LogFAQs > #978917641

Play as a bow class (Strider, Ranger, Assassin) until you get the Forward Roll, there's your dodge (also has i-frames). They all unlock it at the same rank. Magick Archer can use it too but I wouldn't suggest playing that class early on because of it's stat gains. Assassin gets the most Attack increase per level. I never had a problem with the controls but I played it when it came out, so maybe if I picked it up for the first time today it'd be different.

Other than that, pawns do talk a lot and if you're looking for complex characters or a rich narrative, there isn't much here. The combat and the pawn system are the main draws, there's good variety among the classes and climbing on big monsters is always fun. It's definitely among the best combat of that generation imo. It also handles postgame and NG+ really well.

*Just to clarify, the Forward Roll is actually a dodge roll and you control the direction in which you roll. It's also technically a Dagger skill but the classes that unlock it can all use bows too, and the bow makes dealing with flying enemies a lot easier.