Following the success of its 2018 soft reboot, God of War Ragnarök has been called a critical success for its gameplay, writing and huge set pieces. However, it also made history with its accessibility, which received invaluable input from a gamer without sight.
As reported by Sky News, Ben Breen, a.k.a SightlessKombat, an accessibility advocate for the video game hobby, helped improve the game. That's because he showed developer Santa Monica Studio how he plays video games and advised the team on how they could make the game more accessible. His collaboration led to a huge addition of settings including the option to automate certain tasks, adjust visibility through alternative camera angles and contrasting colors, and remap the controller to fit an individual's needs. As for the end result, Breen stated, "All of these combined mean that, aside from puzzles and some menu navigation that require sighted assistance, or other workarounds, I can play large stretches of the game without any need for secondary input." He added, "It's a brilliantly freeing experience."
New Options for Blind Gamers
In gaming, being legally blind can cover a broad spectrum of players who have various degrees of vision, but Breen has never had any. This stopped him from being able to play some of the classics without assistance from a sighted person and a lot of guesswork. As he put it, "It was completely via audio and educated guesswork, a strategy that still persists to this day in titles that don't have enough accessibility." With assistance, he streamed his playthrough of God of War. It was footage of this stream that ultimately brought the developer and Breen together to improve the sequel's accessibility.
Accessibility in gaming has become an important feature for big-name titles. So much so, that the Game Awards created an Innovation in Accessibility award in 2020. Among many other awards, Ragnarök took home this particular accolade with its assorted presets and adjustable options that can adapt to many different needs.
The Sony title is the latest entry in a long and bloody franchise starring the Ghost of Sparta. In the Norse lands, Kratos finds himself resisting fate at every turn to keep his son, Atreus, out of danger and far away from the prophesied calamity known as Ragnarök. Assisted by the Huldra brothers and the talking head Mimir, the pair find themselves caught between the apocalypse and Odin's machinations.
God of War Ragnarök is available now for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Source: Sky News