In Larian’s big AMA for its next RPG, Divinity, there were aspects of the game the studio wasn’t ready to share, but we got a definitive answer to a surprisingly granular aspect of its controls: No WASD movement, everything will still be mouse-driven on PC.
User Plastic-Guarantee976 posed the question about keyboard controls—similar to the ones in Dragon Age or Knights of the Old Republic—in the AMA, pointing out that “the WASD movement mod was one of the most downloaded and beloved mods for Baldur’s Gate 3.” Divinity gameplay lead Artem Titov did not leave any room for doubt, replying with a simple “No.”
Presumably, Divinity’s M&K control scheme will closely hew to Baldur’s Gate 3’s then, though hopefully with a similar jump in quality as the one between Original Sin 2 and BG3. On the one hand, it’s surprising to see Larian shoot down such a popular feature so far in advance of release, especially since such driving controls will be built into the game anyway for controller support on both PC and console.
The PC is all about choice and flexibility, after all, so why am I not bothered? Perhaps it’s easy for me to say, having never touched the WASD mod, but these days I appreciate when a developer of any size sticks to its guns on questions of design or preference, even if it means refusing to give players what they say they want. It’s the FromSoftware special, a certain “I know better” imperious remove that refuses to cater to the tastes of a fleeting moment, which I find can result in something more timeless.
Of course, when Nintendo does the same thing it just pisses me off, so I’m clearly biased and you should take my assessment with a grain of salt. If you’re one of those annoyed by this, then rest easy anyway: WASD movement support will undoubtedly be among the first mods for Divinity. And I am glad that Larian is responding to one vector of popular pressure and taking its criticism for AI use seriously.
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