Ubisoft has announced a number of new accessibility features coming to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced when it launches July 9.
The full list of additions includes a number of features not present in the original Black Flag, including several that seem to address issues criticized by accessibility advocates in the original. First on the list is colorblind options, with color presets that impact not just the UI but all color-coded effects in the game, like special attacks and the glows from Eagle Vision. Resynced will also include both optional screen narration and improved subtitles with an additional “Largest” size option added, and gameplay captions that describe events that may not be able to be perceived just through visuals. There’s a toggleable camera dot, hold and toggle modes to make some gameplay actions easier for folks who have trouble pressing certain combos of buttons in certain ways, QTEs are skippable…there’s a lot here!
And there are a few things in here that are definitely accessibility options, but that people who don’t normally think about using accessibility options might also find helpful. For instance, tutorials are now going to be available in the Codex section to be accessed at any time, so if you put the game down for a month and forget how to play, you can reteach yourself when you come back. Controller remapping apparently has improvements and better customization than in the original game, there’s the ability to invert the sticks (that seriously wasn’t in the original?!), and different, separately customizable difficulty settings for different aspects of the game, like stealth mode and sailing.
You can also skip through shark attacks now, if you want. Excellent. I did not care for those guys.
This is all pretty good! It’s certainly in keeping with other, more recent Assassin’s Creed games having deeper customization around accessibility as Ubisoft and studios in general have improved their awareness of accessibility needs over the last decade and change.
The full list of improvements, as shared by Ubisoft, is as follows:
Visual
- Colorblind options – color presets now not only affect the UI but all the essential color-coded VFX, such as special attacks or ‘intuition’ glows.
- Screen Narration – Within both menus and game – all information that is delivered through text, should be narrated. Including coordinates, Locations and Ship Info panels, essential for Black Flag gameplay.
- HUD / VFX Customization – Select from presets or adjust HUD elements individually, in Resynced this menu was expanded to be more granular and include Gameplay VFX such as highlights of docking spaces, areas of interest, glow for telegraphed attacks etc. Backgrounds also cover more elements, when toggled on, f.e. interaction prompts in-world.
- Toggle Motion Blur, Screen Shake, and Camera Effects to reduce blurring, distortion and uncontrolled camera movement. Allowing to deal with potentially low visibility and motion sickness during gameplay.
- Toggle Camera Dot – a permanent HUD element in the center of the screen, on top of other reticles and huds, aimed to help with motion sickness. Size and color can be customized
Audio
- Subtitles – Better color modifications, speaker directions and speaker emotions, now have fourth, ‘Largest’ size at 46px.
- Gameplay Captions – short captions describing ongoing events that can not be perceived only through visuals.
- Audio Cues/Audio Glossary – Support for naval gameplay events added for Resynced, along with previous package of essential sound cues and helpers.
- Granular audio customization, with preview sound
Navigation and Guidance
- FTUE – First time user experience flow is back, offering first-access critical options
- Accessibility Presets – A new menu that is part of the FTUE flow and options menu, containing a selection of critical accessibility settings gathered and classified within one menu. Toggle the presets or customize individual options within.
- Tutorials Section – Tutorials can be found in the Codex section at any time
- Menu Tutorials – Always alerts when there are new menu functions
Controls
- Control Remapping – Customize inputs, menu split by gameplay contexts, in Resynced it offers even deeper customization
- Hold/Toggle Modes for multitude of gameplay actions, both naval and on ground.
- Multiple input devices and auto switch – Mouse and keyboard, controllers, combinations
- Lock-On Camera – Lock the camera on an enemy
- X and Y axis inversion – Multitude of granular inversion options, individual settings split into sections for ship and on-foot, aiming, camera, world map navigation
- Stick inversion – Invert the analog-stick behavior, inverting all input altogether.
- Deadzone and Threshold – customize the feel of the analog inputs to your liking
Gameplay
- Multiple difficulty settings for Naval, Ground, Activity and Stealth gameplay.
- Advanced Parkour and Manual Jump – customize how the game controls, whether you like classic AC or more modern control scheme
- Quick Time Events – Shark attacks and other QTEs can be skipped
- Aim Assistance – Four levels of aim assistance are offered (off, light, moderate, full)
- Unlimited Oxygen – allows access to underwater activities for players that need more time to adapt
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