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God of War Ragnarök borrows top-notch accessibility options from Last of Us Part I

DeAngelo Epps
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Sony recently released a complete rebuild of one of the most iconic games in its PlayStation catalog. The Last of Us Part I not only reintroduced the world to one of the most essential gaming experiences, but showed off some of the best accessibility features we’ve ever seen. Now many of those impressive options are making their way to the upcoming God of War: Ragnarök.

God of War Ragnarök - "Father and Son" Cinematic Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

The development team at Santa Monica Studio already shared more than 60 accessibility features coming to God of War: Ragnarök in May. These features include controller remapping, high-contrast mode, navigation and travel assistance, speaker names, and more. Now Ragnarök is taking a few cues from The Last of Us Part I with even more features that will open the game to as many players as possible.

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Newer features include auto pickup, which allows players to automatically pick up items, and navigation assistance, which tells players where to go next using an arrow on the screen. High-contrast mode, previously announced, lets players apply different colors to items, characters, specific terrain, and more to improve visibility.

Other newly shared features include:

  • Audio cues and captions
  • More elaborate text and icon size options
  • Auto-platforming
  • Controller visualization

Rather than hoarding accessibility options, game developers have shown a willingness to share these innovations between titles. Last year, EA opened all of its accessibility patents, like Apex Legends’  unique Ping System, with its Patent Pledge. Reusing the best accessibility options from The Last of Us Part I will help make God of War: Ragnarök playable by an even broader audience.

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DeAngelo Epps
DeAngelo Epps
Former Digital Trends Contributor
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
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