The Last of Us Part II will be a game that’s bound to be divisive, but it’s sure to be one of the biggest game releases of the summer, and Naughty Dog wants everyone to play it.
Matthew Gallant, the lead systems designer at Naughty Dog, published a post on the PlayStation blog on Tuesday that breaks down the over 60 (!!) accesibility features that’ll be available in the upcoming game, which is set to hit PS4 consoles on June 19.
“Building upon the foundations we established with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, The Last of Us Part II features more than 60 accessibility settings, with expanded options focused on fine-motor and hearing, as well as completely new features that benefit low-vision and blind players,” he wrote.
The team also worked with disability and accessibility consultants on the project. including James Rath, Morgan Baker, Ian Hamilton, and more.
🎮♿️ I along with many other accessibility consultants had the great pleasure to work with the wonderful and passionate people at @Naughty_Dog to make #TheLastofUsPart2 as accessible to as many gamers as possible.
Fun fact: Blind people game too! 👨🏼🦯 #a11y https://t.co/2E81SP4w6R
— James Rath (@JamesRath) June 9, 2020
The blog post is extensive, and I encourage anybody reading our post to check it out at the link above. It goes into great detail on alternative controls, for example, for everything from combat to strumming the guitar. It also breaks down all the visual aids that’ll be available and the settings that can help with motion sickness. Here’s a snippet of everything The Last of Us Part II will include.
- Accessibility Presets configure settings for players who are blind or have low vision, who have mobility disabilities, or who have hearing issues.
- Alternate Controls that allow you to fully remap your outputs, which is impressive considering how many different controls are built into the game.
- HUD scaling to help players change the size of HUD elements like text.
- A colorblind mode along with giving players the ability to change other colors.
- Camera shake customization for those prone to motion sickness.
- Navigation assistance, which faces the camera in the direction of where you need to go.
- Enhanced Listen Mode, which allows you to scan for items while in Listen Mode.
- Both a Skip Puzzle Option and Infinite Breath for breathing underwater.
- Text-to-speech audio technology.
- Combat accessibility options that make certain parts of combat easier, like reducing enemy perception and allowing you to be invisible while prone.
It’s great to see that Naughty Dog put in the effort to make the game accessible to all players. Not only are there options to help those with disabilities, but there are options to make the game easier to play for those who might be new to action-adventure titles or who want a more low-key experience. If anything, it allows players to customize their experience beyond typical difficulty options.
Play the way you want
The Last of Us Part II
… It’s still going to be a dark game
The Last of Us Part II is one of summer’s most anticipated releases. The first entry, released in 2013, was a critical and financial hit and the sequel looks to do the same by upping the stakes and making it grittier than ever.
