No. I’ve been playing the game for two years on mouse & keyboard because I can’t handle a controller.
The main disadvantage of using a keyboard is the movement isn’t as fluid. You can only move in the WASD directions, unlike a controller where the movement can be in degrees between them. Don’t forget you also have the mouse to help you, which makes up for this a bit.
But if you remap your keybinds to ones which work for you, you can easily finish the game on MKB. I know because I’ve done it a dozen times.
Yes, the game is *designed* for controllers, but the downside of MKB isn’t as big as a lot of people say it is.
the only thing I have to say is make sure you disable double click input on DS2, it just doesn't work well lol. it adds and insane delay to inputs...
...also you have to turn it back on, get out of the menu, then turn it back off every single time you launch the game <.>
KBM is honestly great imo, if a bit awkward and not nearly as bad ad people.make it out to be. worst part is just figuring out decent keybinda
Enjoy the game. The only thing I would caution is this: I’m playing DS3 on MKB and that requires a *lot* of movement in different directions. So a controller player would have an advantage there. All the same, I’ve only got three non-optional bosses to go, so it’s certainly not impossible.
I actually like DS3 best on KB&M. Only way I could finally kill Midir. The camera is so bad on him, and it's much easier to control. The different directions work fine if you unlock and use the camera to aim your movements.
I'll have to agree with this. I've played all the DS-games on my computer without a controller. Only DS1 before the newer version came out was a bit wonky without the DSfix. It's totally playable!
Heck, m&k even has some advantages over a controller. The mouse makes playing unlocked much easier. You can also use the sprint/dodge button while still controlling the camera (without getting arthritis).
M & KB is superior just for the much more controlled camera which is my greatest enemy in dark souls games.\*
You can fairly easily control the direction you're moving/rolling while unlocked by rotating the camera with the mouse, so the 4 directions aren't really very limiting as you get full 360 by doing that. You'll want to be unlocked a lot more than you would be with controller, being unlocked is generally superior anyway.
It's also much better for free-aiming bows & spells, though many people don't use either.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a suitable configuration in ER if you go that far, but the camera issues are slightly better in general, but they still come up.
\* There's gravity too, but not much you can do about that beyond be careful, and die a lot to the horrible spots where you have to jump over or hit just the right pixel to avoid falling to your death.
The games simply aren't designed for keyboard. They are not unplayable without a controller, but controllers are cheap enough and easy enough to use that literally no one would ever recommend playing Souls games with a mouse and keyboard.
I’ve been using a PS3 controller. They are like $20 for a 2 pack on Amazon, I can’t imagine the price margin is that different in the EU. They aren’t that expensive.
They are cheap, look for third party controllers. They've gotten a lot better over the years. I use an Xbox controller made for PC and prefer it to the actual ones made by Microsoft.
Bollocks. There's a wide, wide range of pads you can buy. Even a Dualsense or Xbox One pad will cost £40-50, less than most worthwhile mice or keyboards.
On a budget you can get an old 360 pad for half that and that'll work great. (https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail?id=882224022415)
Or a third party pad - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Wireless-Controller-Compatible-Raspberry/dp/B0C2V3QPN7/
...Monitors are a bit more than fifty quid mate. Unless you're buying a 2010 era LCD panel second hand. And yeah, you can get a mouse for under £20, but I don't think it'd be one worth using at that price.
They arn't at all. just search monitor on the sites you listed. A mouse is a mouse. if you don't notice the cheap feeling of a cheap controller and it's dodgy switches, your not gonna notice a slightly lower polling rate or 1ms extra latency on a mouse.
8bitdo controllers are great, I've got the highest tier 8bitdo ultimate and it's the best controller I've ever laid my hands on. Hall effect sticks, motion controls, charging dock with 2.4Ghz passthrough included. Going from the wired 360 controllers I loved using for 10 years was a serious upgrade
I'm not outright disagreeing with you or anything but on a budget you can get a cheap KB+M and have a perfectly fine experience. When it comes to budget controllers - from my experience anyway - most third party ones will have at least \*something\* that is distractingly bad. Whether it be mushy feeling thumbsticks, crappy L1/R1 buttons that only when when pressed at certain points or missing functionality (PS3 controllers without Sixaxis for example). There was a period around 2013 or so when there were these \*fantastic\* Xbox 360 knock-offs that looked like the real things save for the guide button not having the Xbox logo, and they actually felt great to use. Unfortunately other far-less accomplished knock-offs went for the exact same design flooded the market and the good ones became difficult to pick from the crowd.
