Tank Controls Are the Objectively Perfect Control Scheme

[MrCalavera]

I think we're not going bold enough.
We know tank controls are great, but when was the last time you played as the thing they're litteraly dedicated for?
That's right, we need more games where you play as a tank, period.

Who would you rather play as? Another cookie-cutter, brown-haired dude with a gun? Or this:

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Who would you rather play as? Another cookie-cutter, brown-haired dude with a gun? Or this:

What if I told you that, inside that tank, there are several cookie-cutter brown-haired dudes with guns?

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death anyone's right to tell you how wrong you are

 

[Avnger]

Tank controls are the perfect control scheme for video games as an art form. If there is a fault, it lies with the player base, not the controls. They were unworthy. Let me explain why.

Tank controls allow for a game director to utilize pre-established camera angles, making for more creative visual design focus. If you utilize modern controls with pre set camera angles, then the control scheme has to reorient to match the altered camera. What may have been left, is now up, or right. This can disrupt your movement during key moments. Tank controls also free up one of your controller sticks for altered use. Instead of using one stick to control the camera, and one to control movement, you can remove camera control entirely, and use the stick for something else. The possibilities are endless. But don't take my word for it. Lets look at a couple of genres, and see what games are the best titles in those genres. See if you can notice any similarities between them.

Best Horror Game:
In terms of story, it is Silent Hill 2. In terms of game design, it is the remake of Resident Evil 1. For the sake of argument, we'll split the difference and put them both in first.

Best Third Person Shooter:
Why, of course it is Resident Evil 4.

Best Action Game:
God Hand clenches the title.

Best Adventure Game:
Grim Fandango is a shoe in

Best Mech Game:
Steel Battalion

Best First Person Shooter:
Doom

What do all of these games have in common? Why, yes, you're right. Tank controls. Video games with tank controls dominated every single genre they were used in, except for platformers (which are an inferior game genre). Unfortunately, because tank controls were so evolved, they began to see reduced use. But imagine a world in which tank controls were the norm. We could have seen tank controls used in strategy games, dating sims, puzzle games, cooking games, and farming simulators. Video games as an art form could have been further uplifted. Sadly these games will never come to fruition. I would like to see more games use tank controls. I would like to see most games use tank controls. I don't think that it is a coincidence that resident evil and silent hill became much worse at the exact time that they ditched tank controls. Of course they did.

Did B-Cell hack your account? Blink twice if you need rescue.

 

[BrawlMan]

Another cookie-cutter, brown-haired dude with a gun?

It depends, are we talking Garcia Fucking Hotspur or Sam Gideon?

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One has a gun that can talk, and the other can Rocket Slide, Dive Kick, and punch people and robots in the face!

 

[SilentPony]

I mean Mechwarrior 5 uses tank controls and I love it. But then again you're basically in a walking tank, so it fits. Its supposed to feel like a lumbering huge robot that takes a bit to get up to speed or slow down, or turn or whatever.
That's one of the things I loved about the first Pacific Rim and hated about the second, sense of scale and size. Giant robots shouldn't be able to ninja flip and pirouette, they should be huge lumbering block of metal powered by giant engines and with an input lag.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I only recognize using the shoulder buttons to turn as the only legitimate control scheme.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Tank controls were necessary in an era where games were played with a fixed camera and a d-pad. There's literally no reason to use them when you have 2 joysticks and free camera movement.

Also, RE5's controls are better than RE4, and even as someone who likes Godhand I would never call it the best action game. Doom is also played better with the ability to strafe.

The only thing you should need tank controls for in a modern game is driving a tank.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Like for example it felt extremely bizarre and wrong for like half an hour when in soulsborne games they took the attack button that was supposed to be like square or circle and put it on R1, but then it was like whatever. I think they did this to dissuade people from button mashing more than for any other reason, cause it's a little harder to mash the triggers.

No, they did it because putting your main action buttons (attack, block, parry) on your bumpers and triggers allows you to do most of your actions without losing camera control.

If they had used face buttons for attacks you wouldn't be able to dead-angle.

 

[Silvanus]

This is ridiculous. The only valid movement scheme is for a UI option labelled "move" to appear on-screen, which gives you a few listed options of places to move to, like in Phoenix Wright. And yes, I also mean for action games like Devil May Cry or Sekiro.

Anything else is a bourgeois convenience, like that white tanuki suit in Mario that turns you invincible.

 

[BrawlMan]

Also, RE5's controls are better than RE4, and even as someone who likes Godhand I would never call it the best action game.

I'll do you one even better: Dead Space 1 & 2, Evil Within 2, and Shadows of the Damned have better controls than RE4, RE5, & RE6. In SoD, Garcia has a dedicated dodge button that works and gives you several invulnerability frames. As far as over-the-shoulder brawlers, Mad World and Anarchy Reigns more or less have controls that surpass and outshine God Hand. Though with MW, it's a more traditional 3rd person camera, but goes over the shoulder briefly when locking on to certain enemies and do Jack's rapid punch combo.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I'll do you one even better: Dead Space 1 & 2, Evil Within 2, and Shadows of the Damned have better controls than RE4, RE5, & RE6.

I'm not going to disagree in the slightest.

 

[fOx]

I'll do you one even better: Dead Space 1 & 2, Evil Within 2, and Shadows of the Damned have better controls than RE4, RE5, & RE6. In SoD, Garcia has a dedicated dodge button that works and gives you several invulnerability frames. As far as over-the-shoulder brawlers, Mad World and Anarchy Reigns more or less have controls that surpass and outshine God Hand. Though with MW, it's a more traditional 3rd person camera, but goes over the shoulder briefly when locking on to certain enemies and do Jack's rapid punch combo.

You see, here's the problem. You all claim the analogue controls are better, but all of the game you listed are weaker then RE4, or Godhand. I am forced, therefore, to conclude that tank controls are obviously superior. The initial discomfort many feel while using tank controls for the first time is merely the result of our monkey brains coming into contact with a higher level control scheme. We have not evolved enough to appreciate them. It's the same reason the N64 had the best controller. Humans interacting with it is like the monkeys from 2001 a space odyssey interacting with the monolith.

 

[Kae]

I'll do you one even better: Dead Space 1 & 2, Evil Within 2, and Shadows of the Damned have better controls than RE4, RE5, & RE6. In SoD, you Garcia has a dedicated dodge button that works and gives you several invulnerability frames. As far as over-the-shoulder brawlers, Mad World and Anarchy Reigns more or less have controls that surpass and outshine God Hand. Though with MW, it's a more traditional 3rd person camera, but goes over the shoulder briefly when locking on to certain enemies and do Jack's rapid punch combo.

I'll also add that none of those games are remotely close to scary, by which I mean modern controls are great for action games, but games like Dead Space and yes, even RE4 that did have tank controls lose a lot, there's something to be said about the clunkiness of tank controls giving you a perfect combination of control and disorientation that makes it much more effective for horror games by making combat really undesirable.

Like for example I just started Silent Hill 2 like a few hours ago, like I just entered the apartments and died for the first time, and I just know that the atmosphere of the game wouldn't work and this section wouldn't feelas claustrophobic if I had the freedom of movement of those games.

Like seriously Dead Space gives you so much control and makes it very clear that if you're skilled you have nothing to fear, TBH it didn't scare me at all, I'd say that maybe it's a bit of nostalgia for the old RE games which I played a lot as a kid, but I do genuinely believe that there is merit to weird and unusual control schemes, like for example how you use the sword with the right thumbstick in MGS2 (A game I played and finished for the first time last week), it was unusual but it felt good and worked really well with the top down camera of the game.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's a shame that modern controls are very standardised, without any continuing experimentation we won't find other interesting ways to play games.

Like anyone remember an old ass PC game called Die by the Sword?
Now that was a game with interesting controls, with either mouse analogue movements to control the sword, the whole numpad or a joystick, it was extremely hard to master but it actually worked.

 

[BrawlMan]

You see, here's the problem. You all claim the analogue controls are better, but all of the game you listed are weaker then RE4, or Godhand. I am forced, therefore, to conclude that tank controls are obviously superior.

You forgot the part where I give 0 shits on what you think. Thank you and have wonderful night!

I'll also add that none of those games are remotely close to scary, by which I mean modern controls are great for action games, but games like Dead Space and yes, even RE4 that did have tank controls lose a lot, there's something to be said about the clunkiness of tank controls giving you a perfect combination of control and disorientation that makes it much more effective for horror games by making combat really undesirable.

In your opinion. I never said they were the scariest games, but they do have their tense and scary moment; especially on a first playthrough. While the Dead Space series goes over board on the jump scares (the 2nd game especially tries too hard), there are a few scary moments that do get you. Shadows of the Damned makes up for it with the creepy atmosphere and the soundtrack from the legend himself, Akira Yamaoka. There are couples of scary moments in SoD. The Paula sections where she chases you and her catching kills you in one hit. On a first time through you don't know what to do or expect other than, fucking run! Now once you know what to do on when finding an exploit (upgraded light shots are you best friend) or repeat playthoughs, they most a stroll through the tulips.

Like for example I just started Silent Hill 2 like a few hours ago, like I just entered the apartments and died for the first time, and I just know that the atmosphere of the game wouldn't work and this section wouldn't feelas claustrophobic if I had the freedom of movement of those games.

You have freedom of movement in those new games and they have plenty of claustrophobic moments. Evil Within 1 & 2 accomplished this the best in terms of modern horror games.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's a shame that modern controls are very standardized, without any continuing experimentation we won't find other interesting ways to play games.

Because they reached their full potential in REmake. I already made that clear. There is nowhere else to go other than just copy or pay a homage RE games of old and its, many, many...many....many....clones!

Spoiler: RE Clones

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Like anyone remember an old ass PC game called Die by the Sword?

Nope. Too busy playing most survival horror games on consoles back in the late 90s and early 2000s to care. Sound interesting, but I'm not invested. Past me nor me now.

 

[Kae]

In your opinion. I never said they were the scariest games, but they do have their tense and scary moment; especially on a first playthrough. While the Dead Space series goes over board on the jump scares (the 2nd game especially tries too hard), there are a few scary moments that do get you. Shadows of the Damned makes up for it with the creepy atmosphere and the soundtrack from the legend himself, Akira Yamaoka. There are couples of scary moments in SoD. The Paula sections where she chases you and her catching kills you in one hit. On a first time through you don't know what to do or expect other than, fucking run! Now once you know what to do on when finding an exploit (upgraded light shots are you best friend) or repeat playthoughs, they most a stroll through the tulips.

Well I'll admit that I'm a bit hard to scare, so those more action focused games in general don't do it for me, specially Dead Space which I found to be extremely predictable which when combined with the action focus and the very easy controls made the game not really scary at all for me in particular as for Shadows of the Damned, never really played it, I'm sure it's cool though once I get a PS3 again or a 360 I'll give it a chance.

You have freedom of movement in those new games and they have plenty of claustrophobic moments. Evil Within 1 & 2 accomplished this the best in terms of modern horror games.

Haven't played Evil Within yet though, that being said while I am aware that you have freedom of movement in those games the general lack of strafing or for example how in Silent Hill 2 you can't strafe and move backwards or forwards simultaneously generates completely different patterns of movement that in turn inform how you play the game.

Because they reached their full potential in REmake. I already made that clear. There is nowhere else to go other than just copy or pay a homage RE games of old and its, many, many...many....many....clones!

Spoiler: RE Clones

​

Can't watch those videos right now my Internet died due to rain and I'm using cellphone data, but I must say even if the video makes a good case for it, it's not really a statement I could possibly agree with, if we recognize games as art and method of input utilised by the game as well as controls are simply techniques that can be used, then it stands to reason to say that there's an unlimited number of possibilities for each technique and if we don't continue experimenting we will never find new ways to use them, so since we have stopped using that technique because it fell out of fashion and feels quaint we can't really know if there are as of yet unexplored things to do with it.

Now I'm not only referring to tank controls, in general I think it's a shame that there aren't really many people trying out new methods of input, right now most of the innovation in that field is relegated to things like VR which is honestly a shame as that's something that has a huge barrier to entry and most people can't even try, but that's only because controls for those methods of input haven't yet been fully standardised, and the thing is that I think there's probably things that can be done with regular controllers and mouse and keyboard, but it really isn't tried, just to point out the stagnation in this field if you compare the PS1 DualShock controller it's actually pretty similar to a PS5 controller.

