Coffee Stain North, developer of what is likely one of the least accurate simulation games ever made, Goat Simulator 3, is telling players to launch the game through Steam instead of the Epic Games Store. However, Goat Simulator 3 is an Epic Store exclusive, leaving some fans scratching their heads.
The direct sequel to the original Goat Simulator, released in 2014, Goat Simulator 3 is an incredibly silly game that makes use of some wild physics and intentionally janky mechanics and controls. The game's bizarre sense of humor and quirky world building mesh surprisingly well with the choice to make it somewhat difficult to play, taking something that could be frustrating and making it charming. As evidenced by the generally favorable reviews it received, the choice was a smart one.
Though cumbersome controls may have been intentional, controller issues certainly were not. Nevertheless, that's just the issue some players are encountering. Taking to the game's official Discord for support, fans got an answer, though it likely wasn't the Goat Simulator 3 tip that they expected. The server uses a bot to answer common support questions, and when faced with these controller issues, it's been telling players to launch the game through Steam, instead of the Epic Games Store.
Steam employs something called Steam Input, which allows players to use a variety of controllers to play, as long as the game is controller-supported. However, while the Epic Games Store has Xbox controller support for Goat Simulator 3 it does not currently support the PS5 DualSense controller. For those who can't get a controller to work, the bot suggests adding the EGS (Epic Games Store) client as a non-Steam game, then plugging in whichever controller they want. After ensuring their controller settings are configured correctly, gamers then simply launch the EGS client from their Steam library and launch Goat Simulator 3 from there.
Being in direct competition with Steam, this is likely a point of consternation for Epic Games, at the very least. The Epic Games Store regularly releases free games, and has offered competitive exclusivity deals to developers, all in an effort to draw business away from the giant that is Steam. Goat Simulator 3 being one of those exclusives serves as salt in the wound.
From the perspective of Coffee Stain North however, it likely intends to do whatever needs to be done to retain players and make their experience a smooth one. If the Epic Games client is failing to hold up its end of the bargain in that respect, it's certainly the developer's prerogative to offer an alternate, if surprising, solution to its fans. This way, gamers can get back to the host of wild activities on offer in Goat Simulator 3.
Goat Simulator 3 is available now on PC.
Source: VGC
