder, not impossible but harder

I get what your saying and yes it is physically possible, but what I think people are trying to say is that your aim is going to suck ass while doing that and that Capcom would rather you beable to aim at specific body parts than run away and shoot

 

[dark10x]

Unfortunately I think people are just getting warmed up.

Its like something goes off in people's heads like "Oh no, people enjoy a game that I do not (or that I do not see as perfect)!!!! And its a Gamecube game at that? I must put a stop to this."

-sigh-

No doubt...

I've been thinking myself about RE4's controls (after seeing this thread), and honestly, I think a more important issue than strafing is inventory management. It works well enough, but it would have been very nice to be able to quickly switch better weapons. Perhaps they could have allowed the user to assign items to each d-pad direction or something? That would have rocked!

Still, it's not a big deal. Like I said, the controls work very well...they just aren't optimal. Inventory management is one of the areas that could be optimized...

 

[SantaC]

Unfortunately I think people are just getting warmed up.

Its like something goes off in people's heads like "Oh no, people enjoy a game that I do not (or that I do not see as perfect)!!!! And its a Gamecube game at that? I must put a stop to this."

yeah this is a gamecube game. I...must..find..faults! *rolleyes*

 

[All Hail C-Webb]

This has turned into one of the dumbest threaqds I have ever seen on these forums.
What I find very interesting is that the majority of people talking shit about RE4 in this thread have not posted any impressions in the official RE4 thread. I imagine that if someone had such strong opinions about a game, they would be very eager to let people know about them.

It is absolutely retarded to bitch about something a character can't do in a game. Why is it that the majority of characters in FPS's can't do anything more than punch if they don't have a gun? Why can't some characters jump, or climb over objects that I would be able to get over? Why can't some characters crawl through small spaces? Why can't characters move some objects in their environment?

Games have a ton of shit you can't do, if all you're going to do is complain about those, you're never going to have any fun. Resident Evil 4 does not need a strafe button. It would be nice to have it, but it sure as fuck isn't a neccesity, and it definately shouldn't hinder someone's enjoyment of the game.

The controls in RE4 are very limiting, but the game wouldn't be RE4 without them, and I can't think of a much better experience I've had playing a game, than I've had with RE4

 

[SantaC]

This has turned into one of the dumbest threaqds I have ever seen on these forums.
What I find very interesting is that the majority of people talking shit about RE4 in this thread have not posted any impressions in the official RE4 thread. I imagine that if someone had such strong opinions about a game, they would be very eager to let people know about them.

It is absolutely retarded to bitch about something a character can't do in a game. Why is it that the majority of characters in FPS's can't do anything more than punch if they don't have a gun? Why can't some characters jump, or climb over objects that I would be able to get over? Why can't some characters crawl through small spaces? Why can't characters move some objects in their environment?

Games have a ton of shit you can't do, if all you're going to do is complain about those, you're never going to have any fun. Resident Evil 4 does not need a strafe button. It would be nice to have it, but it sure as fuck isn't a neccesity, and it definately shouldn't hinder someone's enjoyment of the game.

The controls in RE4 are very limiting, but the game wouldn't be RE4 without them, and I can't think of a much better experience I've had playing a game, than I've had with RE4

Well said.


I am 35% through the game now. Me, my brother and my friend takes turn playing RE4. We're having a blast. The lack of strafe hasn't made this game any worse for us.

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

This is similar to the complaints that Metroid Prime doesn't have dual analog control, or complaints about how Metal Gear Solid's camera limits your view.

Metroid Prime, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil 4 are all tightly designed games. I can't think of one part of any of the games that prevents you from doing something that the game design demands. It's like complaining that you can't put down two Xs in tic-tac-toe, or whining that a king in Chess can only move one square--"It's the king, afterall--he should be the best!" "He's a trained special agent, afterall--he should be able to strafe and shoot at the same time!"

As much as these sorts of complaints are pretty annoying, they are at least helpful in letting me know which people are playing games and wanting something that I don't give a crap about.

it would have been nice to let us aim with the right stick instead of the left.
you know...for those of us so use to halo 2.

when playing the game at first I kinda did wish for a strafe...but the thing it would change the way this game is completely...and turn into some Max payne wannabe. So Im fine with no Strafe.

peace

 

[Ristamar]

I've been thinking myself about RE4's controls (after seeing this thread), and honestly, I think a more important issue than strafing is inventory management. It works well enough, but it would have been very nice to be able to quickly switch better weapons. Perhaps they could have allowed the user to assign items to each d-pad direction or something? That would have rocked!

I found myself wishing for the same thing, as constant weapon swapping can stifle the action. That would've been a good use for the d-pad.

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

I found myself wishing for the same thing, as constant weapon swapping can stifle the action. That would've been a good use for the d-pad.

weapon swapping from the D pad would have owned....its something I think that would have Made DMC/Ninja gaiden alot more better than they already were (and they both rocked of course)

peace

 

[Mama Smurf]

I'd also like weapon swapping on the D pad, but if they put gun swapping animation in, it'd screw you compared to the current version, when I can fire immediately after changing weapon.

Or they could just let the gun flash up, which they might not want to do as it doesn't look great.

 

[sammy]

RE4 needs strafing like Halo 1+2 needs a "more than two guns" inventory ...

(IMHO not at all...)