I've played about 4 hours of PS:T:EE already now, exclusively with the controller. Here are some quick musings and thoughts.
It works well.
It feels "right". Part of that, I'm sure, is because I'm used to the controller now. I use it as a desktop mouse as well now, so I've gotten to really love the right trackpad "trackball" mouse. I just mapped four of the Function keys to the face buttons. I have to add the 5th before I forget.
It just seems to work fine. The keyboard is still a little wonky, but that's user error. I haven't taken the time yet to get good with the Steam in-game keyboard thing. You can use the 2 trackpads + right trigger to type, but I end up just using the analog stick to select each letter and then confirm them with the A button. It works for saving the game and also searching the journal, and is not too tedious or anything. If you get good with the Steam keyboard it is likely even faster.
Everything else I just control with the mouse. The goal of this control scheme was just to keep it simple. I usually just use the mouse to click icons in a game like this, even when I'm on PC. So I apply that same style to the controller. I'll list the controls to see if anyone has ideas for what else could be mapped.
So far, these are the keys I've mapped to the controller:
F1, F2, F3, F4 (will add F5 after posting this)
Priest Spells (P), Mage Spells (W)
Camera movement with the analog stick
Quickloot
Toggle Combat Log on/off
TAB Highlight (hold to highlight)
Toggle Walk/Run (click analog stick)
Zoom In/Out (mouse wheel scroll up/down)
Journal
Inventory
Character Sheet
Map
Attack Toggle (Attack Mode, "Normal" mode)
Right click, left click (mouse function)
Select All Characters
Quick Save
Pause (Spacebar)
Bring up the Steam keyboard (for typing, save files, searching the journal, etc.)
And I think that's it. I want to keep it simple so you can play the game without having to re-map any of the controls in the game itself. Since the game offers advanced functions, like button presses to Cast Spell, or Toggle AI, etc., the user can decide if they want or need that on the controller. This is just the basic "You can play the game 100% fine" control scheme.
Do... you seriously think it's better than keyboard and mouse or are you just trying to justify your expensive purchase?
Because your review sounds more like the latter.
Hardly trying to justify my purchase. I love the controller as I've said already.
I would not say it's "better" than anything. I'd say that it makes games that normally would require keyboard and mouse to play, fully functional with a controller. They are enjoyable to play with a controller, and the versatility and functionality of it make it useful outside of gaming, too (been using it as my primary input mouse device the past few days.)
I think the controller feels phenomenal. There is something about having a trackball mouse function controlled by your thumb that is just satisfying as hell to use. And the mouse clicks with the trigger are lovely as well. Besides that, I like making control schemes with the controller. I think it's much easier to use than a keyboard and mouse for some games. Keyboards can be hard to see in the dark, if you're playing a game that has a bevy of hotkeys and keyboard commands, it can be rough. I have a decent backlit keyboard, but while using the controller I never once have to glance down to see what key I'm pressing, or hunt for a key in any way. So in that regard I would say that it's superior to a keyboard.
It's really however you want to play and what you want to use. But I can honestly say that all my gaming going forward will be done with the Steam Controller. I am going to be retiring the mouse and keyboard.
