Happy new month guys! Late last month, Insomniac Games’ Michele Zorrilla (Advanced Senior UX Researcher) and Sam Schaffel (Accessibility Design Researcher) both spoke about the accessibility features that will come with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and it was really insane.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will allow players to use the upcoming PlayStation Access controller which was announced a few months ago. It’s now days to the October 20 launch date for the iconic Spider-Man 2 and we are really excited about the level of accessibility features promised for the game.
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According to Zorrilla, Insomniac has learned from Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as well as the first two releases, and some of those lessons will swing into Spider-Man 2. While some of the accessibility features will launch with the game, more accessibility features will be added to the game post-launch. Now, let’s take a deep dive at the accessibility features coming to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
#1. Modification of challenge level
Every game comes with 2 to 4 difficulty levels. The higher the difficulty levels, the tougher the enemies and the easier it is for you to get killed. In Marvel’s Spider-Man, the difficulty levels are labeled Friendly, Amazing, and Spectacular.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will come with Challenge Level Modifiers that allow the player to alter the stealth awareness of the enemies, the amount of damage taken by the enemy, and the size of the enemy’s health. According to Zorrilla, “With these settings, you can mix and match for your preferences or needs”.
#2. Chase assist
Back in 2018, many players had incredible difficulty completing chase missions. However, in Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Insomniac lowered the target’s top speed, increased the time window before the target could escape, readjusted the camera to always focus on the target when you press R3, and made it possible for Spiderman to attach when the target is in range.
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Those features will make a return in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. They will work with the all-new Web Wings that allow Spiderman to glide across wide-open areas.
#3. Quick Time Event (QTE) Autocomplete
Pressing buttons repeatedly to execute repetitive action can be stressful. Sometimes, it aches your thumb really bad. That is why Insomniac has changed repeated button presses from the rigorous taps to Holds.
Web-Shooter Burst will also return to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The studio believes these features will help to reduce motor fatigue and allow players to focus more on the action.
#4. Shortcuts
Zorrilla said that Game Speed and Shortcuts are two of the most requested features by the Spider-Man community as well as Insomniac’s in-studio team. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 shortcuts will allow players to assign different functionalities to the left and right D-pad buttons.
Now players can easily assign the settings that they frequently access to the left or right D-pad button and get to them during gameplay with the press of a button. An example of some of the shortcuts that can be assigned are Photo Mode and High Contrast gameplay options.
#5. Game Speed adjustments
The first Insomniac game to feature game speed adjustments was Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. That feature will now come to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The new settings will allow players to assign Game Speeds of 70%, 50%, and 30% of the real-time rate to shortcut buttons.
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With this feature, players can now slow down the action which will give them more time to react to different scenarios in the game. For example, if you wants more time to react when a horde of Hunter’s fists fly at your face you can quickly activate Game Speed.
The Game Speed setting will also be useful to YouTubers and bloggers who want to capture picture-perfect moments to add colors to their posts or videos.
#6. Audio Frequency Controls
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will allow players to adjust the audio settings of their game and turn off sounds that they don’t find comfortable like high-pitched ringing, the bass of an explosion, or customize the Notch Frequency Filter. The full list of accessibility settings for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 can be found here.
Post-launch accessibility features for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Even after the launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac will continue to work to bring other accessibility settings targeting those with one form of visual impairment or another. Some of the key accessibility settings that will come to the game post-launch are highlighted below.
#1. Audio Description
Schaffel said some people compare this feature to a high-quality audiobook. Insomniac is currently working with Descriptive Video Works (the company that achieved the same feat for The Last of Us Part 1) to bring the feature to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
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When the feature goes live, it will “provide visual context and add a narration-style voice-over to cinematics and even QTEs”, said Schaffel. Insomniac plans to bring this feature to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 players in different languages.
#2. Screen Reader
This is another feature that plans to help players with visual impairment navigate onscreen items. It will read out several things to the player including; “TouchPad menus like the map, Abilities, Gadgets, Collectibles, Suits, Moves List, and more”. The Screen Reader will also be customizable.
#3. Captions
While this feature may feel similar to audio Description, Schaffel specified that “captions will be available for cinematics and at key audio moments in gameplay”. There will also be captions for offscreen and environmental sound effects, music, and so on.
Captions will also be highly customizable. Players can change the size, color, background opacity, and background color to distinguish them from subtitles. These post-launch accessibility features are expected to be added to the game through a free update in December 2023.
We imagine that turning all these features on may make the screen feel chaotic. Nevertheless, we are excited to see how Insomniac Games will pull these off in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. By the way, which of the accessibility features are you most excited about? Let us know in the comment box below.
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