I’ve been playing a lot of Mass Effect lately, and I love it. I look forward to playing each moment, except areas that require use of the Mako, a futuristic planetary-exploration vehicle. The game encourages the player to use this vehicle first on a planet called Feros. There is no tutorial for this vehicle, so the player must learn the controls through experimentation. This would be an acceptable design choice if the road didn’t quickly turn into a narrow skyway. I’ve talked to several people, who, like me, found the controls to be counterintuitive and proceeded to fall off the skyway to their death multiple times.

The movement of the vehicle is controlled by the left thumb stick; the camera and reticle for the gun turret are controlled by the right thumb stick. Steering is relative to the camera, so the Mako will move in the direction relative to what the player sees. I found this to be counterintuitive, and I would frequently move in the wrong direction during combat and take extensive damage.

There were also flaws in the design of the reticle movement, especially when zooming in. When rapidly rotating the camera view, the gun turret can’t keep up with the reticle, especially if the turret is firing. Also, the reticle can be aimed higher and lower than the actual turret range. If the reticle is focused on an area out of the turret’s range, the turret will fire somewhere within its range but not where the reticule is aimed.

There are a few simple solutions to these frustrating flaws. First, the game should point the player to an easier mission for a better introduction to the Mako. Mass Effect allows players to choose between several missions at that point, and there is no reason why the Feros skyway should be a training ground. A planet such as Novaria is more suitable to players new to the Mako. This change could be easily made by changing the dialog in the conversation that encouraged players to go to Feros first.

Second, a formal tutorial or a change in the control structure would be beneficial. If the control structure was received well during testing, then a tutorial that briefly explained movement, aiming and camera rotation would help those who found the player-centered motion counterintuitive. If players seemed to be struggling with movement, then the controls could be shifted so movement is relative to the vehicle itself. This is would be similar to vehicles in real life and automotive games, which would make it familiar for many players.

Finally, I would limit the motion of the reticule, at least in the zoomed-in mode. If the players need to look around at their environments, the game allows players to exit the vehicle at any time. It simply does not make sense to allow players to aim for targets they cannot hit.

If those few changes were made, areas with the Mako would be more fun. Players could concentrate on the gameplay instead of fighting the controls. Hopefully, players of Mass Effect sequels will be able to avoid the frustrations many have felt due to the current design flaws.