I have a confession; I have never played the original Resident Evil in any form. I have a further confession; I have not played any Resident Evil game that was released before RE4. My question is simple; for a first time player, what is the preferred way to experience the game? I've read in reviews the alternate controls actually improve the experience, but if the hardcore RE community believes the oldschool tank controls add to the experience, I'm willing to run it that way. I've already played the first hour with tank controls, and while disorienting, I believe I can probably handle it. I would just like to poll the general audience here to see what controls ya'll prefer, I don't want to feel like I'm missing out on anything

My totally unqualified opinion is that the tank controls probably don't really add anything to the experience; that said, I'm fairly used to them after a few Silent Hills and Resident Evils of my own. I'd say if using Tank Controls is going to bother or take away from the game for you, feel free to switch; experiencing the game is probably more important than the control scheme used to do it in the long run.

I was under the impression that no one actually likes tank controls - except for people with ultra heavy-duty nostalgia goggles.

I don't think the controls "add" anything to the experience. I do think, however, that when you're moving in a direction with the alternate controls and the camera changes to show you running in a completely separate direction, it is extremely jarring. Then, if you move the stick slightly, your character starts running in the direction of the stick relative to the camera. The game was not built for these controls. With the tank controls, you know exactly which way you're going to be running at all times.

I've never gotten the hate with the tank controls, anyway. I think they're fine once you get used to them. But that's coming from somebody with many years of Resident Evil/Silent Hill experience.

Set to alternate the D-Pad uses original and the analogue sticks are the new controls. I can switch between them at my leisure. Not recommended on an Xbox controller because the D-Pad is awful but I am using a PS4 controller on my PC. I like the tank controls.

The real question I suppose, is do you guys think that the tank controls add any significant difficulty to the game that is part of the experience? To me it seems that the alternate controls make the game significantly easier, which might detract from the sort of horror experience the game was intended as. I'm not against the tank controls, I'm used to conquering obtuse control schemes (the Dark Souls series ranks in my top 5 games of all time)

I played through the original for the first time 2 years ago and found the tank controls fine. I watched Polygon's quick look and there seems to be one small issue occasionally with the alternate controls when switching camera angles. I'd play original, but that's because of my (2 year old) nostalgia goggles.

They both have positives and negatives. While the new controls are certainly more what you're used to(though RE4-RE6 still have the exact same tank control scheme as the old games, just a different camera, it drives me nuts when people suggest otherwise), it does kind of throw you for a loop when the camera changes at times. There are a LOT of camera changes within a room, and they were built with the tank controls in mind. You're turning is infinitely faster with the new controls, but it feels a little more squirrely as well. You can switch them on the fly, so I would just try them both and see which one works best for you. For what it's worth, I've played the GC version several times, and I am currently playing through the PS4 version. I'm using the new controls, and I've been fine with it.

I think any advantage you gain by being more agile is instantly diminished when you are forced to switch camera angles and have to alter your stick to go in the right direction. Yes, being able to turn on a dime will get you out of situations, but the way in which you'll have to constantly readjust during scene changes is a major drawback. I think it balances out. Not to mention, the way zombies grab you, I don't think being able to move around faster will help all that much. They kind of suck you in if you're in front of them. Just stick with what feels comfortable to you.

Tank controls are the only one actually functional. This isn't a game with wide open areas with minimal camera angle changes like say a God of War. There can be 4-5 different camera angles within a small bedroom. You need the consistency of tank controls for a game like this. This has nothing to do with nostalgia.

Tank controls are absolutely necessary to the game design, but do yourself a favor and use the control scheme where the right trigger acts like a throttle for moving forward.

The traditional survival horror tank controls were actually invented for the computer keyboard and don't translate that well even to a dpad (let alone an analog stick where they would drive me completely insane). But merely TURNING with the dpad or stick and moving forward with a throttle works pretty well.

I like tank controls as unrealistic as they may be. There, I said it. That's my deep dark confession. D/Ling the game now... I'll check out the alt controls but can't see myself using it. I feel like going in the direction you press (instead of the direction your character is facing) with a fixed camera would be more jarring.

Tank Controls 4 lyfe. I could see the new controls working in certain circumstances, but the first thing I did was switch over to "original"

You might be right. I never had a problem with them. I tried playing Code Veronica again recently, after having not played a tank controls RE in well over ten years and I was like...how the fuck did I ever like this? But after an hour or so I felt right at home with them.

The alt controls sounded like a great idea in theory, but then I started playing with them. I hate tank controls but, for the reasons people have already said, they're the best option for this particular game.

The game plays perfectly well with tank controls as it's what the game was designed with in mind. Even with them the remake has a surprisingly fluidity to it that makes it easy to maneuver about.

I want to play with tank controls but I just can't get my head around them. Can someone help me understand them? Though I do remember being able to play the Silent Hill games just fine

It would be hypocritical of me to defend the old tank controls when I'm criticizing the early Metal Gear Solid ones in another thread, so I'll just say that I'm so used to the older style--I've been familiar with them for 13 years now--that my brief dalliances with the updated scheme have lasted only a few minutes at a time. I originally thought the switching camera angles would have been the biggest difficulty, but it's actually running by default. I find I lose a lot of precision when I have those new controls turned on.

Meanwhile, it seems like a lot of new players/people who couldn't stand the old tank controls are having a much better time with the updated scheme, so all the power to them. Me, I'm going to be stubborn.

Alternate for me.

Have no nostalgia for survival horror pre-RE4 so I'm running with the alternate scheme and not looking back. It can be jarring to keep moving in the same direction once the camera changes sure, but the game is forgiving and compensates by moving in the direction you intended for a second or two before you need to readjust the left stick.

Alternate, personally I tried the Original controls, but damn I can't do tank controls anymore. The are a few issues with the Alternate when switching camera angle, though I got used to it pretty fast.

It's easier with the updated controlls- so it kinda affects gameplay, but yeah, even if it does I'd go with the newer ones.

ALTHOUGH- they say that the tank controlls are more adjusted to the changing camera angles, the up on your controller is always forward, this isn't the case with the updated controlls.

Bah, the updated ones are still better though.

it keeps going beyond a second or two, you can move all the way through the next angle without altering your stick, and the angle after that, if moving forward is still suitable.

likewise i haven't played any before 4, I'm using alternate and enjoying the game a lot. there are some corners where the alternate can run into trouble but once you get used to it it's pretty smooth, though i guess it does depend how much of a hurry you're in, if you just want to run through everything i could see the alternate set up being problematic.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I recently started playing this for the first time because it's free on PS plus (never played any of the original RE games). It's probably just me, but I think "tank" controls work better than the alternate method due to how the camera works. Since the camera is fixed —as in not controlled by the player— and it constantly changes angles, having movement direction be rigid is more intuitive than it changing for every "scene". Forward is always forward, back is always back, so on and so forth. With the alternate it's adapting every time the camera changes, and it just doesn't feel very good.

I'm not saying tank controls are perfect (how it handles turning does suck), but to me it feels a bit less wonky. If only they figured a way to marry the two together...

RE4 has the same controls. I mean, you move and turn the character the same way. The only big difference is that in RE4 you can use quicktime events and aim better. They both have tank controls. I never tried the new controls because of what the person above me said. When you move into a new room, the camera angle changes and it makes the character turn around. The original controls are intuitive.

It should also be played in 4:3. The new camera cuts off much of the pictures and uses a panning technique.