The Last of Us Part 1 has allowed fans to experience one of gaming's most iconic stories once again. Thanks to a host of improvements, Joel and Ellie's journey feels more cinematic than ever, and encounters with the Infected are even more frightening. For those who have never played anything from the franchise, The Last of Us Part 1 is the best entry point in its most polished form.
The remake borrows many features from The Last of Us Part 2, including its range of accessibility options. This is notable, as the inclusion of innovative accessibility features in games ensures that the medium is open to as many people as possible. It would be a good idea for these accessibility features and more to also find their way into the standalone The Last of Us multiplayer game.
The Last of Us' Standalone Multiplayer Game
The Last of Us Part 2 was originally meant to have a multiplayer counterpart. However, after the game ballooned in scope, Naughty Dog decided to make it a standalone title. It has been a long wait for the standalone game, though Naughty Dog has assured fans that development is still moving forward. Nevertheless, the project remains shrouded in mystery, and a release date has yet to be revealed.
In June, Naughty Dog gave fans a minor peek into the upcoming multiplayer game with a mere piece of concept art, alongside the revelation that the studio has to expand to handle the game's massive scope. Fans will have to wait until next year for more news, though there is plenty The Last of Us content to pass the time thanks to Part 1 and the upcoming HBO adaptation of the first game. The standalone multiplayer game gives Naughty Dog an opportunity to raise the bar set by The Last of Us Factions, but the studio should not forget about the accessibility options it has been implementing in its single-player games.
The Last of Us Part 1's Accessibility Features
The re-release of The Last of Us has raised some eyebrows, as this marks the third time the game has been released in less than a decade. However, the use of current-generation technology has opened up many new ways for Naughty Dog to improve its iconic title. These improvements include noticeably upgraded visuals, as well as gameplay that uses the DualSense controller to increase immersion. There have also been improvements made to enemy and companion AI, allowing for combat sequences to feel more realistic.
The Last of Us Part 1 benefits from the fact that it comes after The Last of Us Part 2, allowing Naughty Dog to implement many of the things it learned when developing the controversial sequel. This is seen most with the accessibility options that have been included in The Last of Us' remake. Upon release, The Last of Us Part 2 was lauded for its suite of accessibility features, and the game even managed to snag the first-ever Innovation in Accessibility award at The Game Awards 2020.
To aid players with visual impairment, The Last of Us Part 1 includes a screen radar to detect enemies and a high contrast mode that makes it easier to spot enemies and interactive items. For hearing-impaired players, there are subtitles and on-screen indicators to replace audio cues. The ability to fine-tune difficulty also returns from The Last of Us Part 2, letting players adjust individual aspects such as Joel's vulnerability, the scarcity of resources, and enemy alertness. There have also been new accessibility features added, including audio descriptions of all cutscenes.
How Accessibility Features Can Aid The Last of Us Multiplayer
Not all accessibility features would successfully make the jump to The Last of Us' multiplayer game, but many can and should. This includes the visual aid options like high contrast mode, and many of the hearing options such as subtitles and on-screen indicators. Should the standalone multiplayer game feature its own storylines and cutscenes, the audio descriptions could also make a return. The best part about these accessibility features is that they are available for everyone to use, and some of them are useful to have on for convenience whether one actually requires them.
The inclusion of robust accessibility features in the upcoming The Last of Us standalone multiplayer game will allow more players than ever to play the game, which is vital for anything with matchmaking. Hopefully as many accessibility features as possible are included in the multiplayer game, as gamers can only benefit from them. With Naughty Dog's habit of constant innovation, there may even be some new features that push accessibility in gaming forward.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PS5, and a PC port is in development.
