Hubbry Logo
Tank controlsTank controlsMain
Open search
Tank controls
Community hub
Tank controls
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Tank controls
Tank controls
Tank controls
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

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. They have become less common over time and free-roaming cameras have become standard for 3D games.

System

[edit]

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]

Tank controls were common in 3D games in the 1990s, such as Grim Fandango and the early Resident Evil and Tomb Raider games.[1][2] 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.[3] Shinji Mikami, the director of the first Resident Evil (1996), felt the use of fixed camera perspectives and tank controls made the game scarier.[4]

Criticism

[edit]

Tank controls have been criticized as stiff or cumbersome.[3] They have become less common over time and free-roaming cameras have become standard for 3D games.[5] The remastered versions of Grim Fandango, Resident Evil, and Tomb Raider include alternative control schemes, and later Resident Evil and Tomb Raider games discarded tank controls.[4][6]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Tank controls

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Tank controls is a video game control scheme, prevalent in third-person 3D titles from the 1990s, in which player input directs movement relative to the character's orientation rather than the camera's viewpoint, with forward and backward motion advancing or retreating the character in the direction it faces, while left and right inputs rotate it in place like a tank's treads. This approach originated in early 3D games to accommodate hardware limitations and fixed camera angles, first appearing in the 1991 Atari ST title Alpha Waves, a pioneering 3D platformer where left and right controls rotated the polygonal character without strafing. It gained prominence through Infogrames' Alone in the Dark (1992), which adapted the scheme for survival horror, influencing Capcom's Resident Evil series starting in 1996, where it heightened tension by restricting fluid movement and syncing with cinematic camera shifts. The controls enabled developers to craft directed experiences, such as environmental storytelling and sudden reveals in games like Tomb Raider (1996), Silent Hill (1999), and Grim Fandango (1998), by ensuring consistent directional intuition despite abrupt perspective changes. Though derided for their clunky feel compared to modern analog schemes—limiting simultaneous turning and moving forward—tank controls were a deliberate design choice for immersion and horror pacing, as seen in 's deliberate vulnerability during zombie encounters. Their use declined with advancing technology in the late 1990s and , as dynamic cameras and twin-stick controls became standard, but they persist optionally in remasters like Resident Evil HD Remaster (2015) and Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024), and inspired later titles such as (2008) for tension-building.

Definition and Mechanics

Definition

Tank controls refer to a input scheme in which player commands direct character movement relative to the character's current facing direction, independent of the camera's viewpoint, and are frequently implemented alongside fixed or semi-fixed camera angles to simplify navigation in three-dimensional environments. Central to this system are characteristics such as forward and backward inputs propelling the character along its oriented path without altering facing, while left and right inputs cause the character to rotate in place, often without acceleration or deceleration. Free —lateral movement perpendicular to the character's facing without rotation—is typically absent or severely restricted, enforcing a deliberate, pivoting style of locomotion over fluid omnidirectional control. The nomenclature "tank controls" originates from the operational mechanics of actual military tanks, which rely on directional pivoting via rather than enabling seamless side-to-side or arbitrary movement, thereby mirroring the constrained, orientation-locked navigation in games. This control paradigm first appeared in the early , driven by hardware limitations in early on 1990s platforms, including the Atari ST, PC, PlayStation, and .

Core Mechanics

Tank controls operate on an input scheme where player actions are mapped relative to the character's orientation rather than the camera's perspective. Forward and backward inputs, typically via the up and down directions on a digital pad or , cause the character to advance or reverse in the direction they are facing, while left and right inputs rotate the character in place—either in discrete 90-degree increments or smooth continuous turns depending on the implementation. This system integrates closely with fixed-angle camera setups, where the view snaps between predefined positions as the character moves between zones, ensuring that character rotation aligns the on-screen action without requiring free camera panning or player-controlled view adjustments. The independence of movement from camera angle prevents disorientation during transitions, allowing developers to employ dramatic, cinematic shots while maintaining consistent directional control. Variations exist across implementations, including optional mechanics that enable side-stepping without rotating the character, as seen in certain action-oriented adaptations. Hybrid modes may also incorporate limited camera controls, such as subtle panning or zooming within fixed bounds, to blend tank-style movement with partial free-look functionality. The technical rationale for tank controls stems from the hardware constraints of consoles, which lacked the processing power for real-time 3D camera calculations and dynamic environmental rendering; pairing them with fixed cameras and pre-rendered backgrounds minimized computational demands by treating environments as static 2D images overlaid with 3D character models. This approach, as noted by director , arose from the absence of technology for free camera movement, making tank controls a practical necessity for early 3D navigation.