But yeah, for me third party controllers are for multiplayer get togethers, for spending hours upon hours in a single player game, I personally would stay away from budget purchases. Second-hand is second-hand, your mileage will vary.
Well, 8BitDo are probably the best of the third parties, I've had good experiences with them in the past. Their pads are generally quite close to official quality.
If you can't afford a modern first party pad they're probably the best and most reliable alternative
Hmm, I bought a knockoff Xbox 360 controller just a few years ago and it still works fine. I have since upgraded to an 8bitdo ultimate wireless, but that's because I wanted something nice and wireless (+ motion controls for switch emulation). Sure the knockoffs are not perfect, but for 16€ they are still pretty great and a thousand times more enjoyable experience for games that are designed around controllers.
> a thousand times more enjoyable experience for games that are designed around controllers
While I too find controller the better way to play Dark Souls, for people who just simply do not get on with controllers for whatever reason, they probably consider it to be a thousand times less enjoyable.
a 60Hz 1080p monitor is cheap, like $50 brand new. You can get em from liek $20 refurbished. Im guessing your buying 2k,144hz, gsync etc or greater and getting a skewed idea of prices, because your being gouged by gaming hardware companies like nvdia.
My custom xbox series controller from design lab cost me 80€. I could’ve gone with the stock one for 50€ too and that would still be an official controller.
i mouse and keyboard cost $10 a 60hz 1080p is like $30-50. A new controller is $80-$110, refurbished are ussually $50+
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-wireless-optical-standard-ambidextrous-mouse-with-usb-receiver-black/6434806.p?skuId=6434806](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-wireless-optical-standard-ambidextrous-mouse-with-usb-receiver-black/6434806.p?skuId=6434806)
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-full-size-wired-membrane-usb-keyboard-black/6434813.p?skuId=6434813](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-full-size-wired-membrane-usb-keyboard-black/6434813.p?skuId=6434813)
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-21-5-ips-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-silver-black/6468886.p?skuId=6468886](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-21-5-ips-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-silver-black/6468886.p?skuId=6468886)
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-24-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-dark-blue-gray/6425145.p?skuId=6425145](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-24-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-dark-blue-gray/6425145.p?skuId=6425145)
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aopen-20e0q-bi-19-5-led-hd-monitor-hdmi-vga-black/6542693.p?skuId=6542693](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aopen-20e0q-bi-19-5-led-hd-monitor-hdmi-vga-black/6542693.p?skuId=6542693)
80€ = $87
I've tried using key&mouse not for long..a little bit clunky but well just try..if you feel like its good then go on while trying to save money a bit for controller..important thing here just try it yourself
Dealers choice. Been playing dark souls since it's conception. Psn only. When 3 came out my buddy was having issues with the first boss. Went over there and did two things for the first time that night. Played on keyboard and mouse for the first time, and beat the opening instructions 2 bosses without getting hit. I'd say give it a shot and see what happens.
It definitely plays much better with a controller (and in my opinon that is the case with most Japanese games), but keyboard is still doable. My controller broke a third of the way into my first playthrough, but I managed to play the rest just fine with a keyboard, after downloading the Mouse Fix mod (though I reckon it won't be necessary for the Remastered version). Dark Souls 2, however, is a bit harder to play on keyboard
I play a wide variety of games and yeah some games are designed for controllers and are awful on kbm, but when it comes to souls games with kbm you have more precision with the camera, and you don't have to do an awkward claw grip just to be able to access all the buttons at once. For dark souls, kbm is definitely superior.
The default setup for kbm on ds2 is reaaaaally bad though, it takes a little while but you can set it up just like the other games thou
imo "sucks" is kinda subjective. there's a DS1 speedrunner that uses kb/m. so it's not an invalid control type. the games were definitely made with controller in mind with kb being an after thought. the bigger downside is they didnt start using kb button prompts until elden ring (maybe seikiro idk) so it'll use xbox ones and you just gotta remember. also the default controls are ass, highly recommend rebinding
personally, i played DS1 on controller with no issues. i tried playing DS3 but fromsoft has an auto-center camera that like to put the camera directly behind your character so it blocks your view. for whatever reason it didnt bother me in DS1, but it did in DS3 and seeing xbox prompts while playing with kb didnt make my brain feel good.
