Mortal Kombat 1 gets a visceral Launch Trailer and full reveal of Accessibility Features

Mortal Kombat 1 artwork featuring Lou Kang and the iconic dragon logo in the background and the text Mortal Kombat 1

The nice and peaceful folks at NetherRealm Studios and WB Games released the visceral launch trailer for their upcoming Mortal Kombat 1 fighting game.

They also revealed comprehensive information on the accessibility features players can expect when the game releases later this week. It seems that for the first time in gaming history players who are totally blind or have other impairments will be able to fully take part in a Mortal Kombat game. we have menu narration, text to speech, audio descriptions, gameplay sound cues that can be customized so that combatants who can’t see can figure out where there enemy is and many, many other features.

You’ll find the accessibility features and options available for Mortal Kombat 1 players listed below.

Visual

Screen Reader

Narration for menu items is available. All users are initially guided towards the Text-to-Speech feature on the first launch.

Colorblind Modes

Colorblind pre-set modes edit user interface (UI) and heads-up display (HUD) elements that might not be accessible to all in their original colors. Presets exist for Protanopia (Green Light), Deuteranopia (Red Light), and Tritanopia (Blue Light). The intensity of the colorblind mode can be adjusted.

Display Settings

Brightness can be adjusted at any time.

Lowered Health Bars

Players can lower HUD location of Health Bars through the Options menu, placing them closer to the focal point of the screen.

Descriptive Audio

Enable descriptive audio narration describing events happening on screen. Supports all Story cinematics, Fatalities, and Fatal Blows.

Extra Audio Feedback

Users can choose between four presets that toggle additional audio cues for gameplay elements. The volume of these cues can be tweaked individually:

  • Distance between Fighters – Adjust the volume of a sound cue that gets faster and quieter as distance increases.
  • Health Meter – Adjust the volume of sounds that play at certain health thresholds. Occurs at 75%, 50%, 25%, and critical health.
  • End of Fight Line – Adjust the volume of audio that plays when a fighter is at the end of an arena.
  • Ducking – Adjust the volume of sounds that play when a character ducks and stands up.
  • Blocking – Adjust the volume of a sound that plays when characters block and stop blocking.
  • Hit Type – Adjust the volume of unique sounds that play for high, mid, low, or overhead hits.

Invasions Mode Navigation Assistance

When the player arrives at an Invasions mode location, the game will play four sounds corresponding to these directions in sequence – Up, Right, Down, and Left. The status of each direction is represented by the sounds that play when you adjust the volume on this setting. The sounds represent these statuses in sequence – Objective, Available, Locked, No Path.

Auditory

Separate Volume Controls

Individual controls are available for users to configure:

  • Cinematics – Story cinematics and rendered movies.
  • Music – In-game music.
  • Announcer – Announcer’s voice.
  • Ambience – Ambient sounds.
  • Dialogue – Spoken dialogue.
  • Sound Effects – All sound effects from characters and user interface.

Screen Reader volume can be customized under the Accessibility tab.

Audio Mix Presets

Quickly set audio categories to values that support increased accessibility or return them to defaults.

  • Default – Resets all audio sliders to default values.
  • Light Support – Clarifies gameplay-related audio without altering the primary mix very much.
  • Medium Support – Clarifies gameplay audio significantly and adds mild support through Enhanced Audio Feedback.
  • Heavy Support – Mutes music and ambience and adds all Extra Audio Feedback.

Subtitles

Users can enable subtitles that support all key dialogue in Story mode as well as supplemental dialogue such as pre-fight dialogue and quips said during gameplay. Subtitles are on by default. Users can also modify the subtitle size.

Detailed Audio Effects
Users can tweak specific VFX noises:

  • Hit/Block
  • Fighter Movement
  • Vocalization
  • Gameplay Modifier
  • Special Moves
  • Environmental Detail
  • Fight HUD

Directional Surround Sound

Players can adjust the audio experience according to the audio hardware that is being used on the first boot and then in the Options menu. Sounds can be set as directional for gameplay via stereo or surround sound setups.

Motor

Remappable Controls

All gameplay inputs can be customized and remapped to a different button input. Remapping controls cannot be applied to menu navigation. The four-face button and four-shoulder button controls can be remapped for these inputs:

  • Front Punch
  • Back Punch
  • Front Kick
  • Back Kick
  • Throw
  • Block
  • Kameo
  • Flip Stance

Input Shortcuts

Users can enable Input Shortcuts which lessen the directional precision required for special moves.

Button Shortcuts

Users can toggle multi-button inputs for single-button moves.

Test Your Might Gameplay Assistance Toggle

Users can toggle off the requirement for rapid button mashing for Test Your Might segments during Story mode.

Practice

Tutorials

Extensive Tutorials are included covering virtually every aspect of the game. All the Tutorials can be re-accessed at user discretion.

Tutorial Demos

Most tutorial segments provide a demonstration that shows button inputs and timing for practice.

Practice Modes

A controlled environment where users can learn their fighter’s moveset, with a wide array of customizable behaviors. Fatality practice can also be accessed, with the timer constraint being disabled.

Advanced Communication System
Speech to Text

Voice chat is transcribed into captions on-screen in real-time.

Keyboard to Speech

All text typed into the chat is narrated allowing for more players to use voice chat without the need of speech.

Note: This feature will be coming to the Nintendo Switch version of the game at a later date.

General

Settings Tooltips

All settings are accompanied by tooltips to inform users of what is affected.

Accessibility (aka: a11y) means avoiding and correcting any unnecessary friction or barriers that prevent people with a range of impairments from enjoying games. WB Games believes games are for everyone and strive to create and maintain accessible titles for all players.

Welcome to the New Era. Will you fight for peace, or embrace the khaos? It’s In Our Blood. Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and Fatalities!

Mortal Kombat 1 releases September 19 and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. This is one of my favorite series, I am playing it since the early 90s and the fact that I’ll be able to continue my adventure even though now I am totally blind it’s wonderful

The following two tabs change content below.

Victor Dima

Owner and Founder at victordima.net
Victor Dima is a Blind Gaming Journalist and Accessibility Ambassador, Living in Oslo with his wife Alina. Victor was the first journalist in Romania to receive the PS5 & the PS VR2 from PlayStation. He is also working closely with Xbox Nordic and other game publishers such as Ubisoft, Ea, Bungie, Activision, blizzard, square Enix, Capcom, Rockstar Games, Sega, PlayStation studios, WB Games, Bethesda and many others. With over 12 years of experience covering the Gaming Industry, he started victordima.net in 2013 and since February 2022 all his articles are posted in English in order to reach a more global audience. He is the owner and founder of the highly successful PlayStation Fans Romania Facebook Community, the largest independent source for PlayStation News in Romania, on social media with almost 35.000 followers. Victor is also running theAudiobookBlog.com. You can reach Victor at contact@victordima.net

You may also like...

Join the discussion ! Speak your mind!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.