History

Origins in Early 3D Games

Tank controls emerged in the late and early as developers experimented with 3D environments on limited hardware, marking a shift from 2D gameplay mechanics to navigating spatial depth. One of the earliest implementations appeared in (1991), a pioneering 3D where the player's craft moved forward relative to its orientation while rotating left or right, establishing the core relative-movement principle that defined the scheme. This approach addressed the challenges of controlling avatars in nascent 3D spaces, where free camera movement could disorient players without established dual-analog standards. A significant milestone came with (1992), developed by Infogrames, which applied tank controls to a polygonal 3D horror adventure, allowing the character to rotate in place and move forward or backward relative to their facing direction. The game's fixed camera angles, paired with these controls, maintained consistent directional input despite viewpoint shifts, a necessity driven by the era's hardware constraints on platforms like , where processors struggled with real-time . These limitations, including low polygon counts and slow draw rates on systems like the SNES and , favored static cameras to reduce computational load by pre-defining views and minimizing dynamic geometry calculations. The design drew influences from 2D point-and-click adventure games, such as (1987), where cursor-directed movement translated to relative character orientation in 3D, and from flight simulators like Flight Simulator II (1987), which emphasized controls relative to the vehicle's heading rather than screen position. By the mid-1990s, the CD-ROM era accelerated adoption around 1994–1996, as consoles like the PlayStation enabled storage of high-quality pre-rendered backgrounds alongside real-time polygonal character models, allowing tank controls to integrate seamlessly with cinematic fixed perspectives without overwhelming hardware resources.

Popularization and Peak Usage

Tank controls gained widespread adoption in the mid-1990s, particularly through Capcom's (1996), which played a pivotal role in standardizing the scheme within the emerging genre. The game's director, , intentionally employed tank controls alongside fixed camera angles to heighten tension and unpredictability, as they restricted fluid movement and made encounters with zombies more harrowing by limiting the player's ability to quickly evade threats. This design choice not only addressed the technical constraints of the PlayStation hardware but also became a hallmark of , influencing subsequent titles in the series and the genre at large. The control scheme soon expanded beyond horror into action-adventure games, exemplified by Core Design's (1996), which introduced protagonist to a global audience and sold over seven million copies worldwide. By using tank controls, the game facilitated precise platforming and exploration in 3D environments, while complementing cinematic fixed camera perspectives that emphasized dramatic set pieces and environmental storytelling. This adaptation helped popularize tank controls in broader third-person adventures, demonstrating their versatility for narrative-driven gameplay on the dominant PlayStation platform. Usage peaked between 1996 and 2000 amid the PlayStation's market dominance, with numerous major titles—over 20 across franchises like , , , and —adopting the system to navigate the era's 3D limitations and controller inputs. During this console boom, tank controls enabled developers to prioritize artistic direction over seamless mobility, aligning player actions with pre-set camera paths for immersive experiences. Culturally, they became synonymous with cinematic storytelling in games, allowing creators to exert director-like control over pacing and visuals, much like film techniques, and fostering a sense of deliberate, weighted character movement that enhanced dramatic tension.

Notable Games and Implementations

Survival Horror Pioneers

The pioneering use of tank controls in survival horror began with Alone in the Dark (1992), developed by Infogrames, which introduced one of the earliest implementations of 3D environments in the genre. In this game, players control protagonists Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood using tank-style movement, where directional inputs rotate the character in place and forward advances relative to that orientation, emphasizing vulnerability and limited mobility during encounters with Lovecraftian horrors in the Derceto Mansion. This approach was refined and popularized in Capcom's series, starting with the original (1996), where tank controls paired with fixed camera angles heighten disorientation as players navigate the , forcing sudden adjustments when perspectives shift during zombie pursuits. The controls integrate with the game's limited system, a grid-based mechanic that restricts players to six slots for items like and , compelling careful prioritization while the deliberate pacing of tank movement simulates the weight of survival under duress. Konami's (1999) adapted tank controls to further psychological ends, employing them alongside dynamic fog that obscures distant views in the titular town, thereby amplifying tension as players like Harry Mason cautiously navigate obscured streets teeming with humanoid monsters. The restrictive movement limits rapid evasion or precise aiming, reinforcing a sense of isolation and helplessness that aligns with the game's themes of subconscious dread. Capcom's Dino Crisis (1999) also employed tank controls in a survival horror setting focused on dinosaurs, where protagonist Regina moves via character-relative directions in tense, resource-scarce environments, contributing to the genre's early standardization of the scheme. Across these titles, developers intentionally designed tank controls as restrictive mechanics to heighten fear, curtailing player agency in combat and exploration to evoke physical struggle and emotional vulnerability, much like the confined spaces of horror cinema.

