I started playing with the gamepad cause that's what the developers suggested but soon found out that targeting enemies in a group was easier with the mouse so I ditched the controller. I also prefer the single keys for the various menus.Yesterday I got to fight the Endrega Queen using the mouse keyboard combination and she kicked my ass a dozen times, dodging her was very hard by double tapping keys or the space bar. I'm playing on hard and I started thinking that a melee approach just wasn't good enough (my Geralt is level 7-8) so I experimented with bombs but no go. Then I decided to take out my gamepad to see if dodging was easier (I thought it should be) and it was, killed the Endrega Queen in my first attempt, couple minutes later I killed the second Queen just by using silver sword and Quen. Now I'm roaming the woods like the Terminator, not scared to explore anymore (before it was "I'll wait till I'll get better equipment and level up". Does anybody share my impression? That the gamepad is much overpowered compared to the mouse keyboard combo? I'm feeling a bit like I'm cheating...

PS
But the gamepad is also giving me a bit of motion sickness, which doesn't happen with WASD + mouse, lol

I played the game 6 times with M/KB.

I just restarted a few days ago with controller.

So, I don't have a lot of experience using controller, but I tend to concur.

No quick access to menu (and reaching to keyboard to quicksave) is a little annoying, but not majorly. It is definitely easier for me to single out a target in a group with a mouse. It's more precise. No surprise there. (I can also, basically, attack WHILE moving the camera using the mouse. Whereas, with controller, my right thumb can't do both at the same time.)

The xbox controller does seem more responsive to me. I haven't played much yet; I expect the animation lag and lock-up bugs to still be there. But, it certainly feels like things happen closer to when I tap a button...and rolling/dodging works a lot better.

(The camera thing makes me wonder if devs will incorporate auto-adjusting/centering camera, akin to Batman AA, into Xbox version. PC gamers would have probably hated it; but if I was limited to a controller, I think I would demand it.)

Since I can't use WASD controls, I am glad I can use the controller. I played TW1 running with the mouse and hence missed out on sidesteps and rolls. I managed, but TW2 is a lot more comfortable to play with controller. Too bad it has some real flaws, where you need the keyboard anyway.

As for the targeting and movement in combat, that's just extras for me and I adapted to the style. But... since I have not played with MKB, I cannot comment on the unresponsiveness issue there, but I think by now I'm probably notorious for complaining about that and can't even imagine that it might be even worse with MKB. I'd think it's the other way around. On the pad, you are quicker, because your buttons are close together. When I am quicker, it feels even slower to wait for him to finish slicking his hair, so we can plough on.

People are different, and no control method is better than the other for everyone.

Each one has benefits and weaknesses.

The mouse and keyboard has better camera control, aiming and direct access to signs etc.

You can also select only the loot you want when you are searching rather than being forced to take everything at once.

You also have quick-save and direct access to panels.

However, as dodging is a huge part of this game, it's much more intuitive dodging with a controller's analogue stick than pressing keyboard buttons.

And with the radial menu, direct sign access although handy with a keyboard, isn't that big of a deal with a controller.

QTE's can sometimes be easier with a controller, but that depends on which button you have to press.

At the end of the day, there is no right method, it's what works best for you and your play style.

Personally, I use a controller, but I lean over and use my keyboard for quick-saves and panel access etc.

I'm too lazy, but an ideal solution is to use Pinnacle and create a controller profile with all the handy keyboard shortcuts.

I also do better with the mouse and keyboard. Having better camera control and I navigate the quick-select wheel faster with a mouse. When trying a 360 controller and trying to use the wheel I couldn't just rotate the stick to pick what I wanted. I had to actually press and let go each time just to move from one icon to another. Took too long.

*EDIT* And I forgot to add in that part about being able to attack and move the camera at the same time while using a mouse and keyboard. That's a really big positive in favor of the M/KB. And all of this is coming from someone who plays ALOT more games on a PS3 than on a PC, so there is not some stupid instance of fanboyism.

The only areas of the game where the controller works better for me is menu navigation.

It's all a matter of preference, different people are going to like different things. But I just thought I would let the OP know he/she is not alone, as most of the posts I have seen in regards to this topic have people proclaiming the superiority of the controller over the M/KB.

Don't know how do you think gamepad controls is better... I completed game on Insane 6 times with M+KB and tried with my xbox gamepad. I can't even complete first chapter on hard (with better combat and ceo mods) <_< Every group fight is almost certain death for me because I can't react as fast as with M+KB. Also default bindings are just awful and changing then causes some bugs and glitches with controls.
I have some suggestions how gamepad controls could be improved:
1. Make quick menu radial, not just usual list so you can select sign or item by pointing in it's direction;
2. Make it possible to navigate in meditation menu by single Dpad press, not Dpad and then A;
3. Remove log, inventory, character and map from main menu and make new menu for Dpad (like meditation) which could be opened by pressing back button on controller;
4. Make fist fight keys constant for gamepad, X-A-Y-B, not FastAttack-AcceptDodge-StrongAttack-UseSign. When you rebind keys for gamepad fist fight is weird;
5. Same as 4 for all UI functions - some functions in inventory and other UI screens become unavailable when you rebind keys;
6. Rebind chose key in quick menu with Accept/Dodge. When I first remapped all keys and bind Open quick menu to A, I haven't found a way to enter meditation mode;
7. Fix bug with skip cinematic key - it always show Y, even if you rebind Strong Attack to different button, and Y don't work;
8. Put Block and Strong Attack to one button - long press is block, single click is attack;
9. Allow binding quicksave and allow using Guide(Xbox) button for bindings;
10. Impove camera - it should turn slowly in the direction you're moving;
11. Improve in-combat aiming - targets in front of Geralt should have higher priority than targets you can't see, it's really annoying when Geralt jumps from one target to another after every attack;
This will make gamepad controls so much better

No one, unless they're gullible, believes you beat the game once on Insane, let-alone 6 times.

It's really easy except for nekkers cave in 1st chapter and operator boss fight. Why would you think I CAN'T complete game on insane?

The combat itself isn't any more difficult on Insane, but once you die that's it.

So, 6 times just doesn't sound believable.

I've tried to play using a gamepad, but just end up going back to mouse and keyboard.

Its the camera and targetting that does me, having to move my thumb off the action buttons to move the camera is just a horrid experiance after you play it with a mouse where you have access to camera and all actions at the same time.

It could work better with a chase cam like Batman:AA had i would think.

I long for the day when someone designs a gamepad/mouse hybrid. That would be my ultimate controller.

There are spikes in difficulty (nekker / drowner hordes, operator, golems) and some possibly deadly parts by design (insta-death stealth sections, parts of eternal battle) but otherwise it's reasonable. I haven't beaten insane (once I died from the prologue QTE, another time I deleted my save, and another time my save got marked 'unplayable' after I uninstalled Witcher 1) but I don't see it as impossible.

Back to playing with mouse keyboard, gamepad is just too annoying when navigating menus, playing dice and picking up loot. But it does shine in fights against single opponents, mainly because of the ability to roll in a precise direction very fast. Backstabbing an opponent in his bum (where it causes massive damage) becomes ridiculosly easy for me when using the gamepad.