The run button is out of control

Almost any modern game you can name, button held down to go faster than the full tilt of the analog stick. Other hold function that might have been assigned therefore impossible. That button nearly always used for dodge, since full run is logical extension of dodge, but means every game is now way more about dodging and it's not enough to move around and position yourself well with the stick anymore. Attacks track you anyway, because they really want you to use that run button. Some of these games don't even let you jump, because RPG elements in everything means one of the other face buttons already dedicated to item pick up or use. Usually face button is run, meaning camera can't be as easily and comfortably manipulated. Additional features then need to be inserted to balance this full run: stamina, fog walls that keep you in the fight, stamina... But in nearly all of them player can still sprint past/around all the enemies, because run button is that OP.

yeah I think you are getting at a real endemic design problem. I guess KB/M being a viable alternative doesn't help as it's digital movement only so you have digital default speed plus a "run" speed on top of that. In theory analog control should just be the full range of movement.

I guess the design issue is, there is a want for a fastest default speed while having your full tool get (ie a moderate jog while holding onto your gun at the hip ready to fire) vs a full sprint where your weapons are holstered and both hands are used just to pump as you sprint as fast and as loud as you can. No muscle energy can be expended on aiming or shooting.

I would like an option to always run. Very rarely do I want to walk in a game.

Ya it really depends on the game. If it’s a fighting game for example, the character tends to get tired. i.e. ultimate mortal kombat 3.

Even in NBA Jam the character gets tired.

For 3D games it’s much harder to measure. But some of the games I’ve played have the player not infinitely go on. The player gets tired, which I really appreciated, because the developer took care to input that in the game.

Rarely is there a legit "walk" option; it generally seems to be jog, and then sprint.

Plenty of exceptions, of course, but I feel like that is sort of the standard.

So I guess the question is: do developers need to make the default jog speed in their games faster? I feel like if they did that you might explore areas too quick, beat the game too quick haha. It also might feel like an arena shooter, where movement speed is generally faster than most games.

I love the press L3/R3 to sprint mechanics. Its great.

Stick sensitivity movement speed is where it's always been at. Hell my keyboard has button press sensitivity as well... so bring it back as the standard.

I like the old games where the default was run and you held down a button for walk.

This is the only correct statement... None of us wanted to walk in video games to begin with....walking as default serves modern cutscene gaming. Which is inferior. .

old games like 15 year old games have run/sprint buttons lol.

they are no longer modern.

Are you talking about games with digital navigation? Then of course. No reason not to have walk in a game with analog navigation. Yes, default walking like in GTA is way worse than what I complained about.

I love the GTA and Red Dead Redemption games where you have to break your A/X button.

I would say my enjoyment of red dead 2 went down by 20 percent because of the slow lumbering walking with beautiful animations and zero enjoyment factor.

Is this another case where Sonic had it right and Mario had it wrong?

Someone told me to name fifty. If I look at my modern games and their sequels and try to list just the ones that have a run button (ignoring the other things I talked about, which vary more.), it's almost all of them. Will name button inputs even for games that play better with a KB/M for consistency. Won't list first person game, as that will complicate it too much.

