I don't think there's any situation where you can say a game should never ever use a controllable camera. It adds a lot to the game. The only problem, as you pointed out, is having the proper controls for moving it. That's really more of a design problem. I think that almost any game should allow the player to control the camera as long as they can do it right. Otherwise, just stick with the fixed angles because it's not worth it to be struggling with the camera while you're playing a game.
Being able to control the camera really adds a whole new dimension to games that is lacking in 2D games. If you use it right, it almost forces the player to think in three dimensions. That makes quite a difference. The only genre I can think of where you might want to still have fixed cameras anyway is survival horror, but not because of the cinematic effects that Intrepid pointed out. I just think that in a horror game you can make it a lot scarier by confining the player's field of vision.
mag
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