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Valve Shows Off Strategy, First-Person, And Mouse-Driven Steam Controller Gameplay

by Mike Futter on Oct 11, 2013 at 08:31 AM

The Steam Controller is different than the gamepads we are used to using with consoles. The trackpads are designed to mimic mouse movement with additional, mappable functions intended to give users access to keyboard functions.

Unfortunately, when Valve first announced the controller, there was no example of how it might actually look in use, nor were there hands-on impressions from developers or media. The company is trying to rectify that, and we've highlighted some developer responses to the device (which have largely been positive).

Now, we finally get to see how the Steam Controller is used in four different titles: Portal, Civilization V, Counter-Strike GO, and Papers, Please. You can check out the video below.

 

Our Take
I'm slowly warming to the idea of the Steam Controller, but I'm not sold yet. I still want to see a multiplayer match in an FPS with a Steam Controller user hanging in with mouse and keyboard players. 

I also don't see the Civilization V map-scrolling demo as the best way to show off how the game works with a strategy. There is so much more to that game than just scrolling around the map.

I'm eager to see more of these videos and actually hold and use one of these. Valve still has a way to go to sell me on this, and this video is a good first step.