Update 3/10/2010

Control Freaks

New Control Scheme Drives GTA Players Insane

The GTA series of games has always been blessed with rock solid driving controls. They've become such a standard, in fact, that most players assume they'll have the same push-button accelerator and shoulder-button handbrake, even in non-Rockstar games. SO for GTA IV, Rockstar, in their infinite wisdom, decided to CHANGE THESE PERFECT CONTROLS.

The changes to driving controls in GTA almost seem like a cruel joke, and you have to wonder what the heck Rockstar was thinking. Since the game's very first mission is a driving mission, the control change will annoy every single experienced GTA player, every single time, the very first time they play the game. This is how they make a good first impression?

The changes are so frustrating, in fact (that button that used to be the gas pedal? Now it's the mother-loving BRAKE), that you'll be diving for the Pause menu as soon as you think of it. Blessedly, there's an option there for "Classic" controls. Jesus Saves.

Tip: Change to Classic Controls. You'll enjoy the game more, sooner, and be less irritated along the way.

Sadly, the "classic" controls are a little like Coke Classic: not really the old thing, but they're the closest thing the manufacturer will let us have now. The view-behind option, for example, which used to be a quick double-trigger pull, is now a finger-bending R3. If, like many players, you've developed the habit of using that double-trigger pull to recenter the camera face-front, it's time to learn a different habit, and a much less-convenient one at that. Try mashing R3 in the middle of a three point turn sometime.

Still, the classic controls are better than the godawful new ones, so we'll take them and stop complaining now.

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