Poll: Limiting User Control: Acceptable VS Unacceptable

[ChaosGenesis]

My coworkers and I are have a debate on the acceptable and unacceptable times in which a game makes us play it their way.
Our debate is based around one prime example: Resident Evil 5 taking away the ability to walk and shoot at the same time.

Side One: It was just silly (or lazy) of the RE5 developers to not allow moving and shooting simultaneously. (I'm on this side)

Side Two: The RE5 developers did it on purpose to make us play the game a certain way and it's better that way.


Also there was a mention of God of War's uncontrollable camera.
Let me hear what you think and feel free to mention other instances (for good or for bad) where games force you to play a certain way.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

yeah i generally stay away from these kinds of games, its really sad when RE5 was held down by something like that, and alot of my favorite games had/have sequels that also do this and i end up hating the new game because of this lame control scheme

 

[Kron_the_mad wants to be deleted]

In the examples cited it was just a case of poor design more than serious and deliberate choice but there are instances in some games where putting a player on the rails and dragging them along for the ride makes a certain amount of sense.

 

[shadow skill]

I personally don't like God of War's camera angle simply because I want to see more of Kratos and the other enemies. They do give you an excellent means of dodging in exchange for loss of camera control though. Resident Evil 5 is just fake difficulty and/or a lack of creativity on the part of the developers.

 

[suhlEap]

i think it makes sense, it's not a bad system. just a bit different i guess!

 

[Simalacrum]

I think games should give as much freedom over the controls for the player as possible - that way it can reduce the frustration of not being able to do something.

 

[Danpascooch]

I think they made it that way to make the game more difficult, or at least more hectic.

That said, I feel that trying to increase difficulty or foster a certain feeling through the arrangement or implementation of controls is stupid and can actually completely ruin a good game.

Controls should be made to be as easy and absolutely effortless as possible in order to lower the barrier between the player and the game and increase immersion, if a developer wants to make a game harder or feel a certain way, that should be done through game play (such as making the enemies have more health, or move faster or whatever). Basically what I am saying is, don't let there be any more of a barrier between RLplayer choosing what he wants his character to do, and having that happen than there needs to be.

Don't be lazy developers, keep the controls as user friendly as possible, and change the OTHER things in the game to make it feel the way you want it to.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

If there is platforming. I need camera control.

 

[Mozza444]

If there is platforming. I need camera control.

Sooo true

 

[braincore02]

Sometimes it makes sense. Like you can't jump in certain games, like MassEffect or in a different aspect Batman or Hitman, where your jumps are all context sensitive if I recall correctly. It helps and/or guides level design and frees up a button on the controller for what the devs deemed more important to the core of the gameplay. If it's pulled off well I don't feel like I've been done a disservice. On the issue of moving and shooting however, yes I feel that should pretty much always be an option, except maybe for certain more powerful weapons in your arsenal for balance purposes. But not like a handgun, shotgun, smg, etc. So I find your poll/thread title confusing, is it about limiting user control or the specific issue of shooting while moving? Eh forget it, I don't feel like voting.

 

[Flames66]

In my opinion, the game should present the player with challenges and allow them to decide how they solve it. It is not up to the game (or the developer) to decide how the play should be playing. Their job is to create challenges and a set of tools that can be used, it is then up to the player. It annoys me when they mess the controls up to force me to do what they want, it should be done with good level design.

 

[SantoUno]

This is the reason why I consider Halo to be the best FPS in terms of gameplay, you just move and shoot. But for every other game you have to bring up your fucking gun and slow down to nearly a standstill just to shoot, you can't fire from the hip and run at the same time.

And Yeah that also bothered me about Resident Evil 4.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It works well in the Wii edition of RE4, since shots are easy to line up with a reticule.

 

[Sephychu]

Hey, Dead Space guys. Move-shoot worked brilliantly there, even with the Resi 4-5 shoulder looking thingy.

Though I must say, I don't really mind if it's there for a gameplay mechanic reason.

 

[ChaosGenesis]

So I find your poll/thread title confusing, is it about limiting user control or the specific issue of shooting while moving? Eh forget it, I don't feel like voting.

The actual poll is specific to the RE5. But the thread can discuss whatever you like/dislike about game limitations.

 

[Uberjoe19]

Resident Evil 5 was just mediocre to begin with. The previous game in the series was MUCH better.

 

[Lullabye]

Resident Evil 5 was just mediocre to begin with. The previous game in the series was MUCH better.

The one where you had to drag around a useless sac of meat with awhiney ass voice? No thank you.....[sub]Seriously, she could've at least stepped away from the chainsaws....[/sub]

 

[Uberjoe19]

Resident Evil 5 was just mediocre to begin with. The previous game in the series was MUCH better.

The one where you had to drag around a useless sac of meat with awhiney ass voice? No thank you.....[sub]Seriously, she could've at least stepped away from the chainsaws....[/sub]

But at least you didn't have an annoying gun-toting sidekick that was completely unnecessary. And also, you could fire while moving. 'Nuff said.

 

[Crossborder]

I guess it helps delevopers in letting you experience the game as you intended.

 

[ShakesZX]

For the purposes of Storytelling I would agree that it's better to let the designers make you play it their way. This would include making controls that limited you in some way in order to establish a certain atmosphere. In the case of RE5, a game that heavily revolved around action and almost abandoning it's roots of survival horror, I would agree that a lack of shooting while moving was ill advised simply because that did not fit with the atmosphere of the game.