Dark Souls controls have ruined action games beyond Soulslikes
A gaming writer has criticized the industry-wide adoption of Dark Souls’ control scheme across action games, in which R1/RB triggers light attacks, R2 executes heavy attacks, and X performs a dodge maneuver. The author contends this standardization has become excessive and problematic.
The trend became increasingly apparent at the start of the current console generation, with games like Godfall—a colorful “looter-slasher” exclusive to PlayStation 5 from developer Counterplay Games—adopting this layout. While the author initially tolerated the scheme in individual titles, they argue that widespread industry adoption represents unwanted homogenization of action game design, particularly regarding the placement of attack inputs on shoulder buttons rather than traditional face buttons.
The piece raises questions about whether industry standardization around Dark Souls’ control conventions is truly beneficial, or whether action games would better serve players with more diverse input configurations and design approaches.