Once you get into Crimson Desert, there's one fateful choice that determines how enjoyable your experience will be. In a game with as many features as Pearl Abyss' latest release, we're looking at whether you use the keyboard and mouse setup or a controller.

To begin with, this isn't your usual Pearl Abyss MMO game. There are a bunch of mechanics, and each of them is important to fully experience the game. Whether we're talking about the sword combos, the martial arts, or the magic that you learn along the way.

This is where most players think the keyboard and mouse win out: the abundance of buttons. While players can map out different abilities, the keyboard and mouse setup has one major drawback.

When you're trying to use all these features together, especially in combat, it doesn't mesh well with the mouse and keyboard. This is mainly because the mouse dictates the heavy/light weapon attacks, while the kicking/punching mechanisms are mapped to the keyboard. 

That's why the controller seems like a good bet. Firstly, the ergonomics of a controller work far better for carrying out denser combinations and sequences in-game. This results in a more fluid combat experience.

The transition from melee to parries to grapples is much easier to interchange with a controller. The proximity of each button, coupled with the utility of the triggers in executing moves, means that movement remains fluid, too.

However, devs think these will be short-term problems.

That's Because Pearl Abyss Is Already Working on A Patch To Fix Complaints

The devs at Pearl Abyss have been clear about feedback: they welcome it and they want more. Even in the build-up to the game's release, they had YouTubers and other reviewers in a Discord channel to discuss things the team could improve.

This was also true for feedback on the keyboard and mouse controls. They even released a statement.

"Since launch, we have been listening closely to your feedback and doing our best to make improvements to the game. In particular, we are aware of the discomfort many players have experienced with the controls, and we are currently preparing a patch to address this. We also want to apologize for not providing keyboard and mouse players with a satisfactory gameplay experience."

And if you were confused about why some controls feel like they're placed at unusual buttons (pressing X/A to sprint on console), Will Powers, PR and marketing director at Pearl Abyss, had an answer.

"Think of it like riding a bike, it comes naturally after you learn it. Just takes a minute... I'm agreeing with you, saying that it takes time to learn, but it comes naturally after you do."

After all, it took us some time to learn Red Dead Redemption 2's controls, and it worked out well. We might see something similar.

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Written by

Nisarga Aseem Barkule

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar