Naughty Dog redefines once again gaming accessibility by introducing audio description and 60 more features to The Last of Us, Part I
Right now I need to take a moment and cry with happiness! Thank you to everyone involved in this project. You are changing lives every day and breaking down barriers so that disabled players can enjoy games just like everyone else. I think that every game developer should be inspired by Neil Druckmann, Matthew Gallant, Shaun Escayg, and of course, award-winning accessibility advocate and consultant Brandon Cole, who together have made The Last of Us Part II the most awarded and most accessible game ever!
The most important message here is that video game companies should always hire disabled players to help with making their products accessible for everyone.
I played the original game in 2013, finished it a lot of times, and after that my vision dropped and now I am blind. The fact that I will be able to play it again using all these revolutionary features will be like I’ve never gone blind.
The Last of Us Part I launches on PlayStation 5 on September 2 and the game also hosts over 60 accessibility options, outpacing what the developer was able to offer with The Last of Us Part II, and includes a new Audio Description mode, ensuring that play is rewarding and inclusive for all.
I am blown away, grateful and hopeful for the future of the gaming industry. Once again, Naughty Dog will redefine what accessibility actually means. The inclusion of audio descriptions in a video game is something that has never been done before to my knowledge.
We also have a new video detailing how Naughty Dog rebuilt The Last of Us Part I for PS5. I grabbed all the important info from the official article on the PlayStation blog.
While the Last of Us Part I can render Native 4K at targeted 30 FPS or dynamic 4K at targeted 60 FPS, and features PS5 mainstays like DualSense wireless controller haptics, trigger effects, and 3D audio, it’s clear that there’s a lot more going on here than a simple resolution and framerate bump, it’s a complete overhaul.
From the art direction to the character models, the entire game has been rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of a new generation of graphical capability, allowing this game to reach the visual fidelity that the studio aspired for when crafting this experience. The PS5’s powerful hardware drives a host of visual benefits, from denser physics with tons of bumpables and chipables (bullets can now rip apart concrete and environmental objects) and cinematics now transition seamlessly to gameplay.
Motion matching technology means that character animations flow more convincingly, intuitively and realistically; all adding another layer of believability to characters and their interactions with the world. Further, AI upgrades mean that characters inhabit the world in a more authentic and realistic way, such as buddy characters navigating cover to avoid enemy NPC sightlines more authentically.
The enhancements are all in the name of increasing the game’s immersion, but the improvements don’t stop there. Naughty Dog worked with their community to integrate some fan requests, including a “permadeath” mode, a speedrun-focused mode, and a host of brand-new unlockable costumes for Joel and Ellie.
I can’t wait to get my hands on this masterpiece again.
Victor Dima
