In 2013, Naughty Dog released a game that would significantly impact its medium. The Last of Us has a premise that is not particularly unique, and several other zombie survival games are scarier or have told a similar narrative. However, The Last of Us managed to stand out through the quality of its storytelling in addition to stunning environments and polished gameplay made possible by the perfectionism Naughty Dog is known for. Gamers will experience Ellie and Joel's adventure once again with The Last of Us Part 1, the upcoming remake.
The Last of Us Part 1 promises to not only reproduce the game that gamers fell in love with years ago, but also strives to improve on the foundation that has been laid down. One of the ways it will do this is by revamping the accessibility features, allowing more gamers to join in the fun. Plenty of the accessibility options have been lifted from The Last of Us Part 2, but there are also a few innovations that will debut.
The Last of Us Is More Accessible Than Ever
With The Last of Us Part 1, Naughty Dog has been able to rebuild the game and bring it closer to what its original vision for it was. Thanks to the PlayStation 5's hardware, the studio has fewer technical constraints to hinder its creativity and ideas. In a recent deep dive into the upcoming remake, Naughty Dog revealed that many of the accessibility features that appeared in The Last of Us Part 2 have been integrated. This is noteworthy, as The Last of Us Part 2 was praised for its vast range of accessibility features that benefited a diverse range of gamers with differing needs. Its groundbreaking accessibility features earned it several awards, and it was the first recipient of the Innovation in Accessibility award at The Game Awards in 2020.
One of the accessibility options that got shown off was high contrast display, which mutes the colors of the environment while adding contrasting colors to allies, enemies, items, and interactive objects. This feature is useful for visually impaired players, although it also comes in handy for players who wish to easily find objects in the environment. With the PS5, Naughty Dog has the opportunity to include even more accessibility features thanks to the DualSense controller's features. For example, haptic feedback could be used to give directional cues while 3D audio could be used to allow visually impaired players to better navigate the environment using sound.
The Last of Us Part 1 Introduces New Accessibility Options
New trailblazing accessibility features have also been added to The Last of Us Part 1. Most notably, the game will include audio descriptions of the cutscenes, allowing visually impaired players to better immerse themselves in the game's rich narrative. According to Matthew Gallant, who is the game director, this may be the first PlayStation title to have audio descriptions of cutscenes built into the game. Features such as these demonstrate that while the game is a remake of an old title, there are plenty of new features that make it attractive even to series veterans.
The Last of Us remake has garnered controversy, mostly because this is the game's third release in less than a decade. However, the inclusion of new features illustrates that there will be something new to experience for returning players. Furthermore, the accessibility options will open the story to more gamers than ever.
The Last of Us Part 1 is scheduled to release on September 2, 2022 on PS5. A PC port is also in development.