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Xbox X|SWe've documented 34 accessibility features for Helldivers 2, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Select Difficulty, No Button Combos, No Repeated Pressing and Remap Buttons. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Navigation but it also has features in Reading, Visual, Communication, Difficulty, Getting Started 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 Helldivers 2 accessibility 11 weeks ago.
Accessibility Notes
You can completely remap the controller, with the exception of the share and options buttons, including both sticks. You can use gyro aiming, and can choose when it's active, including always, so you could use it as your primary way of looking around and use only one stick to move around.
You can change any input needed on the battlefield from a hold to a press, amongst several other options, such as a double press, but you sometimes need to hold down a button to acknowledge some text during the tutorial or when on your ship, so some presses are still needed. Playing with a team can reduce the need to press buttons rapidly.
There is a time limit to each level, so if you fail to do your objective quickly enough, you automatically lose. The time limit is typically 40 minutes.
There is extensive assistance with navigation, such as a minimap with objectives clearly marked, a compass that points to the direction of your waypoint, and mission objective text that tells you where to go. Text is high in contrast, but can be small, and even on their largest sizer subtitles are still well below 1/20th of screen height.
There is extensive flashing throughout the game, primarily from weapon muzzle flashes.
While there are generally visual and audio cues for the same events, sometimes you can hear enemies before you are visually alerted to them, and being able to hear your teammates is also important, so sound is necessary to play well.
Game Details
Release Date: 08/02/2024
Out Now: PC and PS5
Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds
Players: 1 (4 online)
Genres: Communication, Shooting (Action and Strategy)
Accessibility: 34 features
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: Arrowhead GS (@ArrowheadGS)
Costs: Purchase cost, In-Game Purchases and In-Game Pass
Controls
We've documented 11 accessibility features for Controls in Helldivers 2 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 & Single Stick: Can play with multiple buttons and a stick.
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.
Motion
Games that can be played with different sorts of motion controllers.
Motion Aiming: Can use small movements of the gamepad to fine-tune aiming or as the main aiming mechanism. This is sometimes known as Gyro-Aiming. This usually provides the ability to calibrate these controls to taste.
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.
Swap Sticks: Can swap the sticks over so that you can use the opposite sticks to control the game.
Remap Sticks: Can remap the stick controls to controller buttons for easier access of direction controls.
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
Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional: Quick, repeated button pressing (more than 2 times a second) is not required, can be skipped or switched to holding a button to trigger a repeated action.
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, Deadzones and Thresholds: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are and the related deadzones and thresholds.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Halo Infinite (14 Controls Features)
- Borderlands 3 (12 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Difficulty in Helldivers 2 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.
Difficulty Options
Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.
Adjust After Setting
Adjustable Between Levels: You can adjust the difficulty between levels/rounds. Although you have to restart your checkpoint or level, this enables you to adjust the difficulty after selecting it at the beginning of the game.
Getting Started
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Getting Started in Helldivers 2 which deals 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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Quake II (7 Getting Started Features)
- Doom Eternal (6 Getting Started Features)
- Borderlands 3 (4 Getting Started Features)
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Seige (4 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Reading in Helldivers 2 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
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
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Outriders (7 Reading Features)
- Halo Infinite (6 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Navigation in Helldivers 2 which deal 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
Large Clear Navigation: The in-game navigation and maps are clear to read. They offer large text and offer markers that are large and of high contrast. Where text or information is small, there are settings to zoom-in and increase visibility.
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.
Head-Up Display
Head-Up Display Navigation: Indication of where to go next with overlaid arrows, minimaps and waypoint markers. This supplements in-game visual and audible cues with additional guidance about where you are and where you need to go.
Adjust Head-Up Display: Resize and adjust the content of the head-up display. This enables it to be made more visible. It can also enable the removal of too much information that can be distracting or confusing.
Game Map: View a map of the game world during play, with the landscape, points of interest and missions highlighted throughout the entire game. This enables the orientation of the player and the world, confirming a direction of movement and the location of destinations or points of exploration.
Menu Navigation
Digital Menu Navigation: Menu choices with Gamepad can be made without using an analogue stick to guide a cursor to a selection. For example, using D-Pad, buttons or the Stick to change menu selection in a single action.
Menus Don't Wrap: Menus don't wrap and stop the cursor at the bottom of the list if you press down. Or menus do wrap but make it clear that you are back at the top of the list with sound or narration.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Navigation accessibility:
- Halo Infinite (11 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Visual in Helldivers 2 which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Visual Distractions
No Screen Shake: No screen shake effect or it is included but it can be disabled. This includes the absence of screen shake for dramatic effect as well as to indicate hits on a target.
Audio Cues for Visual Events
Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events. Game events or progress highlighted by visual icons, effects or animations are also accompanied by audio to signify that progress. This is useful for blind players.
Motion Sickness Friendly
Motion Sickness Friendly: Doesn't have 3D movement elements that may trigger motion sickness, like motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision. Or includes the ability to disable motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision effects.
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 Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Rotwood (6 Visual Features)
- Halo Infinite (6 Visual Features)
- Borderlands 3 (6 Visual Features)
- Fortnite (6 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Audio in Helldivers 2 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 Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Fortnite (4 Audio Features)
- Halo Infinite (3 Audio Features)
- Borderlands 3 (3 Audio Features)
- Apex Legends (3 Audio Features)
Communication
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Communication in Helldivers 2 which deal with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction.
Player-to-Player Online Communication
This is how players communicate with each other in online games. This can be to plan strategy, chat as they play or co-ordinate resources.
Text Chat: Chat to other players by typing text.
Voice Chat: Chat to other players on your team or friends list by speaking with headset.
Online Communication Assistance
Text-to-speech: Convert text messages from other players to voiced messages. Game converts text typed by the player into synthesized audio that's read aloud to all other players in the voice channel. This feature allows players who can't speak verbally to have their thoughts expressed aloud to the rest of the players in their party.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Communication
If you want to play Helldivers 2, but it doesn't offer the Communication accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Communication accessibility:
- Apex Legends (5 Communication Features)
- Planetside 2 (5 Communication Features)
- Overwatch 2 (5 Communication Features)
- Quake II (4 Communication Features)
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 5
PlayStation 5 has a range of system-wide accessibility settings.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall
