So after hearing about the nightmare that is the PC controls on the recent Steam release of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition I decided that I had to check it out. From Software had been saying from the start how many problems they had in making the transition from Console to PC, but never would I have imagined that it would have ended so poorly. Simplly put, the controls on mouse and keyboard are finger breakingly bad. The normal WASD movement keys that have become the movement standard, but beyond that things get a little crazy. The Camera controls that coincide with the right analog stick on the controller are actually assigned to I, J, K and L by default. This makes the standard controls a no-mouse game that controls as if you were just doing WASD on the keyboard twice. The remainder of the buttons are strewn throughout the remaining keys seemingly arbitrarily and there are so many to remember I could not imagine playing this game without a quick look control cheat sheet close by.
This is seriously the keys you use just for movement, combat and menus. Working in tandem with how extremely challenging the game is itself, playing with these controls is figuritively impossible. Seriously, with even the most basic of combat in this game posing a significant challenge, playing in this fashion will end with even more frustrating anger, broken objects and shattered dreams.
Dark Souls as a game is still amazing and you can find me past review on it here. If you have not already played it go get it. I am extremely excited the non-consoles will finally get to experience it, and even thought it has its flaws, it is a worthwhile experience through and through. But, I just want to warn you that if you don't already have one, go pick up an Xbox controller too use it on your PC. You'll be happy, I'll be happy, heck even Microsoft will be happy. And you never no when you might use it next, there are many Steam titles that have native support for it, and there are a lot of games, especially third-person action titles that are really well suited for it. If you don't, You just might end up with broken fingers and a bad game experience, neither of which I can endorse as an able-minded gamer. Get the game, get killed and by merry!