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Shadow of the Tomb Raider was my most anticipated game of 2018; when I read about the accessibility features, that excitement then morphed into a mixture of relief, curiosity, and hope. As games and controllers become more complex, especially with the popularity of VR, I worry that the hobby I take part in right now will soon become a hobby I can no longer enjoy – and Tomb Raider isn’t exactly known for its simple controls or combat. But with aim assist and other features I will explain below, I am proud to share that I am able to play Shadow. And it was easier than any other game of this genre in recent years.
I wanted to do this quick overview of the options menu so other disabled gamers can know what to expect before making that purchase. Off to the menus we go!
Audio and Languages
Under the Audio and Languages section, there are sliders to lower or raise specific volumes. I often have a difficult time hearing dialogue over sound effects, so this is a welcome feature. The voice-over language and immersion options allow you to either have everyone speak English, or people speak in their native language with English subtitles (or the other language choices that are available).
Unlike some games, the subtitles here are a good size with the opaque background needed for contrast. Using subtitle colors makes it easy to distinguish who is speaking, and the environmental subtitles transcribe the outskirt dialog in addition to the main dialog. The closed captioning also points out non-dialog sounds to further immerse Deaf/HOH gamers in the lush setting.
Gamepad
While I haven’t tested my Xbox controller with Shadow of the Tomb Raider yet, I am sure this will be accessible for me based on these options alone. The aim sensitivity means I can be more precise when going for those head shots. The crank controls in other games are a point of frustration, so being able to simply push the control to one side versus rotating it makes things a lot easier. Repeated stick inputs allows you to hold a stick in one direction rather than having to push it repeatedly for specific actions.
Gameplay
This is the part I was most excited about – the ability to set separate difficulty levels for combat, exploration, and puzzles. These levels affect enemy health, puzzle and critical-item visibility, hints throughout the game, and more. With my disability, aiming is not easy – so being able to set aim assist in combat, while still figuring out challenging puzzles, makes the game more enjoyable and rewarding.
Each gamer and each disability is different; people now have the choice to play Tomb Raider in the way that is most comfortable to them. And praise our lord Mariah Carey, there is an option here to turn off button mashing. *chef’s kiss*
Also notable is the ability to toggle aim.
Mouse and Keyboard
Here we have the typical invert and axis options, as well as aim sensitivity. Mouse smoothing is great if your hands shake. This also helps with taking down enemies and traversing the environment.
Key Mapping
And here’s the disabled gamer’s favorite screen – key remapping! Everything here is standard stuff, but I feel like some of these buttons could be combined to make it even more accessible. There are only so many buttons within my reach, and going for them in the midst of battle is sometimes frustrating. With the introduction of the plant potion system, the ability to quickly heal yourself becomes a game of “will I be able to remember which button I rebound this to?” I am sure, once I spend more time making adjustments, I can find a setup that works better for me.
Tobii
Tobii Eye Tracking is not new to Tomb Raider, but it’s still so great to see this accessible system in the main menu of an AAA game. Tobii allows users to control Lara with their eyes rather than a mouse or joystick input. You can learn more about it in this official video:
I am beyond pleased with the accessibility options in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. I’ve played about an hour into it on PC, and so far, it’s my favorite installment of the reboot series – in large part because of my ability to play without limitations. I’ve read some posts online about how this game is “too easy” now, but I’m not sure why these folks can’t just turn the difficulty up to give them the challenge they crave.
How are you enjoying this game so far? Are the accessibility features working for you? Let me know in the comments!
You can find me playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider and other games on my Twitch channel. If you would like to support this blog on a monthly basis, please consider becoming a Patron.
I never thought about accessibility until reading this! I always wondered “why’s there an aim assist?! Reading your article opened my world view! Thank you, and thanks Tomb Raider! NOW GET RAIDING!! (I just finished the Shadow story, there are some WILD plot points that had me hooting and hollering!! The sequence after the Point of No Return is brilliant! Can’t wait to dive into the Tombs and crypts!)