It's why I liked the idea of the Wii U but I don't think even games by Nintendo took advantage of the capabilities of that controller.

Anyways, it's part of the reason why I currently find old games more interesting than modern stuff,most modern stuff even by different developers feels kinda similar but back in the PS1, early PS2 and old ass PC games the games were really different from each other, sure there were things that were copied but there tended to be wild differences, and you could have games in the same genres like Metal Gear, Splinter Cell & Thief for example and have all of them control wildly different, hell Splinter Cell used the Mouse scroll wheel to regulate walking speed which is something I haven't seen anything else do despite the fact that it worked really well and was very intuitive.

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Nope. Too busy playing most survival horror games on consoles back in the late 90s and early 2000s to care. Sound interesting, but I'm not invested. Past me nor me now.

That's fine it was just to point out that there are many methods of control as of yet unexplored.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

I just gotta say that tank controls are when you have to stop to turn the character (like the old Tomb Raiders) because that's how tanks control. RE1 does not have tank controls.

 

[Bedinsis]

Perfection is an illusion, perfection is subjective.

With this in mind: no. Tank controls are not the objectively perfect control scheme.

 

[Catfood220]

*insert "Not sure if serious" meme here*

Resident Evil 4 was lauded for moving away from the other games tank controls and while it did improve on what had come before, it has since aged like milk. If there is going to be a RE4 Remake, I want them to do absolutely nothing but give me dual stick controls. I will not apologize for being trained to use modern, better controls.

I'll do you one even better: Dead Space 1 & 2, Evil Within 2, and Shadows of the Damned have better controls than RE4, RE5, & RE6. In SoD, Garcia has a dedicated dodge button that works and gives you several invulnerability frames. As far as over-the-shoulder brawlers, Mad World and Anarchy Reigns more or less have controls that surpass and outshine God Hand. Though with MW, it's a more traditional 3rd person camera, but goes over the shoulder briefly when locking on to certain enemies and do Jack's rapid punch combo.

Yeah, I pretend Dead Space 3 doesn't exist too Also, Shadows of the Damned should have gotten a sequel, its a shame that it never did considering it had a sequel bait ending.

 

[BrawlMan]

but I must say even if the video makes a good case for it, it's not really a statement I could possibly agree with, if we recognize games as art and method of input utilised by the game as well as controls are simply techniques that can be used, then it stands to reason to say that there's an unlimited number of possibilities for each technique and if we don't continue experimenting we will never find new ways to use them, so since we have stopped using that technique because it fell out of fashion and feels quaint we can't really know if there are as of yet unexplored things to do with it.

Just so we're clear, Avalanche enjoyed and loved most of the games on the list in both videos, and mentions how he misses that style of gameplay, but understand and has no problem why the industry moved away that control style. Though I disagree with him heavily on Parasite Eve. He claimed it wasn't "true survival horror", because there is no backtracking and no limited inventory, which is bullshit on all counts. There are plenty of linear survival horror games for one, and two, a game should not go through arbitrary rules no one is in charge of. It's a survival horror rpg, and a fine one. While I agree games are art, other than a retro throwback on Steam, there is not much left with tank controls that can be done at this point.

Anyways, it's part of the reason why I currently find old games more interesting than modern stuff,most modern stuff even by different developers feels kinda similar but back in the PS1, early PS2 and old ass PC games the games were really different from each other, sure there were things that were copied but there tended to be wild differences, and you could have games in the same genres like Metal Gear, Splinter Cell & Thief for example and have all of them control wildly different, hell Splinter Cell used the Mouse scroll wheel to regulate walking speed which is something I haven't seen anything else do despite the fact that it worked really well and was very intuitive.

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There is nothing wrong with that. It's why I kept a lot of my old games, but most old survival horror games do nothing for me at this point.

Also, Shadows of the Damned should have gotten a sequel, its a shame that it never did considering it had a sequel bait ending.

If you makes you feel better either play, or preferably, watch a playthrough of Travis Strikes Again. There is chapter that shows what happened to Garcia. TSA is a Suda51/Grasshoppers video game crossover and implies that nearly all of their games take place in the same universe. Killer 7 explicitly shown this is the case first.