this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2025
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I mean, they didn't even have two analogue sticks to work with in a lot of early 3D games as well as a non-standard number of buttons (and most had up to half as few as is standard today). Some of the limits were just a lack of inputs to control everything you'd want the player to control.
I also have to say, I feel like many people don't realize how much dexterity and skill it takes to constantly crank that camera.
The twin-stick camera controls are a terrible solution, even if they may be the best we have. They are a major barrier for entry IMHO. With 2D games, you could hand a controller to someone, who doesn't play games very much and they'd still typically be able to play along. But with 3D games, that's so much harder, because now you have to press buttons and move the camera at the same time.
So, I imagine, even when the hardware became available, that various studios still tried to find simpler solutions.
True that! I remember my girlfriend struggling at Xenoblade due to the constant manual camera control. In my opinion camera control itself got worse over time since players were expected to just control it themselves. I constantly apply micro adjustments to the camera, but I donβt even recognize that.
Yes, the usability is not easy. It takes quite some practice to control the camera well.