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The Last Of Us Part 1 – Pushing Accessibility Forward, By Going Back.

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the-last-of-us-part-1-remake-review-header The Last Of Us Part 1 PC Review

I’ve spent the last week playing The Last Us Part 1 Remake. Like many of you, this wasn’t my first time with this amazing game. Since it was originally released in 2013 on the PS3, and was also remastered for PS4. You might think, what is the point of this new PS5 version? You can read more about that in our review.

For me and many others, the answer is simple…Accessibility. Something which was lacking in previous versions of this great game. Most importantly, it allows people to play the game, who up until now were simply unable to play this PlayStation masterpiece. Naughty Dog has done a great job this time round! I was pleased to find a plethora of accessibility options. You will notice some of these immediately on the game’s initial setup.  Where you will be greeted by these three preset options:

If these presets don’t fulfill your needs, or maybe they do too much. Not to worry! You can still customise your settings by going into the accessibility menu, which are divided into six subcategories. Six! This is fantastic that there are now so many options!  Many of these were available when Naughty Dog went on to develop The Last of Us Part 2. Several new additions also find their way into the remake.
Perhaps the biggest is Audio Description during cinematic scenes. This is something I honestly can’t believe we haven’t seen more of in games. Especially given how long audio descriptions have been available in the movie world. It’s a small thing that can be the difference between someone being able to play a game or not. Two game-changing options for me were High Contrast Mode and Enhanced Listen Mode. The latter is one I’d recommend that anyone give a go. It allows you to change the effective distance of the Listen Mode. On top of that, you can use it like a pulse to highlight enemies or objects. This is done by pressing Square for enemies and Circle for objects.

Naughty Dog has been among the best studios at implementing much-needed accessibility features. In the last few years, they have helped to set the bar for accessibility by implementing these features into a beloved title. They’ve opened the game up to an audience previously unable to play, which is an amazing thing and one that should be celebrated throughout the gaming industry.

Forget for a moment, “is it worth $70?” and take a step back. Gaming is about playing, and enabling those who can’t play is just as important. Sometimes that might take a remake of some nature. Not everything can be patched in, somethings require ground-up rebuilds to work. Of course, as players, it sucks that it has to come with a price tag. It doesn’t make it not worth doing! More people playing games is a wonderful thing.

I believe we need more of this. We can debate price tags all day, as we always will. Ultimately the biggest achievement of The Last of Us Part 1 and a massive reason it should exist. It’s simple, enabling more people to access a great game. This represents a step forward for accessibility. That step, looking back and making great games from a less accessible time. Accessible for more players!

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Jordan has been playing games since the age of six. This ignited a passion which initially led him towards game development before trying his hand in the realm of games media, starting in 2022. It turns out he's quite good at it, even if he doesn't always believe in himself. Now, just a few short years later, not only is Jordan a valued member of our staff here at The Outerhaven, but he also co-owns and helps to run Analog Stick Gaming.

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