is designed to be arduous. The product is carefully crafted from the ground up to ensure seamless accessibility for all users. These items are not mutually exclusive. Ubisoft Montpellier seamlessly integrated accessibility options throughout every aspect of the game from its inception, eschewing traditional segregation by tasking senior game designers Christophe Pic and Rémi Boutin to spearhead accessibility efforts, which ultimately led to the company’s Innovation in Accessibility award at The Game Awards 2024. While pitted against other notable Ubisoft titles, including , , and , the team successfully set a new benchmark for accessibility within the challenging Metroidvania genre – earning them due recognition for their efforts.
“While some developers may worry that incorporating accessibility features could compromise their game’s unique selling points, I firmly believe that it’s actually the opposite,” says Boutin, addressing concerns about the impact of accessibility options on the gaming experience. Enabling more gamers to revel in the thrill of exploration and more players to reap the rewards of battle. Once opinions are formed, the game remains perceived as extremely challenging. “Our controls facilitate a swift and enjoyable experience, making the game easy to learn but challenging to master,” said senior producer Abdelhak Elguezzi.
Launched in January, the game was an instant critical success and marked the first major Prince of Persia installment since 2010. Significant effort was required to achieve success in the sport. “We started by examining the DNA, recognizing that tackling an enormous project requires acknowledging and respecting its scale. Nevertheless, we also wanted to surprise our players,” said Mounir Radi, Recreation Director.
Gamers are familiar with certain features that offer numerous options, including problem-solving choices, subtitles, and helpful tutorials. While Ubisoft’s commitment to accessibility truly stands out, its most notable achievement lies in the way it has incorporated accessibility features throughout its entire development process. Boutin attributed the specific motivation behind certain decisions to this particular course, much like the high-contrast switch that drove similar actions. The high-contrast mode on a Ubisoft game significantly affects both color intensity and visual clarity, enhancing overall visibility. In cinematic sequences, a notable anomaly was spotted by a developer: narrative details were consistently compromised, with plot twists like an enemy suddenly transforming into an ally, for instance. Items are internally labelled, allowing for flexible application to diverse assets. The developer introduced an option to toggle cinematic playback, enabling players to avoid spoilers and maintain their experience intact. “That’s the kind of element that arises from the truth that everyone was invested in making accessibility a priority,” said Boutin.
The sheer thrill of exploring a sprawling Metroidvania world is unparalleled. The team required gamers to feel slightly disoriented, yet still grounded. So, the team created a guided mode to facilitate this process. “Pic admitted that creating an immersive experience required participants to feel lost, which proved challenging.” Because its discovery is driven by exploration, it’s crucial. Let participants uncover the path to discovery on their own terms, unearthing hidden treasures and taking shortcuts that reveal themselves through exploration. We designed our guided mode to support novice gamers who struggle with navigating maps in games like Metroidvanias, where spatial awareness is crucial. While the primary objectives lie within the map’s boundaries, finding one’s way there often requires a sense of adventure and discovery through exploration.
Picture: Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft
With a nod to nostalgia, Boutin underscored the preservation of adventure’s pure exhilaration. While many gamers abandon certain video games due to frustration with getting lost, they often overlook the thrill of discovery. The advent of the screenshot marker was primarily driven by this motivating factor.
Screenshots marked with markers called reminiscence shards enable gamers to capture and pin images directly onto the game’s map, mimicking the act of jotting notes in a journal but on the screen itself. Intrigued by the potential of using photographs as a game mechanic, Boutin watched as Ubisoft’s initial prototypes faltered, yet still managed to yield promising results despite certain constraints. Initially, Boutin’s screenshot feature boasted greater complexity, requiring numerous iterations to distill it into its final form. “This allowed us to keep participants engaged throughout their observation,” remarked Pic.
Throughout their growth journey, Boutin and Pic learned that the most crucial takeaway was the importance of incorporating accessibility by design from the outset, ensuring it is seamlessly integrated throughout the game’s development process, with all stakeholders actively involved. Initially, reservations existed within the group regarding this approach; nonetheless, once its efficacy became apparent, unanimous support ensued as everyone gained insight. To be nominated alongside other innovative video games, let alone win, serves as a testament to the effectiveness of our approach.
Despite the Ubisoft team behind the game being reassigned to projects such as Ghost Recon, Rayman, and Beyond Good & Evil, its members take immense pride in their accomplishment. According to gaming feeds, Radi has officially announced that it sold more than one million copies, but a report from Insider Gaming in October suggested that the game failed to meet Ubisoft’s internal projections.
“In fact, our experience with Ubisoft was particularly challenging,” Radi said. Is every month a fresh start? By presenting these nominations, we’re revealing the type of creative fulfillment that arises when we collaborate and pursue our passions with genuine enthusiasm.
