PlayStation shares accessibility features for God of War Ragnarok with first-look at UI, hints at a release date soon

PlayStation Studios Santa Monica has shared some new details regarding the accessibility features in the hotly anticipated God of War Ragnarok. The studio has also shared a first look at the UI and has hinted that the release date might be close.

God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the 2018' Game of the Year title, God of War, is the second and allegedly conclusive chapter in Kratos' Norse saga with the Nordic pantheon. The game was officially announced back in 2020 during the PlayStation 5 Showcase, with gameplay debuting last year at the State of Play.

While God of War 2018 was an amazing game, worthy of the Game of the Year title, the accessibility features left a lot to be desired. However, with Ragnarok, the developers are implementing improvements from day one, from the subtitles to larger text and button prompt, to a high contrast mode. Let's take a look at the accessibility features.

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The accessibility features for God of War Ragnarok and a first look at the UI

God of War Ragnarok implements improvements across the board, from changing the size of subtitles and text to implementing high contrast modes for a better understanding of the game. The in-depth accessibility features will certainly help the game reach a wider audience.

One of the major complaints regarding God of War (2018) was the small subtitles that sometimes blended in the environment.

For Ragnarok, Sony Santa Monica is implementing accessible features such as not only a larger size, but also colors distinguishing the different speakers as well as their names, proper background and background blur, bringing a more readable and accessible subtitle.

The list of accessibility features discussed in the blog post is as follows:

• Subtitle and Caption Improvements
• Subtitle and Caption Size
• Subtitle and Caption Colors
• Speaker Names
• Captions
• Subtitle and Caption Background Blur
• Subtitle Background
• Text Size / Icon Size
• Controller Remapping
• High Contrast Mode
• High Contrast Activation Customization
• High Contrast Color Customization:
• High Contrast Background Customization
• Navigation Assist
• Traversal Assistance
• Assistance +
• Audio Cues

A first look at the UI of Ragnarok (Image by PlayStation)

Along with the accessibility features, Santa Monica also shared a first look at the UI. The in-depth customization option presented in the game will certainly help players tune the title according to their needs.

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Santa Monica Studios can't wait to share more as God of War Ragnarok 'get closer to launch'

The accessibility features in God of War Ragnarok are a welcoming addition. However, what fans are most excited about is the potential release date. While the game was originally announced for 2021, it was subsequently delayed to 2022.

With nearly halfway through the year, PlayStation is yet to disclose a release window. The accessibility feature blog post, however, does hint that the release date is on the horizon. Sony Santa Monica Studios closes off the blog post by saying,

"We can’t wait to share more with you as we get closer to launch."

Considering the lack of information since last year's gameplay showcase, as well as the recent delay of Starfield, paired with the lack of a release window, speculation of a possible delay has certainly been on fans' minds.

However, whilst the accessibility features do not showcase anything in-game per se, it does share a first look at the UI. This has brought some clarity to the minds of the fans and rejuvenated the confidence in the God of War Ragnarok meeting its 2022 release date.

While PlayStation had a very strong first half of the year with Horizon Forbidden West, Uncharted Legacy of Thieves, and Gran Turismo 7 (keeping the abysmal microtransaction aside), the rest of the year is a blank slate.

From God of War Ragnarok to Marvel's Spider-Man 2, PlayStation has quite a few titles with unannounced dates. The publisher is also rumored to have more titles in the works such as The Last of Us' remake and the rumored Silent Hill project, as well as PC ports of older titles.

All things considered, PlayStation is expected to be hosting an event showcase sooner rather than later, and it might be the perfect opportunity to announce the release date for God of War Ragnarok.