• Metal Gear Solid V
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Batman: Arkham Asylum*
• Batman: Arkham City*
• Batman: Arkham Knight*
• Batman: Arkham Origins*
• Demon's Souls
• Dark Souls
• Dark Souls II
• Bloodborne
• Dark Souls III
• Sekiro
• Elden Ring
• The Last of Us (button L2)
• The Last of Us, Part II
• Tomb Raider
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Returnal
• Grand Theft Auto series*
• Red Dead Redemption series*
• Days Gone (L3)
• God of War 2018 (L3)
• God of War: Ragnarok
• Marvel's Spider-Man
• A Plague Tale
• Astral Chain (L3)
• Death Stranding
• Callisto Protocol
• Control
• Echo (IIRC)
• The Evil Within (L1)
• Hellblade (L1 or L2)
• Horizon: Zero Dawn (Come to think of it, L3 to sprint is likely mandated by Sony.)
• Little Nightmares (left face button)
• Mad Max (R2)
• Max Payne 3 (I don't know which button it is. Only play this with KB/M.)
• Metal Gear Rising (R1)
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War
• Nioh
• Nioh 2 (Dodge and sprint on bottom face button.)
• Quantum Break (L1)
• Sable
• Resident Evil 6 (But RE always had a run button.)
• Sleeping Dogs
• Sniper Elite (L3)
• Spec Ops: The Line (Sprint button shared with cover and context sensitive actions. Can't remember what this mediocre game plays like, but this sounds gross.)
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (L3)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• The Takeover and Fight'N Rage (Double-tap direction, like in River City Ransom and declined Streets of Rage 3.)
• The Division (L3)
• Watch Dogs (R2)
• Vampyr (Right face button is dodge and sprint.)
• Vanquish (IIRC)
• The Witcher 3 (Hold bottom face button to sprint.)
• Infamous: Second Son
• Nier: Automata (dodge button)

• Dragon's Dogma

*Even worse because default movement is walk.

Also becoming more common because worlds are getting bigger and emptier.

@warm_gun: I wonder how many reviews listed this as a negative?

@girlusocrazy: Reviewers are worthless. Rarely go deep like I do. Only listen to me.

AI isn't up to the task either. Bad at pursuing and working together to cut you off. Which is why I said sprint is OP (usually).

Someone thought my list was too long, so I looked into games I haven't played for a few more. Will not name other games from series already in the first list. Remember, these are all games with ANALOG movement.

• Alan Wake 2 (L3)
• Dead Space (L1)
• Hitman series (L1) (Well, I did play these, a little of the new and a little of the old. Don't care for the series.)
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (L3)
• Lies of Pie (right button)
• It Takes Two (L3)
• Forspoken (L3)
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (right button)
• Ghost of Tsushima (Like I said on the last list, Sony probably mandates L3.)
• Genshin Impact (R1)
• Final Fantasy VII remake (L3)
• Final Fantasy XV (L3 and right button)
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (L3)

It's messed up how hard it is to find out what the controls are in many of these games. Reviewers could simply screenshot the menu in most cases. Seems important. But you can usually tell if there is a run button just from the look of the game.

So many games with L3, that shitty button that's not comfortably pressed at angles.

@warm_gun: Returnal has an option to have "Run always On" in the menus.

It's the best way to play

@Star67: Always run option is a beautiful option. Not surprised it is in Returnal.

Huh? Not what I'm talking about. L3 makes her sprint, makes her run faster than possible with just the stick fully tilted. Always sprint sounds awful.

I wish I could make her walk with my mouse and keyboard. But will never finish the game anyway. Bland world, embarrassing character.

Running should be the default, I don't have a reason to walk in a game, unless maybe I'm trying to stealth kill enemies, and even then, still. I'd just use a "sneak" button.

@shadowsentiel: I just want analog movement up to the standard slow run. The fast run (sprint) doesn't need to be in every game. Like, wtf would I want to sprint in MGS3 for? If that game were released for the first time in 2024, there would almost certainly be an overpowered sprint, even with the same small, linear levels.

GTA and RDR are the worst. Not only do you have to hold a button to go faster than the walk, taking control from the camera, but the next speed is too fast a run, making it harder to steer the character as you try to explore. The game has no standard slow run, because the pretentious devs expect you to walk almost everywhere.

I think in first person shooters or something like RE4Remake where it's pressing the analog stick down it makes sense there.

Games like Breath of the Wild or Dark Souls it costs stamina, therefore it needs to be tied to a button press.

@warm_gun: "So many games with L3, that shitty button that's not comfortably pressed at angles".

Yeah. Any developer that maps "run" to L3 should be punched in the dick.

Yea games need even more running buttons. Make me pull the left trigger then right trigger on quick repeat or I trip over my feet and break my ankles for game over.

Star Wars Episode I: Racer cheat. N64 controller in each hand. Throttle and breaking of each engine assigned to each stick.