Action-Adventure Examples

One prominent example of tank controls in action-adventure games is (1996), developed by . In this title, protagonist navigates vast 3D environments using rotation-based movement, where directional inputs adjust her facing direction and forward motion propels her relative to that orientation, emphasizing precise platforming and exploration across tombs and ruins. This scheme allowed for controlled traversal in complex, multi-level structures, integrating actions like jumping, grabbing ledges, and shooting into the core rotation mechanics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999), developed by , implemented a hybrid form of tank controls combined with limited free-look capabilities. Player-controlled moves relative to his body orientation via directional pad inputs for running, , , and , while shoulder buttons enable camera rotation to adjust viewing angles during acrobatic traversal in Nosgoth's gothic landscapes. This setup supported fluid puzzle-solving and combat sequences, such as shifting between material and spectral realms, by balancing character-relative navigation with occasional camera adjustments for better environmental awareness. Similarly, (1996), developed by , utilized a simplified tank control scheme tailored for mascot platforming in linear yet expansive levels. Crash's left/right inputs rotate his facing direction, with forward movement advancing him relative to that alignment, incorporating spin attacks that leverage the rotation for defeating enemies and breaking obstacles. The fixed camera paths complemented this system, guiding players through jungle and island settings while maintaining focus on precise jumps and collection-based exploration. These implementations of tank controls in action-adventure titles often adapted to large-scale levels with pre-set camera paths, enabling designers to craft intricate environments that prioritized exploration and platforming challenges without relying on fully free camera movement.

Advantages and Criticisms

Advantages

Tank controls, characterized by movement relative to the character's orientation rather than the camera, were intentionally leveraged in games to heighten tension and immersion by restricting player mobility and . This restrictive scheme limits evasion options during encounters, forcing players to confront threats head-on and building suspense as dangers emerge unexpectedly from off-screen areas. , director of the original (1996), noted that tank controls were selected as "the method that was the scariest and could express the horror of things," particularly because they prevented players from seeing approaching until it was too late, amplifying feelings of vulnerability. In genres like , this design choice enhances immersion by simulating helplessness, as players cannot fluidly sidestep or circle enemies, thereby intensifying the psychological dread central to the experience. The integration of tank controls with fixed camera angles further enables cinematic control, allowing developers to dictate pacing and framing akin to film directing. By predetermining camera positions, creators can orchestrate dramatic reveals, shadow play, and atmospheric tension without player-driven camera movement disrupting the intended composition. This approach mirrors horror cinema's use of static shots to build unease, as seen in early Resident Evil titles where angle transitions coincide with narrative beats, guiding player focus and maintaining narrative rhythm. Such deliberate staging ensures that environmental details and enemy placements serve the story's emotional arc, providing a controlled yet engaging progression that prioritizes directorial vision over free exploration. On hardware like the PlayStation, tank controls paired with pre-rendered backgrounds offered significant efficiency advantages, reducing real-time rendering demands and enabling more detailed, atmospheric environments than fully dynamic 3D worlds could achieve at the time. Pre-rendered assets allowed for high-fidelity textures and that would otherwise strain limited processing power, freeing resources for character models and animations while supporting the fixed camera system's low computational overhead. This technical compromise not only made ambitious horror visuals feasible on consoles with modest capabilities but also complemented the controls' deliberate pacing, contributing to richer, more immersive set pieces without compromising performance. In puzzle-oriented genres, tank controls excel by facilitating precise rotations that reveal hidden paths or align with environmental interactions, avoiding the disorientation of free-roaming movement in constrained spaces. For instance, in Resident Evil series puzzles requiring exact orientation—such as aligning statues or navigating tight corridors—the scheme's direct forward/backward input combined with rotational turning ensures reliable positioning without unintended drifts, streamlining problem-solving and emphasizing spatial awareness over fluid navigation. This suitability underscores their role in design philosophies where methodical exploration trumps speed, making them ideal for methodical, tension-filled gameplay loops.

