To say that it’s been a long wait for Starfield is an understatement that even Bethesda would laugh at. The developer is known for taking their time with video games and only releasing them when they’re ready, but the fact that it can take many years beyond what fans expect has hurt them in the past. Their upcoming IP is another great example of that, as it’s been almost eight years since it was started, and it’ll finally release on September 6th. Given that span of time, fans are hoping that everything that could happen in the game will happen, including many accessibility options.
Starfield head Todd Howard talked with Kinda Funny Games about the upcoming title, how it has grown over the years, and what you can do in it. But one thing that he made sure to do was to ensure that everyone had the accessibility options to play the game in a way that would let them enjoy it:
“One thing that we’re really leaning in on with this game is having a large font mode which really is important in an RPG where there’s a lot of stuff to read, so it comes into play obviously for accessibility but also various monitor sizes,” he said. “I’m noticing that that’s really helpful when I play. There’s a lot more handheld devices coming out where you can stream these games or sometimes even play them natively and it really helps us there as well so that’s one in particular that we’re leaning in on.”
That’s good overall because AAA needs to be accessible not just to the “standard gamers” but to those who have certain needs regarding their visual and auditory abilities. Plus, some need special control setups to use with their hands.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about the game being on Steam Deck, that’ll happen down the line.
Howard maintained the game’s scope, stating that it would have over 1000 planets to explore. But he also said that only about 10% would have life inhabit it. That might sound like a small number, but that means there are over 100 worlds with life to check out, and we have a feeling Bethesda did its best to flesh said worlds out.
Furthermore, there is a radio station you can listen to! If you’re in a certain spot, that is:
“There is one, but it is pretty much local to a certain location. It’s not something you can dial into when you’re away but there is a little bit of that I would say.”
