‘Star Fox Zero’ impressions point to bad controls, anime short tie-in may be a better experience

Now that “Star Fox Zero” has been released, it appears that first impression are already pointing to the game’s faults rather than praise. Among the many reviews that are already out, the most common is that the game has controls that are not user-friendly or enjoyable to use at all.

Controls are a big issues, as they aiming via motion controls are done using the GamePad and not the likes of a Wii Remote. Wired gives a quick glimpse of how the controls work. Playing the game on the television will show a third-person view of the space battles together with enemies, the surroundings and the player’s ship.

However, making use of the GamePad controller’s screen will give a different view for the player. That is, the player will have a first-person view of the cockpit maneuvered by Fox McCloud, the hero in “Star Fox Zero.”

This begs the necessity of having dual tasks to play—piloting the ship vis-à-vis the enemies around and firing using the GamePad’s motion control. According to the source, what makes this worse is that it is a default, unchangeable mode to play the game.

Of course, this may be the challenge that developer PlatinumGames is trying to go for. It’s a new spin on shooter titles. However, for newer players, this may be a complicated way of introducing them into a franchise. And “Star Fox Zero” would have been a nice way to do it as a reimagining of the series, Polygon reported.

This is quite an unexpected surprise, considering that “Star Fox Zero” has already been delayed for a release in 2015. Back then, Producer Shigeru Miyamoto had given a statement on the official Wii U Facebook, stating the decision to delay the game.

“’Star Fox Zero’ is going to bring new gameplay and experiences that take it far beyond the framework established by Star Fox 64. All members of the development team are doing our best so that the final product will not betray your expectations,” said Miyamoto in the post.

Still, there appears to be some surprises that the developer has planned. Nintendo Life reported that a route-focused Arcade mode will be available as a bonus. Miyamoto did state that this is to test advanced players. The addition of this mode is supposedly aimed for longevity for the franchise and provide a bit more of a challenge to players.

In the meantime, fans can check out the new anime for “Star Fox Zero.” This is Nintendo’s tie-in short for the game, titled “Star Fox: The Battle Begins” and it is available on YouTube. This is similar to how “Final Fantasy XV” is being promoted, via its Brotherhood anime.

The Verge stated that, even though the short is just a promotional tie-in, the actual animation is pretty good. Seen below, the production is really one of the finer tie-in shorts, a perfect bonus for long-time fans.