We've documented 23 accessibility features for A Way Out, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Large Subtitles, Large Text, No Quick Reactions and No Button Combos. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Getting Started, Visual, Navigation and Audio to reduce unintended barriers.
This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Our accessibility examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked A Way Out accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
In the top right of each player's screen, your mission objective is written. It is fairly large and very clear, being written in bold yellow with a black outline. Other game text is equally clear, including the subtitles.
You can adjust the control settings for each of the two characters individually, allowing each player to have their own button layout, sensitivity etc.
The game has two different cameras, one for each character, and the aspect ratio of each often shifts. For example, if one character is in a cutscene, their screen will expand and compress the other character's, which some may find distracting.
Game Details
Release Date: 23/03/2018
Out Now: PC, PS4 and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 13+ year-olds
Players: 2 (2 online)
Genres: Action, Adventure (Communication, Fighting and Shooting)
Accessibility: 23 features
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: Hazelight Games (@HazelightGames)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Controls in A Way Out which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
Holding Down Buttons Optional: Holding down buttons for prolonged periods (a second or more) is not required or can be switched to toggling the action on and off. This is in addition to the movement stick/button which is not considered a hold for this purpose.
No Simultaneous Buttons: Only one button or key required at a time, in addition to direction stick(s).
Sensitivity
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play A Way Out, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Criminals Within (13 Controls Features)
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (11 Controls Features)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (10 Controls Features)
- It Takes Two (9 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in A Way Out which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play. The following games are similar to A Way Out, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (3 Difficulty Features)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (3 Difficulty Features)
- Criminals Within (2 Difficulty Features)
- Sifu (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Getting Started in A Way Out which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.
Assistance Getting Starting
These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.
Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials and instructions on how to play. Information is provided in a timely manner, with appropriate level of detail.
Reaction-Time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions, or there are settings to lower the requirement for quick reactions. This means you don't need to quickly press a button in response to an on-screen prompt, target a fast-moving target or skillfully complete a scenario against the clock.
Assistance For Progressing
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
Assisted Progress With Hints: The game notices if you get stuck (or you can press a button) and provides information to help you progress. This can offer hints or tutorials popping up during play. This includes hints after you have died, where it can suggest strategies or difficulty settings to adjust or offer to skip past problematic levels.
Save Progress Anytime: The game automatically saves progress or you can save any time. This doesn’t mean you never lose progress, but it does mean you can stop whenever you want (without having to get to a save point) without losing progress.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play A Way Out, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Criminals Within (8 Getting Started Features)
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (8 Getting Started Features)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (5 Getting Started Features)
- The Last Of Us (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Reading in A Way Out which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a primary/elementary student (9-year-old) could understand.
Text Visibility
Large Clear Text: All essential text is large and clear or can be adjusted to be. The general text used throughout the game in menus, instructions and other key information (excluding subtitles that are assessed separately) is at least 1/20 (46 pixels on 1080 screen) the height on landscape screens and at least 1/40 height on portrait screens. We base this on the full line-height, including the space above and below the letters.
High Contrast Text: Text colour contrasts to the background or can be adjusted to be. The text in menus, instructions and other information is presented in high contrast with a solid background.
Subtitles
Large Clear Subtitles: Subtitles are large, clear and of good contrast. They are at least 1/20 (46 pixels on 1080 screen) the height of a landscape screen and at least 1/40 height on portrait screens, or can be adjusted to be. We base this on the full line-height, including the space above and below the letters. Considered separately from the general text of the game, the subtitles are large, clear and of good contrast.
All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game): All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to hear spoken dialogue or narrative to play the game.
Captions
Speaker Indicator: Textual captions indicate who is speaking (or there is only ever one person speaking). This can also be indicated visually in the game with character icons or placing text in speech bubbles next to the person speaking.
Voice Acted
All Dialogue is Voice Acted (Or No Speech In Game): All of the game dialogue and narrative can be voiced, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to read the dialogue and narrative text to play the game.
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in A Way Out which deals with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.
Clarity
Clear Mission Objectives: The game provides clear, structured missions with directional guidance and advice on which can be attempted next. This also indicates (ideally on maps where they are provided) which missions can't be attempted because you do not have the appropriate items yet.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play A Way Out, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (8 Navigation Features)
- Sifu (5 Navigation Features)
- Biped (5 Navigation Features)
- Criminals Within (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Visual in A Way Out which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Contrast
Medium Contrast: Game uses generally well contrasting and bright visuals, or has a slider to make this the case.
Interactive Elements
Outline Interactive Elements: Characters, platforms and enemies can be outlined or highlighted for visibility. This can be with a large border around the character or a special visual mode that adjust the colour to make characters more visible.
Colour Options
Colour Blind Friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colour blind friendly mode with double coding or similar way to avoid colour dependance.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play A Way Out, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (6 Visual Features)
- Pico Park (5 Visual Features)
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (5 Visual Features)
- Sifu (4 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Audio in A Way Out which deals with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Adjustable Audio
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play A Way Out, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (4 Audio Features)
- Criminals Within (3 Audio Features)
- The Last Of Us (3 Audio Features)
- Sifu (2 Audio Features)
Communication
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Communication in A Way Out which deal with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction. The following games are similar to A Way Out, and offer accessibility features for Communication:
- It Takes Two (3 Communication Features)
- Criminals Within (2 Communication Features)
- Pico Park (1 Communication Feature)
- Koala Boutique (1 Communication Feature)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall and Andy Robertson