I’m trying to work out if another one of myXboxcontrollers has broken. I like the Xbox controller, and I have an Xbox Series X, so I keep buying them. On my two bought directly from Microsoft, the LB button has gone on both. Considering I play a lot ofEA Sports FC, that’s an important button. What’s that? Learn manual player switching with the joysticks? No.
I’m currently using a third-party controller, theAsus ROG Raikiri Pro. It feels nice in the hand, but (despite the prominent Xbox button) is better suited to PC. Many features, including the wireless capabilities, are not available when connected to my Series X. But I’m not sure if the joysticks are another problem, or if it’sBaldur’s Gate 3that’s going wrong.
My controller works perfectly for the aforementioned EA Sports FC 24. It works fine on Jusant andCocoon, it works great onCyberpunk 2077. For the most part, it also works great in Baldur’s Gate 3. I don’t have another controller to test this on in Baldur’s Gate 3 itself, but my Raikiri Pro’s competency in other titles should prove it’s not an issue with the peripheral. Still, whenever I open the radial menu to access my character’s abilities in the RPG, it all goes wrong.
RB works fine, the radial menu pops up. I always hold it instead of tapping it, but I’m sure my muscle memory will learn soon enough. But when it comes to selecting an action, it all goes wrong.
Working correctly, selecting an action using your radial menu should present a big arrow pointing in the direction you’re holding your thumbstick. Then, you should press ‘A’ to select that ability. As amonk, I need to use plentiful Bonus Actions to pummel goblins with my bare fists, and yet my radial menu continuously hampers me. Instead of the arrow to select an action, random actions are met with a white dot instead, as if I’m pointing the right way but not quite enough to summon the arrow.
It’s definitely not that I’m unable to use these abilities. Abilities become greyed out when you run out of actions or Ki Points, whereas this issue occurs at the start of a turn and even out of combat when I’m trying to jump over a gap or use a health potion. After a few tries and an excessive push in the direction I want to click, it usually works, but it’s frustrating to have to wrestle with the controls upwards of eight times a turn in every combat encounter.
Radial menus are already a cumbersome method of navigating a cumbersome CRPG like Baldur’s Gate 3, but these in particular are an extra pain. I’d go as far as to say that the radial menus are my only gripe with Baldur’s Gate 3 on console, which is pretty impressive considering the complexity of the game and how PC is clearly the intended way to play. But it’s still an incredibly frustrating experience, and a quirk that makes playing the game that much more awkward than it should be.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece in every regard, and I’m glad that I bought it for a second time on Xbox. However, for it to be a truly sublime experience, I need a fully functional menu system. If Larian could stoppatching Lae’zel to be nicerand could focus on this next, it would have my eternal gratitude.
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