Dark Souls - a series of RPG games, which is characterized by increased complexity. Japanese developers have made the players have no right to make a mistake. A few missed hits result in the death of the character. And some bosses can destroy you on one sweep. The role-playing game was released on consoles and then ported to a PC. This caused serious keyboard control issues in Dark Souls. In this article we will talk about this feature of the series.
First part
The first part of the series went on sale in 2011 on the previous generation consoles, and a year later the developers released a special version for personal computers. It was increased complexity, added new items, locations and several bosses. The only thing the creators reacted to later was the keyboard controls in Dark Souls. Most unprepared players, having launched this RPG on a computer for the first time, may be shocked. The console control was adapted so poorly and inconveniently that for normal gameplay it is easier to get a gamepad.
It is also worth noting that in the game settings menu there is no display of keys and actions for which they are responsible. At first, the players had to experimentally find out what each button is responsible for. In addition, you won’t succeed in assigning a new control via the standard game menu - this will require fan modifications or a reissue, which was released only in 2018, 7 years after the original was released.
By default, the keyboard layout chosen by the developers is very strange and illogical. Using a patch to change the layout, it is best to bring control to a more standard form for computer games. For example, you can set the character’s movement to WASD keys, and strong and weak strokes to the mouse buttons. Since Dark Souls often has to drink Estus (healing potion), it is best to assign this action to an available key. For example, you can select additional mouse buttons, if any, or assign an action to E, Q, F, or the nearest buttons.
Also, when setting up keyboard controls in Dark Souls, we recommend that you pay attention to the hero's parry and rolls. You will actively use these actions throughout the passage, so do not remove the keys from the standard arrangement of hands. For example, a roll can be assigned to the space bar.
Another problem is turning the camera with the mouse. To bring sensitivity and inversion in order, also install an additional patch or download an extended reprint.
Second part
The second part of the series also appeared first on consoles, and then migrated to personal computers. Together with improved graphics in the new version with add-ons, players received more adapted controls. Now, in the settings menu, you can specify the keys as desired. In addition, when assigning buttons, you will see the real name of the key.
However, the port on computers was also not quite smooth. Despite the fact that the problem with the control settings in the game menu itself was resolved, the inconvenience during the gameplay did not go away. It is worth noting that to save the changed layout you need to click on Backspace, and not on Esc. Do not forget this moment during game setup, so as not to assign all the keys again.
As in the case with the previous part, gamers had to wait for updates and modifications, with which you can improve keyboard controls in Dark Souls 2. There is Dark Souls Script, which fixes most of the bugs and inaccuracies associated with the camera and the combat system on the computer. For the patch to work, you need AutoHotkey, which can be downloaded for free on the Internet. In the game itself, you need to reset all the layout settings to default, and then assign the keys as you like. To enable or disable the script, use F12. In principle, this is all that is required for a comfortable passage of Dark Souls 2 on a personal computer without spending a bunch of nerves.
The third part
To the last (at the moment) part of the series, the developers tried to transfer to a PC. Now you can go through the game without detailed settings for yourself or connecting a gamepad. In Dark Souls 3, the keyboard controls for convenience are no different from any other game that was originally developed for this platform. All you need to do is set up convenient keys in the settings and select the desired mouse sensitivity.
Conclusion
From the first to the third part, a serious evolution of the role-playing game is visible. In terms of genre and structure, the game remains the same, but noticeable work on graphics, optimization and high-quality transfer from consoles. Now you know how keyboard controls work in Dark Souls.