The Crusader Kings 3 console release date has been revealed, and so has how you'll play the massive thing without a keyboard and mouse.
A new video for the grand strategy game's PS5 and Xbox Series X and S versions confirms it's coming on March 29, with an overhauled interface to make ruling your kingdom just as effective from a couch as it is from a desk. In the video, Lab42 technical director Terry Goodwin talks about the "huge challenge" in bringing the sprawling Crusader Kings experience to console audiences - which has led the studio to call it an adaptation rather than a port.
"Many [console ports of mouse-driven PC games] use a virtual cursor or something like that," Goodwin explains. "But talking to users and players, we found that navigating menus with the D-pad is a more pleasurable experience for a console player than having to use a virtual cursor. Because of that we've had to redesign all the menus in the game so that you can get that tactile feedback of going up and down the list on a D-pad "
Crusader Kings 3 also makes special use of the DualSense controller, with one example being how you'll feel more resistance on the adaptive triggers as the burden of leadership heaps more stress on characters. The Crusader Kings 3 PS5 port also uses the Activities and Game Help sections to offer new players a leg up as they begin their reign.
We may be in the middle of a mainstream strategy renaissance, as Respawn is collaborating with ex-XCOM developers on a Star Wars strategy game.
