I play on PC using a USB Xbox controller, and these are some of my thoughts (some are changes that would perhaps only suit me, but I'd like to know whether other controller players find some controls difficult):
Overall, it plays well, and is intuitive after getting used to WQ2.7 (I played WQ3 first), but some controls could be improved. I really appreciate controller support.
Gait (left stick, right trigger to sprint, and right bumper to modify speed)
With a controller stick, you have two speeds: half forward and full forward. Normally, these are jogging and running, and you can hold down another button to sprint (or tap to set full sprint). You can modify the gait by holding down another button, which gives you stalking (half forward) and walking (full forward).
I would find it much more useful to have a button to toggle the default gait through walking, jogging, and running, because if you want to just casually jog through the landscape, it's not very comfortable to hold the stick at half-forward. I think the sprint button works well, and holding down a button to stalk is also good. I would suggest left stick click to toggle gaits.
Jumping (left stick click)
I find this is an unusual button choice - on a controller, jumping is nearly always Button A or Y. Jumping doesn't have any significant effect on the game, but it would feel more natural to have it on Button Y to me. Currently, Button Y is used to toggle through the sitting poses, and held to sleep. I would like it if, when the wolf is in motion, Button Y also means jump. I have pressed Y by accident mid-fleeing from stranger wolves, and it stops you dead in your tracks to sit down.
Photo mode (D-pad Down)
I really don't like this placement, because the D-pad is on the left of the controller, and you can't use your left thumb to activate photo mode while also using the left stick to move. I would really prefer if photo mode was moved to the Start Button Menu, since that pauses the game anyway. I would like to save the D-pad to have quicker access to more emotes.
Emotes (D-pad Up to open the menu, D-pad Right for favourite emote)
The range of emotes is lovely, but this menu is hard to use (but getting better) with a controller, and takes too long during hunts and fights. The clock-face layout is very difficult to select from accurately. These are two changes I think would make it much easier with a controller:
- Opening the Emote Panel pauses time so that you can select the right emote without getting killed
- Change the layout from a clock-face to something similar to the Fable 2 Spells menu
- D-pad Up to open the menu (pauses time)
- D-pad Left/Right to move between body parts to select Tail
- D-pad Up/Down to move between the available Tail emotes to select Very Confident
- Button A to select the emote, which also closes the emote menu and unpauses time
D-pad Right for a favourite emote is great - if Photo Mode was moved to the Start Button Menu, I would love a second favourite emote, so I could have Growl and Very Confident Tail mapped for quick use. These are for fights and hunting, when you need the quickest access - Courtship emotes are fine by the full emote menu.