The release of DOOM Eternal has been a success with its range of deliberate design choices for greater accessibility.
Throughout the Settings options players are presented with various Accessibility options across multiple tabs. For example, a Colorblind option can be found in the tabs for UI, Video, Accessibility, and elsewhere all with different functions. For the rendering options, players can select None (default), Protanopia, Tritanopia, or Deuteranopia. Color Vision Deficiency, or CVD, affects roughly 1 in 12 men.
There are many more options to choose from. Controller Layout is another point for consideration, with several common layouts offered, but also the ability to custom map a controller as one sees fit. For people with limited mobility and who find the usage of traditional controllers too difficult, this is ideal. The example mentioned earlier of the custom controller takes this approach to heart as well.
Another set of options for accessibility comes in the form of player perspective in game. Both the Field of View and Motion Blur can be adjusted, which perfect for players who get motion sickness from playing with rigid settings that cannot be adjusted.
When looking at everything that DOOM Eternal offers by default, it can be jarring to go back to other games that offer little or no options for increasing Accessibility.
Moving forward, it should be the industry norm to make games with a focus on Accessibility, especially for the larger developers who both have the infrastructure and resources to create such tools and should be industry leaders. Although DOOM Eternal does a great job at creating an inclusive game for all types of players, it is an exception to the rule, and not the norm.