Criticisms

Tank controls have been widely criticized for their clunkiness and lack of precision, particularly in combat scenarios where quick directional changes are essential. In early implementations like those in the original Resident Evil (1996), movement felt restrictive, with characters described as navigating "like glass tanks through blood-soaked mud," limiting players to forward or backward motion relative to the character's facing direction without the ability to strafe. This setup made precise aiming challenging, as players could only fire straight ahead or make minor vertical adjustments while keeping their feet planted, often turning combat into a frustrating last resort rather than an engaging mechanic. The control scheme's counterintuitive nature contributes to a steep , especially for players accustomed to modern analog sticks that allow free movement in any direction. Critics have noted that tank controls feel "stiff" and "cumbersome," akin to "pushing around an invisible ," because movement is always relative to the character's orientation rather than the camera, leading to awkward navigation around obstacles or during sudden camera shifts. Accessibility concerns further highlight these flaws, as the fixed camera angles paired with tank controls can exacerbate through abrupt snaps between perspectives, causing disorientation in fast-paced action. This combination is particularly poor for players prone to , as the rigid movement and jarring transitions heighten feelings of compared to smoother, player-controlled cameras. By the 2010s, tank controls were largely viewed as obsolete in remastered releases, with reviewers of the Resident Evil HD Remaster (2015) calling them "infamous" and "cumbersome," a relic phased out after 2000 in favor of dual-analog sticks that enable fluid over-the-shoulder views and full . This evolution rendered the scheme incompatible with contemporary expectations for responsive, intuitive .

Legacy and Modern Adaptations

Influence on Game Design

Tank controls, paired with fixed camera angles, played a pivotal role in establishing as a viable 3D in the mid-1990s, enabling developers to craft cinematic tension and limited visibility that heightened player vulnerability without relying on real-time rendering limitations. This approach, first notably implemented in games like (1992) and popularized in (1996), allowed for dramatic framing of horror elements, such as sudden enemy appearances, which became a hallmark of the genre's atmospheric dread. The deliberate slowness of tank movement further amplified feelings of helplessness, solidifying survival horror's identity as a distinct 3D experience separate from faster-paced action titles. This foundation has influenced a revival in indie horror games during the and , where developers embrace fixed cameras and tank controls to recreate classic tension in low-budget projects, as seen in titles like Tormented Souls (2021), which explicitly revives the style for its puzzle-solving and exploration mechanics. The design legacy of tank controls extends to encouraging deliberate pacing and environmental storytelling, where restricted movement forces players to engage deeply with surroundings rather than rushing through levels. In survival horror pioneers, this created a rhythm of cautious navigation and resource management, influencing broader cinematic game design by prioritizing narrative immersion over fluid mobility. For instance, the tension-building mechanics from fixed-camera tank games informed the measured exploration and subtle environmental cues in modern titles like The Last of Us (2013), where pacing builds emotional weight through controlled player agency and world details that tell the story without overt exposition. This philosophy shifted genre expectations toward experiential horror, where controls serve the atmosphere rather than realism, echoing in third-person adventures that balance action with deliberate vulnerability. Tank controls paved the way for hybrid control schemes in third-person games by highlighting the need for more intuitive aiming and movement integration, culminating in innovations like the over-the-shoulder perspective in (2005), which blended tank-like aiming with freedom. This evolution addressed the rigidity of pure tank systems, influencing major third-person shooters such as (2006) and (2007), where contextual aiming and cover mechanics became standards for blending horror-derived tension with action fluidity. The widespread criticisms of tank controls' clumsiness—particularly their disorientation during camera shifts—also spurred advancements in , pushing the industry toward customizable schemes, analog precision, and free-look cameras as de facto standards by the late 2000s, as seen in the transition to dual-stick controls across consoles. By the 2020s, tank controls have cultivated cultural , spawning remakes that preserve them as optional modes to evoke retro aesthetics and defend their intentional design against obsolescence claims. Fan communities and developers alike champion this "clunky" style for its authenticity in recreating era-specific immersion, with titles like the HD Remaster (2015) and subsequent remakes offering toggles between classic tank setups and modern alternatives to cater to purists. This preservation has solidified tank controls as a retro hallmark, inspiring indie homages and discussions that romanticize their role in gaming history.

Contemporary Usage

In recent remakes of classic titles, developers have incorporated optional tank controls to preserve authenticity while accommodating contemporary player preferences. For instance, the 2023 remake includes selectable control schemes inspired by the original 2008 game, such as the "DS1" layout, which employs character-relative movement akin to hybrid tank controls, allowing players to toggle between this and more fluid modern options. Similarly, the 2024 I-III Remastered collection provides a toggle between original tank controls and updated modern schemes, enabling players to experience the deliberate pacing of Lara Croft's early adventures without compromising accessibility on current hardware. Indie and niche titles in the 2020s have revived tank controls to evoke retro horror atmospheres, often as an optional feature for heightened tension. (2022), a game drawing from PS1-era influences, offers a toggle for tank controls to deliver a "classic experience" with restricted movement that amplifies vulnerability during encounters. Crow Country (2024), another indie horror entry, integrates tank controls via the for precise, era-appropriate navigation in its theme park setting, while the provides hybrid modern movement, blending nostalgia with improved responsiveness. As of 2025, this trend continues with titles like Tormented Souls II, which features classic tank controls and fixed angles for tense exploration; Heartworm, offering optional tank controls alongside modern schemes; and Flesh Made Fear, employing tank controls in its PSX-inspired occult horror setting. Advancements in hardware and input have facilitated these adaptations, allowing seamless toggles that mitigate traditional criticisms like limited through enhanced precision and customization. Modern controllers and engines support fluid switching between and free-look schemes, as seen in the aforementioned titles, where improved analog sensitivity and auto-aim options address mobility issues without altering core design intent. This persistence in niche genres underscores tank controls' role in the for building deliberate tension, particularly in horror experiences where restricted movement fosters immersion, including ports of classics to mobile platforms that retain original schemes for on-the-go play.