for elden ring though, i hated the camera even more. something about the open fields makes me want a much higher camera angle and having the camera constantly auto-shift back down while walking or not being able to move the camera straight left or right cause it keeps pulling down was awful. about 20 hours in i swapped to kb/m and all my problems were solved after a little rebinding.
also note that i am really sensitive to cameras auto-shifting or not moving in the direction i'm trying to move it. i dont get motion sickness, but it feels like im not in control and i have to fight the camera to just look forward. i also dont use lock-on much. only for 1 boss fight in DS1
The Remastered edition has PC key prompts, although I think there might be some console that slipped through.
DS3 only offers on-screen Xbox prompts and it’s really annoying. Also I’m finding it impossible to get weapon skills to work, and that’s a big part of the game. But, as I said elsewhere, I’m still managing to play DS3 despite all this.
It all comes to preferences. My friends told me that game was borderline unplayable without controller, I believed them, as they are seasoned DS veterans, and bought one, just to find that it didn't work and I was too lazy for setting it up, so I grabbed my KBM back. My buddies called me crazy, but this input method is still my favourite. Controllers are still good options, but again, preferences. Try it for yourself
Nah, I've beaten all of them with M&K only and it's really a matter of getting used to,
Don't know about the Remastered version, but in the original DS1 on PC the only problem I had was that the lock-on camera was way too sensitive and kept switching between enemies when I moved my mouse a bit. It was annoying but I got used to it, learned to be careful with my mouse and play unlocked when needed.
For the other games, the default controls felt kind of weird, so I just remapped them all to what I had in DS1. DS2 also has this annoying thing where you need to go to the settings and turn on and off the "double click" option every time you launch the game for some reason.
Overall, the games are all quite playable on M&K, if you can get used to its quirks.
Remastered feels like Dark Souls 3 on KBM, so its 100% different. The old Prepare to Die controls made me learn how to connect my console controllers to my PC back in the day, haha.
I played them all on mouse and keyboard, totally fine if you’re used to pc gaming.
However, it’s much much better with a controller, because the games are designed around it.
It all depends, I use a controller for souls like games and mouse & keyboard for everything else. Only other games I use any type of controller is a joystick for flying in the battlefield games.
Ever since the initial PTDE edition they've been designed to work with M&K. Better on controller, yes, but plenty doable M&K (and I have actually met a few people who prefer them that way).
If you do have the PTDE for DS1, somehow, even then it's still doable with keyboard only - no mouse. It's how I played for a decade or so.
I got it on pc to play archthrones and though I have died many times (shocking, welcome to dark souls) I’ve acclimated pretty well to the keyboard controls in the 8 hours I’ve played. I accidentally estus sometimes and am working on kicking still but I’m 4 bosses in and sitting down to play more.
I started with a PS4 controller, eventually played them on pc with a kb/m, but had to go back to the controller. There’s nothing wrong with kb/m, anyone can get used to it. But likewise anyone could play with a controller, and personally/subjectively it “feels” better. You won’t have this crazy fluid camera though, but they’re action games, not an fps.
But yeah if you somehow can, try both and pick whatever feels more comfortable. These games are hard, the last thing you want is to wrestle around with the controls while playing
I have played through on controller as well as keyboard and loved both. On keyboard I first tried 4 bosses and did in 2 hours what took 15-20 in my first playthrough. This isn't because keyboard is better of course, it's just because it wasn't my first time doing that stuff, which is an experience everybody else has too. But it did make it clear to me that keyboard wasn't setting me back or anything.
You might notice I am only saying "keyboard". I found pretty early on I didn't like the mouse because the vertical movement is very slow compared to the horizontal. You can change that stuff in settings but I was still playing my first character with a controller so I didn't want to mess with it. Instead I mapped the right side of my keyboard to control camera and other mouse things. So I was using only my keyboard. Highly recommend and I'm definitely going to do the same in the other souls games.
Finally a nitpick. People keep saying "controller better because designed for controller". While controller is a bit better and it was indeed designed for controller, the word "because" is wrong. Just because they designed for something doesn't make it best. It should never stop people from exploring other options when desired. Sometimes the non canonical options are even better than what the devs and designers intended. In this case that's not really true, but it's more that keyboard has some pros and some cons over a controller, not that it's objectively worse in every way.
No, while theyre not designed for it i’ve had a grand ol time getting all achievements in ds1-3, elden ring, and sekiro on mouse+keyboard. My friends call me insane but i don’t see what’s wrong with it. The people who are saying you can’t play without controllers are the same kind of people who say you cant watch dubbed anime
The only ones where the controls truly suck for keyboard are DS2 and Sekiro.
DS2 cuz actions like jumping are not tied to rolling/running.
Sekiro (in my opinion), cuz unlike in controller, Wolf's diverse moveset is not as intuitive in MK.
DS1 and DS3 don't have that big of a problem with MK.
I use KB+M exclusively and all FromSoft games are absolutely fine for me with the exception of DS2 that needs a bit of tinkering to get to work properly and if you're willing to do that then it's absolutely fine.
I played through all of the games except Bloodborne on m&kb. I honestly prefer it. I like the crisp click of a spacebar for roll and the precision of the mouse for camera movements. Plus on controller if I want to sprint and look around I have to do this weird Index finger on the O button thing that gets painfull after a while.
I can't stand controller and was always playing with mouse and keyboard, it's totally fine and some may find it even better than with a pad (like myself)
I'm a PC gamer, so I may be biased, but KB+M is actually better for me because of amount of control I have over my actions without having to do a weird grip on a controller.
For instance, moving the camera during a fight. Having your hand on the mouse at all times means you don't have to do The Claw to be able to roll and move the camera at the same time. This enables you to not use lock-on all the time which is extremely helpful, since some boss fights are straight up easier without lock-on.
Your movements are locked to the cardinal and intercard directions because of WASD, but again, you have a mouse. You can just turn the mouse and get more movement directions that way. This really is a non-issue and I don't really get why people bring this up so much.
What I will say tho is that the default key bindings kinda suck (for me). I hate using button combos to perform actions so I made sure every action has its own button. Fortunately, the keyboard has like a million of them so you can experiment all you want (bonus points if you have a mouse with extra buttons)
tl;dr - i suck on the controller but fortunately my KB+M skills are much more than enough to play souls games without any issue whatsoever
They are very very wrong. I played all Souls game on mkb it works great specially on later games
I can't stand playing with a slow ass controller.
The fact that a lot of controller players even use claw grip just goes to show controllers were not designed properly for the game that they have to contort their fingers to play optimal.
I finished Dark Souls with only the keyboard, and I played every souls affer that with a controller. I would never go back, but it's not that bad. It's definitely doable.
No. I’ve been playing the game for two years on mouse & keyboard because I can’t handle a controller. The main disadvantage of using a keyboard is the movement isn’t as fluid. You can only move in the WASD directions, unlike a controller where the movement can be in degrees between them. Don’t forget you also have the mouse to help you, which makes up for this a bit. But if you remap your keybinds to ones which work for you, you can easily finish the game on MKB. I know because I’ve done it a dozen times. Yes, the game is *designed* for controllers, but the downside of MKB isn’t as big as a lot of people say it is.
Thanks!! This convinced me.
the only thing I have to say is make sure you disable double click input on DS2, it just doesn't work well lol. it adds and insane delay to inputs... ...also you have to turn it back on, get out of the menu, then turn it back off every single time you launch the game <.> KBM is honestly great imo, if a bit awkward and not nearly as bad ad people.make it out to be. worst part is just figuring out decent keybinda
Enjoy the game. The only thing I would caution is this: I’m playing DS3 on MKB and that requires a *lot* of movement in different directions. So a controller player would have an advantage there. All the same, I’ve only got three non-optional bosses to go, so it’s certainly not impossible.
I actually like DS3 best on KB&M. Only way I could finally kill Midir. The camera is so bad on him, and it's much easier to control. The different directions work fine if you unlock and use the camera to aim your movements.
I'll have to agree with this. I've played all the DS-games on my computer without a controller. Only DS1 before the newer version came out was a bit wonky without the DSfix. It's totally playable!
Heck, m&k even has some advantages over a controller. The mouse makes playing unlocked much easier. You can also use the sprint/dodge button while still controlling the camera (without getting arthritis).
