by theygamesIt shouldn’t be a surprise in 2024 when a developer does accessibility right, it should be the norm. Accessibility options should be taken for granted, a raised eyebrow at most. Instead many games do launch without taking into account the full gamut of human experience, leaving some gamers on the sidelines. Thankfully there are also titles like Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2, which manage to make gaming more welcoming.
The original Hellblade had lofty ambitions, ones that were mostly realized. It aimed to depict a realistic depiction of mental illness wrapped up in an engaging yet terrifying action-adventure game. As befitting something covering themes like this it had a comprehensive range of accessibility settings, and Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 is following in its footsteps.
Despite being a series renowned for binaural audio effects, Hellblade 2 will let players alter audio options to ensure nothing is missed. These include settings for menu narration, mono audio mode, and full SFX and volume mixing settings. For those relying on subtitles and text, you can change font sizes, add backgrounds, change colors, and more. These last options are particularly welcome, especially in a gaming world where subtitles seem to be getting smaller with each passing year.
When it comes to gameplay, much like the previous game, a lot is customizable here too. Difficulty levels come in the standard easy, medium, and hard flavors, but a dynamic option lets the game adapt to you as you play. Camera bobbing can be changed, sensitivity and vibration can be tweaked, and there’s a full range of input options. One of the things that has set Hellblade apart as a series is its visuals but even here Ninja Theory isn’t afraid to ensure accessibility. Full color blind modes are included with deuteranope, protanope, and tritanope settings available.
There’s plenty to cheer here and it’s reassuring to see the accessibility work done in the first Hellblade game continue into the sequel. Given how deftly the developer has handled the core mental health aspects of the series, it would be a shame to see it falter now. Thankfully, it appears that Ninja Theory is making sure that if you want to play Hellblade 2, you can.
Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 launches on Tuesday, May 21 and you can pre-purchase it over on Steam. Make sure you’re ready by checking out the Hellblade 2 system requirements, or if you want to dive into something else, our guide to the best story games you can play in 2024 will be perfect for you.
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