Summary
If you bring up motion controls among any group of gamers, there’s bound to be a heated discussion about their implementation, purpose, and overall effect on the industry (both in a positive and negative sense). While it’s a divisive topic in gaming, the simple truth is that some games could benefit from the increased maneuverability afforded by motion controls.
That isn’t to say that these games necessarily feel lacking in their current state, only that the option for motion controls could provide an interesting way, possibly even an improved way, to play them. While there are plenty of examples of games that would have been better off without motion controls wiggling and waggling their way throughout the design, the opposite can also be true: Some games may just be that bit better if they allowed for a motion-based control option.
From conventional examples like the FPS genre to more unexpected ones like tower defense, here’s how the myriad options provided by motion control (of all shapes and sizes) could improve a wide range of titles.
6Shatter
Manipulate Gravity With The Wave Of A Hand
Shatter is a block-breaking game where you can manipulate the flow of gravity to either pull or push the ball away from the paddle. The game is highly innovative for its genre, but for such action-packed and frenetic gameplay, the addition of motion controls could make things even more interesting.
If the movement of the paddle matches the movement of the controller, then it could mitigate some of the frustrations that arise from not being able to cover the screen fast enough through button presses alone. Motion controls could also be implemented for the gravity mechanics, pushing and pulling in real life to cause all sorts of exciting chaos on the screen.
5Plants Vs Zombies
Wave Away The Walking Dead
One of the key benefits of motion controls is that, when done well, they can emulate the speed and accuracy of a mouse or touch screen for home consoles. Tower defense games are an obvious example of a genre that would reap the rewards of motion controls, and they don’t come much more iconic thanPlants vs Zombies.
Thisbeloved Popcap gamehas already proven to be a smash hit on computer and smart devices, but hasn’t always translated as well over to button-based setups. Motion controls, allowing the player to smoothly point to select units (a la the Swords & Soldiers games) and deploy them as needed, could be the key to unlocking this game’s potential across more systems. It would certainly offer a unique twist to playing a title that so many are surely familiar with.
4EA Sports PGA Tour
A Swing And A Hit
It just makes sense. Ever since the release of Wii Sports, golf and motion controls have gone hand in hand. While this proud tradition has continued with other arcade-oriented golf games, the more realistic titles haven’t been as accommodating in this regard.
The biggest culprit is EA Sports PGA Tour, which is shockingly devoid of any motion control play options across its ports. This isn’t to say that its traditional controls are poor, only that it seems like such a natural fit to provide players the fun opportunity to immerse themselves further in these games through the adoption of motion controls.
3BioShock
More Precise Aiming Is Always A Boon (Unless You’re Only Using The Wrench)
Motion controls lend themselves well to first-person shooters, especially slower-paced, predominantly single-player experiences (as seen with theMetroid PrimeTrilogy on Wii).BioShockfits this description nicely, as exploring the underwater city of Rapture may feel even more immersive if motion controls were available to the player.
What’s somewhat frustrating is that the BioShock Collection for Nintendo Switch had the opportunity to add gyro-aiming to its gameplay, but it wasn’t implemented. While none of this detracts from BioShock’s status as agreat story-based first-person shooter, it does leave you wondering if the gameplay could have been made even better, especially after seeing how well gyro-aiming works in other games.
The Sims 4 is a terrifically detailed life simulation game that has occupied many fans' afternoons and evenings since its launch. While there are home console versions of The Sims 4, it’s hard to argue that this game isn’t best suited to the PC format.
Motion controls would help alleviate some of the clunkiness that comes with playing The Sims 4 on consoles. Every input could be made easier, quicker, and more accurate, from moving your Sims to rearranging their homes. Given the fact that pointer controls emulate the feel of a mouse much more effectively than controllers, adding in a touch of motion could be the feature thatThe Simsseries needs to truly thrive on consoles.
1Severed
Frantically Slicing Your Mystical Blade
For one ofDrinkbox Studio’s best games, it’s a shame that the Nintendo Switch port of Severed feels somewhat compromised. This hack-and-slash dungeon crawler showcases some of the studio’s best writing and art direction, but there isn’t any way to enjoy this game outside of devices with touchscreens.
Motion controls seem like the perfect way to translate the gameplay of Severed onto other devices, and wielding the protagonist’s blade and piecing the game’s mysteries together using the format would be fascinating. The difficulty in this particular case would be accurately translating the frantic pace of touchscreen swipes the original scheme demands. Still, we can dream.
