Monday, June 3, 2024

Cloud Monday - G-Police - Part 1 - Hard To Recommend With Controls This Bad


This week's Cloud Monday video is part 1 of playing the PS1 version of G-Police on PS4 via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

I have played and own G-Police on PlayStation 1 but i never completed it. back then, i found it quite tough. not just what i was being asked to do, but also controlling the game. But i didn't hate the game. i actually quite liked it. so seeing this on PS Plus was exciting and i was keen to play the game again after such a long time, i haven't played any PS1 DISC game since the early years of the PS3.

A huge advantage of playing PS1 games on PS4 and #PS5 is the emulation software. you're able to rewind, great if you've made a mistake, but more importantly you're able to manually save anywhere by pressing the "Option" button on the controller. if there's a connection issue, PlayStation Plus Premium Cloud Streaming Service will only give a 20 second warning before disconnecting you, so being able to save so easily and so quickly is a huge advantage and a great reason to play any of the PS1 games on PS4 and PS5 via the cloud.

There are aspects of G-Police that are dated. the control scheme is a little strange and i kept making mistakes. the story introduction feels more at home on PC than a console game, and there's no tutorial incorporated into the story and it's separate instead. in fairness, it could be argued that the story does provide enough of a reason for this, that we're an experienced soldier so we already know everything. I don't think that any of this is an issue as it's an older game.

The biggest issue by far is the controls. it is an analogue control game, but for some reason in this version of the game the controls are far too sensitive. i say in the video that it felt like i would make a movement and then have to instantly adjust to counter that movement. it's so bad i have to recommend that everyone start with training before diving into gameplay. it was so difficult to move the analogue stick so slight whilst also trying to play the game.

It's hard to recommend the game as it is. i'll come back for part 2, but either the game needs a patch for the controls or the emulation software being used needs a way to adjust stick sensitivity.