Arcane Studios has released the third major update for Deathloop, which adds a slew of accessibility features. There's now an accessibility category in the options menu that includes the previously introduced settings (some of which have been upgraded) in addition to the new ones.
Players will be able to adjust various gameplay elements, though some settings will be limited to the single-player mode — i.e., when you play as Colt and Julianna is controlled by AI rather than an invading human. These include slowing down the game speed, adjusting the number of reprises (or lives) you have and making the combat easier or harder. There are more user interface options as well, such as the ability to change the color, size and opacity of some text and graphical elements.
In addition, players will, at long last, be able to navigate menus using the directional buttons instead of having to use a cursor. What a concept! If you prefer to use a cursor through, you can now adjust its movement speed.
NEW ACCESSIBILITY UPDATES IN #Deathloop!!
– Game Speed
– Difficulty options
– You can change number of Reprises
– New HUD and subtitle options
– Easier menu navigation (using D-Pad and including changing cursor speed)I THINK I CAN FINALLY PLAY THIS GAME!
New video coming soon! https://t.co/mD7KPRIgw2— Steve Saylor (@stevesaylor) May 12, 2022
When Deathloop landed on PS5 and PC last September, it was widely acclaimed, with critics praising its well-constructed gameplay, art style, level design and story. However, accessibility advocates pointed out issues that made the game difficult for disabled players to enjoy, such as the text size, lack of a controller remapping option and low contrast. Hopefully, this update will address most, if not all, of their concerns.
“We are truly grateful to the players and the ally community who gave us so much feedback when Deathloop was released,” lead UI/UX designer Yoann Bazoge told the PlayStation Blog. “We took the time to read all of the accessibility reviews and watch the videos of players explaining why they couldn’t play Deathloop. We then worked on a document listing all of the feedback and drew up a roadmap of what the additions would be for Game Update 3.”
Meanwhile, Arcane has added another much-requested feature: photo mode. This will only be available in single-player mode and you'll be able to use poses, filters and stickers. Players can switch between Colt and Julianna, and choose a different outfit or weapon to capture the exact shot they want.