If you’ve only recently discovered The Witcher 3 thanks to the next-gen update, you might not have noticed that there are two control schemes — standard and alternative. To complicate matters, “alternative” is the default control scheme. So, we will explain what the difference is between standard and alternative movement controls in The Witcher 3.
Alternative Movement Makes Geralt a Little Easier to Control in The Witcher 3
The difference is that the alternative movement scheme, which was patched into the game post-release, makes protagonist Geralt much easier to control and quicker to turn around. That’s not to say that standard movement is awful, but he has a fraction more inertia in that mode, lending a more weighty and realistic feel to Geralt — to the detriment of reactivity and player control.
That doesn’t make a huge difference in combat, but it’s noticeable when you’re roaming the world. With the alternative scheme, Geralt turns almost immediately, compared to a tiny delay when using standard controls.
It’s worth switching to standard movement just to experience the difference, but the fact that The Witcher 3 defaults to alternative controls suggests that developer CD Projekt Red views that movement scheme as superior.
Ultimately, it comes down to player preference as to whether you select standard or alternative movement. Do you value more realistic heft to movement? Or do you prefer snappy and responsive controls?
However, how you actually go about switching movement schemes is not as obvious as you might think. You’ll need to go to the Options menu either in-game or from the main menu. But it’s not in the “controller scheme” menu, even though it makes sense that it should be. Instead, select “Gameplay” and you’ll see a “Movement Response” setting. Select that option and press left and it’ll switch to standard. Press right and it’ll switch to alternative. Load up a game or jump back in if you’re currently playing, and you’ll get to experience the new movement scheme in action.
That’s everything you need to know about the difference between standard and alternative movement controls in The Witcher 3.
