Indie developer Falling Squirrel’s upcoming project, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, provides an audio-focused experience created with blind and low-vision players in mind. Though many strides have been made in recent years, accessibility in gaming still has a long way to go, particularly in the mainstream space.
Titles such as The Last of Us Part II helped push things forward in this regard, boasting 60 accessibility settings, a number of which benefit fans who are visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, and need assistance with mobility. Hardware is slowly gaining ground in some respects as well, with Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller arguably constituting the best example. The hardware manufacturer designed the gamepad to meet the needs of users with disabilities. And it works with a wide variety of devices, allowing players to attach external pieces like joysticks and buttons as needed. Of course, the hard work isn’t over yet and Falling Squirrel is doing its part to populate the market with another accessibility-friendly adventure.
Today, Falling Squirrel shared a dev diary in which Creative Director Dave Evans candidly speaks about what inspired The Vale’s premise. The project began as a way for Evans to tell stories, then morphed into a game for visually impaired players once he realized the community had long been underserved. Wanting to build an all-audio game, Evans contacted CNIB, a charitable organization devoted to helping blind and low-vision Canadians. Through this connection, the Creative Director met game consultant Martin Corsellis, who helped educate him in audio game tropes and how best to approach sensitive topics.
Falling Squirrel’s work with the diverse group of play testers organized by the CNIB convinced them to pursue a first-person experience to place users “in the shell of the main character,” a notion further helped by the studio’s hiring of visually impaired voice actors such as TV and Radio personality Ramya Amuthan. Interestingly, Falling Squirrel also utilized plugins and technology created for virtual reality titles that allow developers “to create binaural audio with stereo headsets in a virtual 3D space.” Applying such tools to the all-audio experience resulted in the creation of The Vale’s “3D soundscapes” further enhanced by the use of haptic controller feedback.
The developer expressed a desire to immerse visually impaired and sighted players in an emotional tale about a blind hero who embarks on a journey rife with all manner of danger. It packs in the core tenets of countless other action-adventure titles, too, including combat encounters, resource management, and the need to collect quality gear.
Hopefully, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown acts as a herald of things to come, inspiring mainstream developers to invest in a wider range of accessibility. Though things continue to improve on this front, the road ahead still seems a long one.
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown comes to PC via Steam and Xbox One platforms on August 19.
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