References

  1. https://www.pcgamer.com/a-eulogy-for-tank-controls/
  2. https://www.polygon.com/2015/1/19/7550887/resident-evil-hd-remaster-review-pc-xbox-one-ps4-playstation-4-360-3/
  3. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tomb-raider-1-3-remastereds-modern-controls-are-an-absolute-travesty
  4. https://www.giantbomb.com/tank-controls/3015-4647/
  5. https://www.howtogeek.com/ps1-era-horror-games-still-look-great-today-heres-why/
  6. https://www.ign.com/articles/resident-evil-creator-talks-zombies-in-2020-and-how-his-games-will-change-post-pandemic
  7. https://www.thegamer.com/tank-controls-horror-games-good/
  8. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/survival-horror/33-years-later-alone-in-the-dark-still-deserves-recognition-as-the-survival-horror-that-bridged-the-gap-between-cthulhu-and-resident-evil/
  9. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/10/30/ign-presents-the-history-of-survival-horror
  10. https://altwire.net/25-years-later-tomb-raider/
  11. https://www.giantbomb.com/alone-in-the-dark/3030-1528/user-reviews/2200-11826/
  12. https://gametyrant.com/news/the-case-for-a-fixed-camera-in-survival-horror
  13. https://thevaultpublication.com/2015/02/20/lets-talk-about-silent-hill/
  14. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/07/02/dino-crisis
  15. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/10/31/opinion-unfriendly-controls-can-make-horror-games-better.aspx
  16. https://tombraiders.net/stella/walks/controls/TR1controls.html
  17. https://evercade.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Legacy_of_Kain-_Soul_Reaver_-_1999_-_Eidos_Interactive.pdf
  18. http://www.devgameclub.com/blog/2017/2/22/dgc-ep-050-legacy-of-kain-soul-reaver-part-one
  19. https://archive.org/details/crash-bandicoot-1996-sony-computer-entertainment
  20. https://www.ign.com/articles/1996/11/22/crash-bandicoot
  21. https://www.jmeiners.com/pre-rendered-backgrounds/
  22. https://felixjones.co.uk/2022/09/22/tank-controls.html
  23. https://www.gamesradar.com/evolution-of-resident-evil-combat/
  24. https://www.resetera.com/threads/what-the-hell-are-resident-evil-1%25E2%2580%2599s-controls.575983/page-4
  25. https://www.gameinformer.com/games/resident_evil_hd_remaster/b/playstation4/archive/2015/01/19/game-informer-review-resident-evil-hd-remaster.aspx
  26. https://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/4677/Resident-Evil
  27. https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/fixed-camera-angles-horrors-greatest-restriction/
  28. https://gametyrant.com/news/tormented-souls-review-truly-a-classic-horror-revival
  29. https://sourcegaming.info/2016/10/26/holism-resident-evil-4-and-everything/
  30. https://www.thegamer.com/20-years-ago-resident-evil-4-changed-third-person-shooters-forever/
  31. https://www.cbr.com/resident-evil-4-influence-third-person-shooter-capcom/
  32. https://www.polygon.com/2014/10/9/6953319/resident-evil-remake-remaster
  33. https://www.ea.com/able/resources/dead-space/dead-space/ps5/controls
  34. https://www.thegamer.com/signalis-beginners-tips-tricks-guide/
  35. https://www.thegamer.com/crow-country-review-instant-caw-lassic/
  36. https://nichegamer.com/reviews/tormented-souls-ii-review/
  37. https://www.sixoneindie.com/read/heartworm-is-a-survival-horror-that-plays-just-like-the-classics
  38. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3316350/Flesh_Made_Fear/
  39. https://hardcoregamer.com/review-crow-country/
  40. https://press-start.com.au/reviews/pc-reviews/2024/05/08/crow-country-review/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.