Although The Last of Us Part II has caught some negative attention due to its leaked narrative, the game is still set to be one of the PS4's hallmark swan songs. While a number of features contribute to this, one that isn't being talked about enough is that the game is also being developed with tons of accessibility features in mind.
According to an interview with The Verge, The Last of Us Part II lead gameplay designer Emilia Schatz and the rest of the Naughty Dog team made a conscious effort to develop The Last of Us Part II with accessibility in mind. This desire began when one Uncharted 2 player was prevented from beating the game due to a quick-time event that required the player to press a button "rapidly."
Four years later, Naughty Dog is presenting its most accessible game to date with The Last of Us Part, which it designed deliberately to avoid situations like those encountered by the Uncharted 2 player.
The Last of Us Part II, as per The Verge, contains about 60 accessibility options, including those pertaining to impairments regarding hearing and vision. Whether it's an adjustment in combat gameplay or the game's subtitles, The Last of Us Part II's accessibility options cover a wide array of tweaks in making things more accessible.
Matthew Gallant, a game designer for Naughty Dog, explained that developing with accessibility in mind was a priority. As such, the game includes things like "text-to-speech, fully remappable controls, and the high-contrast mode."
Yet, it is explained that Naughty Dog intends on preserving the game's brutal nature. With its variety of accessibility options, Naughty Dog is still intent on developing The Last of Us Part II to have an equal impact on all types of players.
It's great to see Naughty Dog attempting to make leaps in accessibility. Previously, Gears 5 had been praised for its impressive approach to accessibility. Hopefully, The Last of Us Part II will make further steps in approachability to all types of gamers.