It’s The Last of Us 2 review day and Naughty Dog’s latest has received damn near perfect scores across the board, including from us here at Trusted Reviews.
However, it isn’t just mainstream gamers who’re lining up to acclaim Ellie and Joel’s new adventure. Gamers with accessibility needs are already dubbing this a breakthrough moment for the industry.
“There will be before The Last of Us 2 and after The Last of Us 2,” says Steve Saylor of Can I Play This and the YouTube series Blind Gamer. Saylor’s emotional reaction to seeing the accessibility settings for the first time struck a chord and was widely shared on Twitter.
I've been reluctant to post this.
I recorded my reaction when I saw the #accessibility settings in #TheLastofUsPartII for the first time thinking it would be a fun video for posterity. I…did not expect this.
This is why we do what we do. ?
Thank you @Naughty_Dog. pic.twitter.com/D5Or2B9Tfw
— Steve Saylor – Canadian Game Award Nominee (@stevesaylor) June 12, 2020
In an extensive review his colleague Courtney Craven added: “I have never seen a more robust and all-encompassing set of accessibility options and I am stunned by their attention and commitment to making this game accessible.”
Craven says there over 60 accessibility options for those with vision, hearing and mobility needs that are available at launch, plenty of which “can be tweaked to the nth degree.” They added that the game offers “literally every setting and option I have ever needed to play a game and enjoy it in the way that suits me best.”
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Those include subtitles for all dialogue with speaker names, as well as vibration during combat and when Ellie is playing her guitar. The dodge prompts also proved useful to Craven, who said those alone would assist the ability to play so many other games.
The site gives The Last of Us 2 10/10 scores across the board for deaf/hard of hearing accessibility. “This marks only the second time in my gaming life that I have been able to play a game without a single barrier to my enjoyment,” the reviewer adds.
As well as winning plaudits for its inclusiveness from an accessibility standpoint, TLOU2 is also earning acclaim for the representation of LGBT characters within the new instalment.
In her review, our own Jade King wrote: “LGBT representation throughout The Last of Us 2 sets a new benchmark, especially in the AAA space, and Naughty Dog should be commended for it.”
The game is out, exclusively on Sony PS4, on June 19.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