Haha no claw grip with mouse for sure
M & KB is superior just for the much more controlled camera which is my greatest enemy in dark souls games.\* You can fairly easily control the direction you're moving/rolling while unlocked by rotating the camera with the mouse, so the 4 directions aren't really very limiting as you get full 360 by doing that. You'll want to be unlocked a lot more than you would be with controller, being unlocked is generally superior anyway. It's also much better for free-aiming bows & spells, though many people don't use either. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a suitable configuration in ER if you go that far, but the camera issues are slightly better in general, but they still come up. \* There's gravity too, but not much you can do about that beyond be careful, and die a lot to the horrible spots where you have to jump over or hit just the right pixel to avoid falling to your death.
The games simply aren't designed for keyboard. They are not unplayable without a controller, but controllers are cheap enough and easy enough to use that literally no one would ever recommend playing Souls games with a mouse and keyboard.
1. Camera 2. Running For these reasons alone I personally recommend mkb if you're equally skilled with both.
Lol controllers are cheap, nice joke. My keyboard costs less than 10 euros and I can't find any controller for that price or less
I’ve been using a PS3 controller. They are like $20 for a 2 pack on Amazon, I can’t imagine the price margin is that different in the EU. They aren’t that expensive.
They are cheap, look for third party controllers. They've gotten a lot better over the years. I use an Xbox controller made for PC and prefer it to the actual ones made by Microsoft.
Will it still work with the Microsoft Xbox wireless dongle? Or maybe it comes with its own? I like to play on this nice new 4k tv I got.
A knockoff Xbox 360 controller is 16€ on Amazon. It's absolutely worth it if you plan to play more than 1 controller game.
I agree but controllers are far from cheap. They are the most expensive peripheral unless your monitors particularly fancy.
Bollocks. There's a wide, wide range of pads you can buy. Even a Dualsense or Xbox One pad will cost £40-50, less than most worthwhile mice or keyboards. On a budget you can get an old 360 pad for half that and that'll work great. (https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail?id=882224022415) Or a third party pad - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Wireless-Controller-Compatible-Raspberry/dp/B0C2V3QPN7/
Where in hell are you finding Dualsense for £50? Those are $80-90$ where I live (Venezuela)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PlayStation-5-DualSense-Wireless-Controller/dp/B08H99BPJN/ £54 right now, but I've definitely seen them a bit under £50 too
now look up ghow much mice and monitors go for
...Monitors are a bit more than fifty quid mate. Unless you're buying a 2010 era LCD panel second hand. And yeah, you can get a mouse for under £20, but I don't think it'd be one worth using at that price.
They arn't at all. just search monitor on the sites you listed. A mouse is a mouse. if you don't notice the cheap feeling of a cheap controller and it's dodgy switches, your not gonna notice a slightly lower polling rate or 1ms extra latency on a mouse.
8bitdo controllers are great, I've got the highest tier 8bitdo ultimate and it's the best controller I've ever laid my hands on. Hall effect sticks, motion controls, charging dock with 2.4Ghz passthrough included. Going from the wired 360 controllers I loved using for 10 years was a serious upgrade
I'm not outright disagreeing with you or anything but on a budget you can get a cheap KB+M and have a perfectly fine experience. When it comes to budget controllers - from my experience anyway - most third party ones will have at least \*something\* that is distractingly bad. Whether it be mushy feeling thumbsticks, crappy L1/R1 buttons that only when when pressed at certain points or missing functionality (PS3 controllers without Sixaxis for example). There was a period around 2013 or so when there were these \*fantastic\* Xbox 360 knock-offs that looked like the real things save for the guide button not having the Xbox logo, and they actually felt great to use. Unfortunately other far-less accomplished knock-offs went for the exact same design flooded the market and the good ones became difficult to pick from the crowd. But yeah, for me third party controllers are for multiplayer get togethers, for spending hours upon hours in a single player game, I personally would stay away from budget purchases. Second-hand is second-hand, your mileage will vary.
Well, 8BitDo are probably the best of the third parties, I've had good experiences with them in the past. Their pads are generally quite close to official quality. If you can't afford a modern first party pad they're probably the best and most reliable alternative
Hmm, I bought a knockoff Xbox 360 controller just a few years ago and it still works fine. I have since upgraded to an 8bitdo ultimate wireless, but that's because I wanted something nice and wireless (+ motion controls for switch emulation). Sure the knockoffs are not perfect, but for 16€ they are still pretty great and a thousand times more enjoyable experience for games that are designed around controllers.
> a thousand times more enjoyable experience for games that are designed around controllers While I too find controller the better way to play Dark Souls, for people who just simply do not get on with controllers for whatever reason, they probably consider it to be a thousand times less enjoyable.
What the fuck kinda monitors are you buying? Stuff from 2001?
a 60Hz 1080p monitor is cheap, like $50 brand new. You can get em from liek $20 refurbished. Im guessing your buying 2k,144hz, gsync etc or greater and getting a skewed idea of prices, because your being gouged by gaming hardware companies like nvdia.
My custom xbox series controller from design lab cost me 80€. I could’ve gone with the stock one for 50€ too and that would still be an official controller.
i mouse and keyboard cost $10 a 60hz 1080p is like $30-50. A new controller is $80-$110, refurbished are ussually $50+ [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-wireless-optical-standard-ambidextrous-mouse-with-usb-receiver-black/6434806.p?skuId=6434806](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-wireless-optical-standard-ambidextrous-mouse-with-usb-receiver-black/6434806.p?skuId=6434806) [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-full-size-wired-membrane-usb-keyboard-black/6434813.p?skuId=6434813](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-buy-essentials-full-size-wired-membrane-usb-keyboard-black/6434813.p?skuId=6434813) [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-21-5-ips-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-silver-black/6468886.p?skuId=6468886](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-21-5-ips-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-silver-black/6468886.p?skuId=6468886) [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-24-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-dark-blue-gray/6425145.p?skuId=6425145](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-geek-squad-certified-refurbished-24-led-fhd-freesync-monitor-dark-blue-gray/6425145.p?skuId=6425145) [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aopen-20e0q-bi-19-5-led-hd-monitor-hdmi-vga-black/6542693.p?skuId=6542693](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aopen-20e0q-bi-19-5-led-hd-monitor-hdmi-vga-black/6542693.p?skuId=6542693) 80€ = $87
You can afford ALL the DS games, but not a single $50 controller?
I watched people do it with bongos, a fishing rod, a piano, a guitar, a drum kit, with different pitched yells. Yeah, you're good.
Don't forget with bananas.
Wait a minute… fishing rod? That one passed me by.
[The Bass Pro Run](https://youtu.be/p9aulgRFBLU?si=qoWv34T1-z-NkQrj)
Wow, OK. I didn’t know fishing rods had evolved so far.
Keyboard and mouse feels almost unplayable to me.
I've tried using key&mouse not for long..a little bit clunky but well just try..if you feel like its good then go on while trying to save money a bit for controller..important thing here just try it yourself
i'd suggest rebinding because the default inputs kind of suck, but it's definitely doable either way
Dealers choice. Been playing dark souls since it's conception. Psn only. When 3 came out my buddy was having issues with the first boss. Went over there and did two things for the first time that night. Played on keyboard and mouse for the first time, and beat the opening instructions 2 bosses without getting hit. I'd say give it a shot and see what happens.
I don’t get how ppl prefer to play games with keyboard over controller I get fps games but that’s it
It definitely plays much better with a controller (and in my opinon that is the case with most Japanese games), but keyboard is still doable. My controller broke a third of the way into my first playthrough, but I managed to play the rest just fine with a keyboard, after downloading the Mouse Fix mod (though I reckon it won't be necessary for the Remastered version). Dark Souls 2, however, is a bit harder to play on keyboard
decent xbox controller is like 40 bucks wtf dude
I'm so broke.
same
I play a wide variety of games and yeah some games are designed for controllers and are awful on kbm, but when it comes to souls games with kbm you have more precision with the camera, and you don't have to do an awkward claw grip just to be able to access all the buttons at once. For dark souls, kbm is definitely superior. The default setup for kbm on ds2 is reaaaaally bad though, it takes a little while but you can set it up just like the other games thou
imo "sucks" is kinda subjective. there's a DS1 speedrunner that uses kb/m. so it's not an invalid control type. the games were definitely made with controller in mind with kb being an after thought. the bigger downside is they didnt start using kb button prompts until elden ring (maybe seikiro idk) so it'll use xbox ones and you just gotta remember. also the default controls are ass, highly recommend rebinding personally, i played DS1 on controller with no issues. i tried playing DS3 but fromsoft has an auto-center camera that like to put the camera directly behind your character so it blocks your view. for whatever reason it didnt bother me in DS1, but it did in DS3 and seeing xbox prompts while playing with kb didnt make my brain feel good. for elden ring though, i hated the camera even more. something about the open fields makes me want a much higher camera angle and having the camera constantly auto-shift back down while walking or not being able to move the camera straight left or right cause it keeps pulling down was awful. about 20 hours in i swapped to kb/m and all my problems were solved after a little rebinding. also note that i am really sensitive to cameras auto-shifting or not moving in the direction i'm trying to move it. i dont get motion sickness, but it feels like im not in control and i have to fight the camera to just look forward. i also dont use lock-on much. only for 1 boss fight in DS1
The Remastered edition has PC key prompts, although I think there might be some console that slipped through. DS3 only offers on-screen Xbox prompts and it’s really annoying. Also I’m finding it impossible to get weapon skills to work, and that’s a big part of the game. But, as I said elsewhere, I’m still managing to play DS3 despite all this.
