Considering Naughtydog started with 2 guys in a room hacking into the original PlayStation’s hardware to get it to do what it wasn’t meant to for Crash Bandicoot. The Last of us series has taken game storytelling to next level and has landed Naughty Dog with the accolades of best developers. There is a reason for this and as with the sequel to the first game, they have yet again pushed these boundaries with the accessibility features. They’ve added them and revolutionized how Accessible features can truly make a game accessible to all.
There has been a change in the gaming industry concerning accessibility. With Microsoft doubling down on accessibility in the workplace and games. There is a trend in the gaming industry where accessibility is a mainstay option and can give a customizable feel to the game that we have never seen before ( with the exceptions of mods). It’s been a year since the last of us 2 has been released to a warm reception of fans of the previous game. With the winning awards in innovation in accessibility, we will have a look at this groundbreaking game from the view of these options and how they are applied to the gameplay throughout. First impressions of the options give a feeling that Naughtydog has consulted accessibility experts in the field and have managed to make the game
The Accessibility options can be quite daunting at first due to the sheer amount of customization that has been tied into the game. but not to worry as here is a quick summary of the options you’ll be needing for your desired gameplay experience. These are examples and can be swapped out with other accessibility options if needed.
The hearing options in the game are pretty comprehensive and most things in the game such as actions or items can be accommodated by a unique sound. There does need investment by the player to learn these unique sounds but will be worth the payoff once learned. So the Key to this preset is to go through the subtitles option menu and enable the sub-options such as Names and Directions. Also, change the Subtitles option itself to Story and Dialogue. Then enable the accessibility option of text-to-speech as well as the audio cues. This will be reading the text to the player giving them cues and helping them follow the story dialogue. The Pick-up Notifications and the Doge prompts can be found in the HUD options and enabled amongst other options that the player may want to be enabled.
These options may be used in tandem with the other presets. Due to the level of customizability, you can swap out these preset options with others to customize the options to your preference.
The Motor preset will support the player by reduce inputs and automating most actions with the game. The Lock-On Aim> Auto-target, chaging repeated button presses to hold, auto weapon swap, and most of these options can be found in the Alternate controls options menu with exception of the Combat accessibility which is an option in itself. I would recommend turning all the combat accessibility options and changing the invisible while the prone option to unlimited (giving you time to gauge your opponents). Also, look at the Navigation and traversal assistance. I would recommend enabling all these options as the skip puzzle option can be invaluable. Also, the scan range and scan time can be adjusted whilst the player is in the game and would need adjusting according to the player’s preference.
The Vision preset like before can be changed through out the game so swapping this in and out can be done at anytime throughout the gameplay. As you see within this preset there are similair options to the other presets but with additional features such as the high contrast display and HUD settings that can be found in the magnification and visula aids. I would recommend taking some time with these options and seeing which work better for the player.
As an added bonus option because NaughtyDog is legends they have included Motion sickness options. With these options turn off the full-screen effects, motion blur, and dolly zoom effect because why not. I would look at doing this if this hinders the other visual support options.
So not only is this the most accessible game in the world at the time of writing but it’s a masterpiece. So have fun and get immersed.
Preset images provided by Playstation.com
