Games that play better with a mouse and keyboard

[Neb Lleb]

So, recently, my attempts to fix my OG Xbox backfired horribly, so with my console down, I'm relying on emulation and native PC ports for some of the games I loved playing on it. And, honestly, some of these games play a lot better on PC with KB&M controls.

For example: One game that I enjoy that most people don't is Enter the Matrix, a solid, albeit janky video game adaptation of The Matrix Reloaded, the second entry in the larger Matrix trilogy (Yes, trilogy. There were only three instalments. don't look any further into it.) On console, the game used a control scheme reminiscent of Tomb Raider: You move circularly and use a lock-on feature to strafe around enemies. This control scheme was dated on release, and is one of the reasons why critics received it lukewarmly. On PC however, the controls are that of a typical modern Third Person Shooter, and it works great. Upon beginning a new playthrough, I was blown away by how much smoother the WASD controls felt compared to the lock-on controls of the console. It's so much more easy to control protagonist Niobe and her sidekick Ghost this way, and I feel like PC is the way to go here, even though I got my arse handed on my first attempt due to me playing on hard mode.

However, for games which didn't get a PC port, there's a third party software called Mouse Injector which works with emulators like Dolphin, and that brings me to TimeSplitters 2 and Future Perfect, the best console FPSs of the sixth generation that aren't Halo 1 & 2. I played a lot of these games on my OG Xbox ever since I got an HDMI adapter, and I was quite sad to part with them physically. Downloading Dolphin emulator, the Mouse Injector software, and isos of both games from Vimm's wound up being a lifesaver for me, as I can still get my TimeSplitters fix with the added precision of mouse aiming. So far I've been playing the addictive challenge and arcade league modes of both games (with plans for campaign) and I've been having way too much fun doing so with my custom KB&M config and Mouse Injector. It honestly gives TimeSplitters new life, and it's probably the best way to play. Well, provided you have a strong enough PC.
But that's just a few. I know there are plenty of games that play better with KB&M controls from back in the day, and I'd like to hear more.

 

[MattyMatters]

You'd have to be more specific to get good recommendations, because I would argue that any PC game is better played with mouse and keyboard. FPS, MMOs, strategy and simulation games, RPGs, pretty much everything I play is better that way.

 

[Neb Lleb]

You'd have to be more specific to get good recommendations, because I would argue that any PC game is better played with mouse and keyboard. FPS, MMOs, strategy and simulation games, RPGs, pretty much everything I play is better with a mouse and keyboard.

Games that were designed for consoles that got PC ports or anciliary software intended for emulators.

 

[MajesticSiN]

Any first and third person shooter is just way better with mouse and keyboard.

 

[sneakyguts]

phantasy star online

 

[Stookymalarkey]

Max Payne 3. I played it on PS3 first, but the PC version felt better to play due to the better accuracy with a mouse. It's definitely a game where you'd expected to land headshots constantly, otherwise enemies can feel bullet spongy.

 

[moonbits]

Any CRPG or RTS.

 

[Badseed Badseed]

Stay away from FPS. I've grown accustomed to controllers, I don't want to go back to WASD and mouse

 

[thetwaz]

Stay away from FPS. I've grown accustomed to controllers, I don't want to go back to WASD and mouse

View attachment 118791

I still prefer WASD, but do find playing them on controllers more fun than I used to. Most of the AAA multiplats I have played in the last decade or so I have played on controller.

In terms of the original question, the recent (fan made) PC port of Perfect Dark is pretty fun on KBM. Both that and Goldeneye were obviously designed though with auto aim and controllers in mind.

 

[KirboDeku]

Forsaken for the PlayStation.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Any point and click, tried to play Monkey Island 4 in PS2 and i won't recomend it to my worst enemy

 

[RetroZero]

I feel like a lot of 2D Arcade games actually play better on a keyboard than on a joystick. When i was practicing for my Metal Slug 1cc (before i bought an arcade stick) i was playing on a PS4 controller and felt like i wasn't performing like i should due to input issues. After i switched to the keyboard i felt a huge difference in the precision of my jumps and aiming with the Heavy Machinegun and the Slug Tank.

If i had to choose, i'd play with the Arcade Stick anyday, but the keyboard is an excellent substitute for it. There's actually some really good Tekken players that play on a keyboard. It's really good for precise directional inputs. It just takes a while to get used to it.

 

[nobitakun]

First person horror games or ANYTHING.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Any first and third person shooter is just way better with mouse and keyboard.

I second this SO HARD.

Everyone loves to talk about how much better Doom engine games are with mouse support, but it always felt wrong to me, like steering with my elbows.

It's janky and so unbelievably awkward...

 

[Stookymalarkey]

Any point and click, tried to play Monkey Island 4 in PS2 and i won't recommend it to my worst enemy

Clock Tower on SFC feels like that to me. If you're not using the mouse attachment (emulator or physical), it just feels sluggish to control.

 

[thetwaz]

Any point and click, tried to play Monkey Island 4 in PS2 and i won't recomend it to my worst enemy

Generally P&C adventures, RPGs and strategy games (real time and turn based, with the exception perhaps of Advance Wars) always play better on the mouse and keys. There's a reason they're called 'point and click' and not 'move and press'!

I second this SO HARD.

Everyone loves to talk about how much better Doom engine games are with mouse support, but it always felt wrong to me, like steering with my elbows.

It's janky and so unbelievably awkward...

I think it really depends how you played them first. If you got used to WASD and mouse while playing Half-Life or Quake, then gamepads feel inaccurate and primitive. If you got used to gamepad playing with Goldeneye or Halo, maybe it's the same - it's about whether you're used to using your whole arm or just your thumb.

 

[Bakuma1997]

On a side note, Pre GTA IV GTA feels better on PC, especially the Sidequests or missions that need precise aiming (Looking at those Rampages in III that need you to specifically aim at the heads with a recoil heavy gun)

 

[Stookymalarkey]

On a side note, Pre GTA IV GTA feels better on PC, especially the Sidequests or missions that need precise aiming (Looking at those Rampages in III that need you to specifically aim at the heads with a recoil heavy gun)

The San Andreas turret sections definitely feels like they needed more precision than a DualShock 2 stick could've offered.