Suzanne Humphries
Video games can be tons of fun for gamers of all ages, but they aren’t always easy for everyone to play. That’s why Santa Monica Studios just added over 60 accessibility options to the PC version of God of War Ragnarok—to ensure gamers of all abilities can enjoy it.
The game is set to release later this year for both PlayStation 4 and 5. A recent PlayStation blog post revealed that Sony worked with the game studio to combine accessibility options from 2018’s God of War with those found in the PC version of the game. They also threw in some new options, to boot, like full controller customization (with both preset layouts and full mapping tools you can choose from).
Players can also opt to assign simpler shortcuts in place of complex multi-button actions, like Touch Pad swipes. There are also options for automating actions like jumping, sprinting, and vaulting that will reduce the amount of required button input. A Navigation Assist button was also added, which can provide audio cues to help players find interactive objects, see where the next story objective is, and switch weapons during combat.
Captions and subtitles also received a major overhaul, with Sony Santa Monica stating that it “invested heavily” in improving both. Now there are options to increase the minimum text size, view a new extra-large text size, color-code subtitles to up to seven different characters, and even darken or blur the background behind subtitles, so they’re easier to view.
There are also direction indicators for important sounds to help guide players towards those sounds. Boosted in-game icon sizes should also make it easier for players to view locked chests and doors. The high-contrast mode allows players to highlight items, enemies, and other details, so they’re easier to see.
There’s a persistent dot (always-on reticle) option, for those looking to reduce motion sickness, and it comes in three sizes and seven different colors. You’ll also find options for toggling a variety of actions—like aiming and blocking—with a single button press in lieu of holding the button for a set period.
God of War Ragnarok is still slated for a late-2022 release date, and you can read more about all of the included accessibility options at the Playstation blog. The game will join the likes of The Last of Us Part 2 for its vast array of accessibility options, something we’d like to see even more video games do from here on out because everyone deserves a chance to enjoy playing their favorite game titles.
