Hello, this is Guidus Zero!
Welcome to our third Dev Interview!
Today, we're diving into the behind-the-scenes story of how the controller system in Guidus Zero was designed.
"Can a keyboard and a controller—two so different—deliver the same fun and immersion?"
That question has been one of the team's biggest and longest-running challenges.
Rather than simply remapping buttons, we wanted to create an experience that feels smooth and consistent no matter what input device you use.
Today, we're sharing the trial-and-error, key design decisions, and development journey that led to the current control system—straight from the dev team's perspective.
How Did We Build That Controller Feel?
🔵 Our top priority was to ensure a consistent control experience across devices.
We wanted every player to feel the same responsiveness and rhythm—whether they were using a keyboard or a gamepad.
To achieve this, we focused on the similarity between keyboard directional keys and the Directional Pad on controllers.
From there, we designed a D-Pad-centric control system to reduce any sense of disconnect between platforms.
Of course, the physical limitations of controllers meant we couldn't match the responsiveness of a keyboard.
However, instead of just speeding up the game and giving keyboard users an advantage, we focused on finding the ideal tempo that also felt smooth and natural for controller users.
🔵 From the start, the controller was our benchmark.
Had we built the game around the lightning-fast input speed of keyboards, it would've become overwhelmingly fast.
That kind of pace would've made gameplay uncomfortable—especially for controller users who don't have as many input options.
We didn't want that kind of imbalance.
That's why we based the game's core tempo around the controller from the beginning.
This approach helped us deliver a more consistent and enjoyable experience across both PC and console environments.
🔵 The hardest part wasn’t button mapping—it was reinterpreting the experience.
Technically, mapping keyboard functions to a controller isn't that difficult. But that alone wouldn't have been enough.
The way keyboards allow you to intuitively use multiple keys at once, compared to the rhythm-based feel of controllers with fewer buttons—they’re fundamentally different.
Our biggest challenge was finding a way to preserve the tactile feel of a controller while still delivering the comfort and fluidity of a keyboard.
Striking that balance was the core of our design journey.
🔵 The moment we realized dev intuition didn't match the player's experience.
The early builds we tested internally had attack speeds and animations that were nearly twice as slow as they are now.
We thought, "This feels about right."
But our external testers were brutally honest: "It’s too sluggish."
We boosted the speed by 30%—still no change in feedback.
Another 30%—still not enough.
Finally, we doubled the original speed, and only then did players start saying, "Now it feels good."
That's when we realized something important. As developers, we had grown used to the game's tempo over time.
But players—especially new ones—craved fast, snappy, and satisfying control right from the start. That insight was backed up by honest feedback and data.
🔵 Want to experience Guidus Zero’s controls at their best?
If you have a gamepad, we highly recommend giving it a try.
The control feel and the weighty impact of combat were both designed to shine in a controller environment.
The game is definitely fun with a keyboard, too—but with a controller, you might just discover an entirely new dimension of enjoyment.
That wraps up this behind-the-scenes look at how we built the Guidus Zero control system.
If you've been enjoying the game, a warm and honest review on our store page means the world to us.
We're also always happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions!
Thanks as always for being on this journey with us. 🙏
We'll be back with more stories in the next Dev Interview!