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“We definitely work from the controller” – Gears of War 4 is balanced for controller first

Gears of War 4

We’ve missed out on most of the series, but Gears of War is finally coming back to PC with the fourth game in the series. It’s still very much a console game first, however, so maybe it’s time for you to pick up the controller. 

There’s a lot more buried beneath the surface in our list of upcoming PC games.

“We definitely work from the controller out,” Ryan Cleven, Gears of War 4’s lead multiplayer designer told IGN. “We do play [with] mouse and keyboard, but the core of the game is around a controller.”

Quite a lot of PC gamers do prefer to play third-person games with a pad anyway, thanks to comfort and being able to adjust walking speed and move more freely. However, there are some that will stick to mouse and keyboard for the precision aim it offers. That might not give you the advantage you expect when playing online in Gears of War 4 though.

“I don’t think that we would say that we have one of the other as the priority; they’re both really important to us.” Cleven explained. “But, we have to make sure that the controller experience, which has been the legacy of the game, is definitely perfect.”

Obviously The Coalition are keeping Xbox One and PC players apart for the main competitive modes, but it will be up to PC players if they want to use controller or mouse and keyboard, making it more difficult a balancing act. With controller coming first, I’d expect a bit more aim assistance to keep the playing field as even as possible.