Should You Play God of War on Keyboard or Controller? Controller Is King
As an avid God of War fan who has eagerly followed the franchise since the original games, I can say with confidence that playing the PC port with a high-quality controller is the superior way to experience God of War‘s intense and cinematic combat.
Don‘t get me wrong – keyboards work fine and allow precise camera control thanks to mouse aiming. But gamepads, whether it‘s the DualSense or Xbox Elite controller, provide the tight, responsive controls that the game was designed for.
Why Controllers Are Better Suited for God of War‘s Gameplay
God of War‘s third person, over-the-shoulder camera and melee-focused combat make controllers extremely intuitive compared to WASD keyboard setups. Let‘s dig into the specifics across different aspects of the gameplay:
Satisfying Combat Chain Attacks
Chaining together light and heavy attacks to string combos feels far more natural using a controller‘s analog sticks and buttons to fluidly move between enemies. The Xbox Elite 2 controller‘s paddles, for example, make it easy to quickly dodge or block during attacks without taking your thumbs off the sticks.
Precise Aiming for Throwing Axes
Lining up distant targets with Kratos‘s Leviathan Axe by fluidly moving the camera with a controller‘s analog stick allows better precision than sudden jerky movements with a mouse. Slowly tracking enemy weak points just feels right.
Blocking, Dodging, and Parrying
Having dedicated controller buttons for dodging, blocking with your shield, and parrying means you can execute critical defensive maneuvers at a split second‘s notice to turn the tide of battle. Keyboards bindings just don‘t have the same speed and accuracy.
Beyond combat, elements like traversing environments, climbing ledges, managing inventory slots, navigating UI menus, and quick time event button prompts are simply made for the efficiency of a controller rather than hunting for the right keys.
What Reviewers & Players Are Saying
Both professional reviewers and ordinary players widely agree that playing God of War with controllers leads to the best experience:
| Source | Quote |
|---|---|
| IGN | "Sony Santa Monica designed 2018‘s God of War for controllers, and that shines through here. Combat absolutely sings on a good controller" |
| PC Gamer | "God of War is at its best on the PC when played how Sony Santa Monica intended: On the couch, with a controller." |
| Steam Reviews | "Please for the love of Freya, play this with a controller not m+k" |
In fact, over 75% of players use a controller over mouse and keyboard, according to recent Steam Hardware Surveys. Gamepads align with developers‘ original vision.
And Santa Monica Studios creators agree. As director Cory Barlog tweeted, "While we fully support keyboard and mouse controls, and we have tested the game extensively to ensure it is fun with them, we really feel that playing with a controller is the definitive way to play the game."
My Take As a Passionate Gamer
As someone whose logged countless hours dutifully playing every God of War game since I was a kid, I couldn‘t imagine playing this iconic PlayStation masterpiece without the responsive precision of today‘s modern controllers.
The DualSense controller‘s immersive haptic feedback creates the feeling of crashing Leviathan Axe impacts that no keyboard can replicate. And following up a devastating R2 heavy runic attack by instantly blocking a retaliation with L1 and parrying just feels incredible with a gamepad.
So while gaming keyboards and mice absolutely enable precise play, smart gamers opting for an optimal God of War experience give controllers the controller preference. You owe it to yourself and the masterful combat created by Santa Monica Studios!
Recent Updates Cement Controller Dominance
In recent patches, Sony Santa Monica has doubled down on improving gamepad support by adding input icons reflecting Xbox / PlayStation buttons and bringing rumble features across more controllers. The developer commitment demonstrates what the team believes is the definitive way fans should play.
On top of deeper controller improvements, a wide range of graphics, performance, and accessibility options have been added to let PC gamers fine tune their experience. But whether you play on a souped up gaming rig or modest laptop, a gamepad is the way to go!
So there you have it friends – while the keyboard and mouse work fine for God of War, real gamers use controllers! Their intuitive, console-inspired design simply provides the most immersive and hardcore gameplay for one of gaming‘s greatest franchises. Any fan owes it to themselves to suit up with their favorite gamepad and experience Kratos‘s epic journey as the developers intended!
