Software:Tank controls
Tank controls are a control system used in video games whereby players control movement relative to the position of the player character, rather than the perspective of the game camera.[1]
System
In a game with tank controls, pressing up on the game controller moves the character in the direction they face, down reverses them, and left and right rotates them.[1] This differs from many games, in which characters move in the direction players push from the perspective of the camera.[1] The term "tank controls" comes from the steering mechanisms of old tanks, which had to stop completely before turning.[2]
Tank controls were common in 3D games in the 1990s, such as Grim Fandango and the early Resident Evil and Tomb Raider games.[1][3] Tank controls allow players to maintain a direction when the camera angle changes. The Grim Fandango designer Tim Schafer chose the system as it allowed the developers to create "cinematic" camera cuts without disrupting the controls.[4] Shinji Mikami, director of the first Resident Evil (1996), felt the use of fixed camera perspectives and tank controls made the game scarier.[5]
Criticism
Tank controls have been criticized as feeling stiff or cumbersome.[4] They have become less common over time and free-roaming cameras have become standard for 3D games.[2] The remastered versions of Grim Fandango and Resident Evil include alternative control schemes, and later Resident Evil games discarded tank controls.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "A eulogy for tank controls" (in en). PC Gamer. 20 February 2015. https://www.pcgamer.com/a-eulogy-for-tank-controls/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "[Horror Declassified An Examination Of Tank Controls"] (in en-US). 23 March 2013. http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3224958/horror-declassified-an-examination-of-tank-controls/.
- ↑ "Untold Riches: The Intricate Platforming of Tomb Raider" (in en). Gamasutra. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/187601/untold_riches_the_intricate_.php.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Matulef, Jeffrey (2015-01-26). "Bringing out the Dead: Tim Schafer reflects back on Grim Fandango" (in en-UK). http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-01-24-bringing-out-the-dead-tim-schafer-reflects-back-on-grim-fandango.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mielke, James (June 4, 2020). "Resident Evil Creator Talks Zombies in 2020 and How His Games Will Change Post-Pandemic". https://www.ign.com/articles/resident-evil-creator-talks-zombies-in-2020-and-how-his-games-will-change-post-pandemic. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
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