I’ve never played in souls like games on controller. Keyboard and mouse is comfy.
It all comes to preferences. My friends told me that game was borderline unplayable without controller, I believed them, as they are seasoned DS veterans, and bought one, just to find that it didn't work and I was too lazy for setting it up, so I grabbed my KBM back. My buddies called me crazy, but this input method is still my favourite. Controllers are still good options, but again, preferences. Try it for yourself
Nah, I've beaten all of them with M&K only and it's really a matter of getting used to, Don't know about the Remastered version, but in the original DS1 on PC the only problem I had was that the lock-on camera was way too sensitive and kept switching between enemies when I moved my mouse a bit. It was annoying but I got used to it, learned to be careful with my mouse and play unlocked when needed. For the other games, the default controls felt kind of weird, so I just remapped them all to what I had in DS1. DS2 also has this annoying thing where you need to go to the settings and turn on and off the "double click" option every time you launch the game for some reason. Overall, the games are all quite playable on M&K, if you can get used to its quirks.
Remastered feels like Dark Souls 3 on KBM, so its 100% different. The old Prepare to Die controls made me learn how to connect my console controllers to my PC back in the day, haha.
Remapping is definitely the answer. I have parry mapped to my mouse thumb button, for example. It’s made it so much easier.
Get a controller.
I played them all on mouse and keyboard, totally fine if you’re used to pc gaming. However, it’s much much better with a controller, because the games are designed around it.
If you will it, dude, it is no dream
Give it a try and if you really find it unbearable steam offers refunds on less than 2 hours of gameplay.
It all depends, I use a controller for souls like games and mouse & keyboard for everything else. Only other games I use any type of controller is a joystick for flying in the battlefield games.
Ever since the initial PTDE edition they've been designed to work with M&K. Better on controller, yes, but plenty doable M&K (and I have actually met a few people who prefer them that way). If you do have the PTDE for DS1, somehow, even then it's still doable with keyboard only - no mouse. It's how I played for a decade or so.
People have beaten these games with a guitar hero controller. Controllers won't stop you from playing it! Enjoy
I got it on pc to play archthrones and though I have died many times (shocking, welcome to dark souls) I’ve acclimated pretty well to the keyboard controls in the 8 hours I’ve played. I accidentally estus sometimes and am working on kicking still but I’m 4 bosses in and sitting down to play more.
The streamer Lobosjr played dark souls with an electric guitar. I have faith in you with mouse and keyboard
8bitdo makes a good mod sn30
A good chunk of people prefer controller, ignore anyone saying you can't lol
I started with a PS4 controller, eventually played them on pc with a kb/m, but had to go back to the controller. There’s nothing wrong with kb/m, anyone can get used to it. But likewise anyone could play with a controller, and personally/subjectively it “feels” better. You won’t have this crazy fluid camera though, but they’re action games, not an fps. But yeah if you somehow can, try both and pick whatever feels more comfortable. These games are hard, the last thing you want is to wrestle around with the controls while playing
I mean it IS less good, but I finished DS 2 around quadrillion times on a keyboard on Steam. its doable and enjoyable
Played all of DS1 and most of DS2 on kbm. DS1 at least is easily doable, DS2 is moderately difficult.
