Resident Evil 5's "new" control scheme (which really isn't new) has been the subject of much criticism among gamers. In response to the complaints, Capcom has used the same argument I've been using, defending its design choices by saying that the restrictive gameplay heightens tension and makes for a more thrilling experience.
"We went in knowing that we weren't making a typical third or first person shooter; we were making a Resident Evil game," explains producer Jun Takeuchi. "It was important for us to go with the design choices that would make the best Resident Evil game that we could. When it comes to Resident Evil, we feel that by imposing a restriction on the player you actually increase the tension that they feel while playing.
"Finding the balance between that and the player's frustration is very important when approaching the design of a game like this. I think that by imposing certain restrictions on the player you actually help to heighten the fear and the tension, and, ultimately, you create a better horror game."
I agree with what Capcom is doing with Resident Evil 5, as evidenced when I posed the question -- what's the bloody problem? Personally, I think it's a great little mechanic that is unique to Resident Evil, and it certainly helps what is essentially a straight action game taste just a little more horror-flavored.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
12:00 PM on 03.04.2009
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Capcom keeps dodging the issue here and failing to acknowledge why they kept RE4's inefficient control scheme
@SephirothX
Dead Space has been used to death, but Siren did it better. It was slow paced survival horror that used the "walk and shoot" mechanic, and can be compared to Resident Evil more-so than Dead Space.
The problem is: Resident Evil is Resident Evil; it's not Dead Space.
Fatal Frame lets you move while in an aiming mode and is way more tense than any RE.
In the most recent trailer for the game you can see Chris and Sheva walking while aiming their weapons and searching their surroundings.
I find it amusing that they are perfectly capable of doing that in a cutscene, but can't do it once gameplay commences.
This has been said to death, but I'll say it again. It's all about the suspense. If you were able to run around and unload hundreds of rounds willy-nilly, without having to even think about your next course of action, the RE franchise would lose its essence, period. I know for a fact that I would lose all love for any RE game that gave into this frantic style of gaming. There is a genre for this already, FPS.
On a more serious note, it's Resident Evil for crying out loud, it's ALWAYS been like that and it goes add that sense of urgency as once you stop to aim you better start shooting as you can't back up...etc
You do have complete control over your Character. If you were told where you had to stand to kill the Chainsaw man and could only kill him by doing that, thats partial control.
You just have no idea about how to play the game. It's about managing your distance and ammo. Letting you move would destroy the game.
Capcom aren't dodging the issue, they have nothing to change. The controls are fine, they're improved from 4, you move quicker and aim faster. Much like the Killzone 2 controls, which are also coming into flak.
Killzone 2's control system is about making you feel like you are the character. If you tried moving a gun around you have to in that game, you'd move like you do in Killzone 2. ie Like a human, not super man.
If you were in the situation that Sheva and Chris are in, namely, Limited Ammo, and no chance of backup and no guarantee of finding more ammo, You make your distance, and make your shots count by standing still and actually making sure you hit.
If you have a problem with it, It's your problem, not Capcom's. Learn how to play the game right and come back when you have a legitimate complaint, Because all I see are morons who can't play the game so they want to change the rules so they have a chance. Go back to CoD4.
so if you hinder a players controls it makes the game more intense? is this whats going on with killzone2?
what if mario didnt jump till 2 second after you hit the jump button? would that make it more intense. or if you could only shoot fire balls standing still.
or in doom if you had to stand still to shoot. does it make it more intense? no.
hindering a players movement to make your "horror" game(which turns from survival horror to a survival game) more scary is stupid. i hated RE4 and will not be getting RE5.
Sorry to offend you almighty player of video games you must be a fucking genius.
Except zombies.
In the Res. Evil universe, yes zombies do make sense.
But what makes sense about having to remain completely still when you are reloading a weapon, or when you have a knife in your hand?
I am sick to death of all the fucking bitching about this game. It's Capcom and it's Resident Evil, next Friday can't come soon enough!
I never said running, read my post on it. I'm talking about even walking slowly. And it doesn't matter if I can do it personally, Redfield is special forces.
However this person pulls off moving while shooting and she has no experience at all.
I don't know about you, but if I'm getting eaten alive by zombies, I'm not gonna just stand there completely still to line up each shot perfectly while they gnaw on my skull.
You've pitted the new-age Xbots against the Golden Age Gamers. How many times is this? 8?
There's nothing more that could be said to the haters:
Get over it; it's not Dead Space. Dead Space owes homage to Resident Evil for what it is.
Why didn't Dead Space do as well as RE4? Because it wasn't as good a game, critically and commercially.
Let Resident Evil be Resident Evil. Get better at the game, or go play something else.
If you have legitimate complaints about the franchise in general, or RE5's copy and pasting of RE4, perfect, join in. But if you're complaining that your new Xbox Game isn't the second coming of Gears of War with zombies; you're in the wrong topic.
Not about being a Genius. It's about common sense.
Breaking the entire ethic of a game to cater to people who can't use common sense is already killing the game industry. Why not copy the Gears of War control system exactly and call it "GoW2 : Resi 5 Expansion Pack"
I think they should add a mode where you can run and gun, but if you're hit while moving, you get 2x damage because of your momentum, and keeping the initial ammo pops. You'd be stood still shooting all the time, you wouldn't wanna get 1 shot and having to knife everything.
What would be better, in my opinion, is IF YOU COULD MOVE WHILE RELOADING. I'll accept the "you need to stand still to aim properly" argument but you sure as hell don't need to stand still to reload a new magazine. Maybe a revolver, but the programmers could just slow down movement accordingly.
"Capcom keeps dodging the issue here and failing to acknowledge why they kept RE4's inefficient control scheme"
I don't recall anybody calling RE4's control scheme inefficient when the game released. In fact, this is the first time I think I've heard that argument. Care to expand? :D
That's logical, they game's controls restrict you from being dumb, therfore the game is dumb. /sarcasm
How about simply admitting you (the brat) are the one whose too dumb to learn & adapt? God forbid a few inflated egos explode
Nice job.
Wow, once again you go for the immature insults rather than participating in the reasonable discussion that others are having.
You don't have to agree with people who complain about the controls, but come on man enough with the little kid insults.
They aren't crap, they're fit for purpose. Chainsaw always kills if you're still, moving and you're hit knocked down to dying if you're moving. It's a huge difference, They make it so he can decapitate you while moving and he'd be too hard.
The fight is a great example of why RE5 works. Keep your distance, and you're fine. Neglect it, and you die. It works.
As for creating tension, Resi has moved on, the dev's won't admit it in public, but they don't focus on Scares anymore, Survival Horror is now Survival Action, Notice the common theme, Survival. These controls are there to make sure you have to manage your survival, Like I say, You neglect it, you die.
The problem, Jim, is that some people don't want unique, and not only that, but they seem to have countless hours to complain about it. People want everything the same. We saw it with Killzone 2 and now we are seeing it here. You have this tiny group of groaning crybabies who just hop from forum to forum writing their little weepy hearts out -- trying to what? To convince a company to rebuild a game that is due in 9 days?
I used to think this kind of thing only happened on the xbox and I ddnt give a shit, but now with the whiners spreading to Killzone 2 I just don't know anymore.
@ The Whiners
I don't know when you all got so fucking lazy and pathetic, but this shit is getting old. I want to talk about something else. Man up. If you don't like the controls, don't buy the game. That's how we did in the old days. Quit trying to make everything the same. Some of us like variety.
If you're judging the game on the demo alone then you simply need to play more of the game. I wasn't too impressed by the demo but about halfway through chapter 1 the controls felt natural and I couldn't imagine playing the game any other way.
The controls in RE4 were fantastic, and they're basically the same in 5, but now there's strafing. I don't see the problem here. If you have control scheme C on, you don't even need to take your thumb off the buttons to strafe --- Just hold the Cross button and use the left stick if you want to. It just takes some (read: very little) getting used to.
10/10
Perfect.
No Sarcasm.
so i guess i can see how the controls work with the game now. since you have to stop to shoot the bad guys just kinda stand around waiting to get shot.
with the controls being as they are right now it makes me not even interested in playing RE5 although i will probably break down and rent it.
Implementing the same old control system does not help you make a better horror game. It helps you rehash the same horror games you've already made. If they really want to make a better horror game, they should try to be a bit more innovative in both the way players interact with the world and with improving the methods of creating and maintaining tension, suspense, and out right dread.
For me, the demo failed to accomplish any of that and certainly didn't prove that Capcom is dedicated to making a better horror game.
It's true. When I posted about this I mentioned it. The enemies sprint at you when they are far away, but when they get within 15 feet of you, they stop and just stagger slowly towards you.
I've said even when RE4 was new that it had issues (not being able to move and reload, needing to hold an extra button to run even though you do running alot more than walking). And the 'combat mechanics' that it uses were used by other games before it (splinter cell's gun mechanics use the same setup as RE4, only better).
For everyone elses information, I use Dead Space as my example because its the most recent and best example to use in contrast to RE4/5. Its the perfect sign that other games took the basic setup that RE4 established and improved them and made it a more efficient system. Capcom meanwhile (in a rare move, IMO) has kept their heads buried in the sand on this one.
The problem is the level design and the choice to incorporate a retarded AI partner into the mix.
The levels in RE5 are built in such a way that they aren't friendly to the stop and shoot mechanic. They're more open and less linear than RE:4 and so you notice the stiffness because you can't move as freely as you'd like. You didn't need as much movement in RE4 because the layout of the maps made enemies easier to pick off.
But now that you need to run around more, and have to watch out for your mentally deficient partner sheva it makes the controls super super frustrating.
You are my hero.