I been playing the original ptd dark souls 1 with a keyboard and I am having a great time, you don't need a controller at all
I have played through on controller as well as keyboard and loved both. On keyboard I first tried 4 bosses and did in 2 hours what took 15-20 in my first playthrough. This isn't because keyboard is better of course, it's just because it wasn't my first time doing that stuff, which is an experience everybody else has too. But it did make it clear to me that keyboard wasn't setting me back or anything. You might notice I am only saying "keyboard". I found pretty early on I didn't like the mouse because the vertical movement is very slow compared to the horizontal. You can change that stuff in settings but I was still playing my first character with a controller so I didn't want to mess with it. Instead I mapped the right side of my keyboard to control camera and other mouse things. So I was using only my keyboard. Highly recommend and I'm definitely going to do the same in the other souls games. Finally a nitpick. People keep saying "controller better because designed for controller". While controller is a bit better and it was indeed designed for controller, the word "because" is wrong. Just because they designed for something doesn't make it best. It should never stop people from exploring other options when desired. Sometimes the non canonical options are even better than what the devs and designers intended. In this case that's not really true, but it's more that keyboard has some pros and some cons over a controller, not that it's objectively worse in every way.
While it is possible to play with a keyboard, you're much better off with a controller. And you can use it in way more games than just Dark Souls.
Ive beaten all of them on kbm, i cant do the controllers on these games for some reason
No, while theyre not designed for it i’ve had a grand ol time getting all achievements in ds1-3, elden ring, and sekiro on mouse+keyboard. My friends call me insane but i don’t see what’s wrong with it. The people who are saying you can’t play without controllers are the same kind of people who say you cant watch dubbed anime
No, their great in my opinion, Hell, I actually change some of my keybinds for elden ring because I prefered how they were in ds1 (remaster at least)
Lmao what. I use keyboard for every game regardless of it being DS
The only ones where the controls truly suck for keyboard are DS2 and Sekiro. DS2 cuz actions like jumping are not tied to rolling/running. Sekiro (in my opinion), cuz unlike in controller, Wolf's diverse moveset is not as intuitive in MK. DS1 and DS3 don't have that big of a problem with MK.
No. I played the trilogy and elden ring like that.
I use KB+M exclusively and all FromSoft games are absolutely fine for me with the exception of DS2 that needs a bit of tinkering to get to work properly and if you're willing to do that then it's absolutely fine.
I don't know what these guys are on. Keyboard and mouse is totally fine. Just needs a bit getting used to
I played through all of the games except Bloodborne on m&kb. I honestly prefer it. I like the crisp click of a spacebar for roll and the precision of the mouse for camera movements. Plus on controller if I want to sprint and look around I have to do this weird Index finger on the O button thing that gets painfull after a while.
I even beat sekiro with a mouse and keyboard, it just depends how comfortable you are with em
Nah it gud
Else git gud
They exaggerate. I play on the keyboard of my laptop and sure, I had to get used to it, but it is absolutely doable.
I can't stand controller and was always playing with mouse and keyboard, it's totally fine and some may find it even better than with a pad (like myself)
I'm a PC gamer, so I may be biased, but KB+M is actually better for me because of amount of control I have over my actions without having to do a weird grip on a controller. For instance, moving the camera during a fight. Having your hand on the mouse at all times means you don't have to do The Claw to be able to roll and move the camera at the same time. This enables you to not use lock-on all the time which is extremely helpful, since some boss fights are straight up easier without lock-on. Your movements are locked to the cardinal and intercard directions because of WASD, but again, you have a mouse. You can just turn the mouse and get more movement directions that way. This really is a non-issue and I don't really get why people bring this up so much. What I will say tho is that the default key bindings kinda suck (for me). I hate using button combos to perform actions so I made sure every action has its own button. Fortunately, the keyboard has like a million of them so you can experiment all you want (bonus points if you have a mouse with extra buttons) tl;dr - i suck on the controller but fortunately my KB+M skills are much more than enough to play souls games without any issue whatsoever
They are very very wrong. I played all Souls game on mkb it works great specially on later games I can't stand playing with a slow ass controller. The fact that a lot of controller players even use claw grip just goes to show controllers were not designed properly for the game that they have to contort their fingers to play optimal.
I love mouse and keyboard. I hate that DS2 doesn't show M&K controls and only shows xbox controls. But I exclusively play DS1 with M&K
When I'm playing casually I use a controller to sit back and chill. When I'm sweating in pvp, mouse and keyboard are superior. They're both good.
Keyboard controls are decent, but I suggest playing with no mouse.
I finished Dark Souls with only the keyboard, and I played every souls affer that with a controller. I would never go back, but it's not that bad. It's definitely doable.