God of War Ragnarök is more than just a loud-brash closing to Kratos’ Norse saga—it’s a major step forward in the accessibility of a blockbuster gaming title. As the industry slowly wakes to the fact that not all gamers see the world in the same way, the new epic from Santa Monica Studio shines through like a beacon. It is large and imperfect at times, but it is a profound game-changer in an irrevocable way by how it dramatically increases the number of people who can play in its mythic world.
The moment you power up Ragnarök, it is obvious that the developers want you to feel at home, no matter your abilities and skills. Right away, you are given the option of Quick Start or Guided Setup. This prompts users to set accessibility visuals and sounds even before accessing the main menu. If it is needed, pressing the Square button once activates the screen reader, which then goes through the menus, settings, and options, reading aloud everything coherently and helpfully: first, the option being spoken, then its current value, the description of the option, and finally, instructions for changing it. “This way, audio players feel considerably less intimidated when interacting with the interface,” a Game Accessibility Nexus reviewer states in their review.
Upon entering the accessibility menu, the player cannot help but wonder how much thought had gone into it. It’s packed with features—similar to a labyrinth, but in a positive sense. The developers have vision, hearing, motor skill, and motion sensitivity presets, each of which can be changed further within its own customized option set. There is everything from UI text size (up to XX-Large) and icon size to speech and color filters. Whether you are adjusting the HUD for your needs or the overall look and feel of the game, the main reason for it all is simply making things easier to read and understand. And if you want to go even deeper, you certainly can—adjusting aim assist, puzzle timing, traversal assist, auto pick-up, and so on. The range of options is staggering, and it can be inferred that the developers took their cue from accessibility pioneers such as The Last of Us Part II.
But great menus don’t always translate to great gameplay, so how does it all hold up in action? For blind and low-vision players, the mix of sound cues, screen narration, and navigation help is a total game-changer. Ross Minor mentions that the game utilizes audio feedback for almost everything—throwing your axe, dodging, and blocking—and even a glossary so you know what any sound is associated with. Using R3 triggers navigation assist, and Kratos will be directed to his next goal, whether part of the main campaign or a side objective. This allows blind players to finally navigate the game’s vibrant world on their terms, instead of simply following a single route.
High-contrast mode is another highlight. It lets you color characters, enemies, objects you can interact with, and danger bright, highly visible colors. You can give Atreus a glowing green, set the enemies red, and have objects you need to use stand out against a darkened background. It’s not just a cosmetic switch—it’s an essential aid for players who have difficulty reading in the game’s dark, atmospheric environments.
But, of course, the system isn’t flawless. Reviewers with disabilities have noted that the screen reader is lovely in many aspects—such as the pause menu and tutorials—but doesn’t work elsewhere, such as in the skill tree, stores, journals, or map. Which means gearing up or doing side quests can be a hassle, turning these moments into infuriating guessing games. The auto-equip option is available in-game, but it does not exactly compensate for the absence of that control. Although all but the most challenging puzzles are accessible, some of the optional ones are still inaccessible because the navigation aid doesn’t always guide toward their solutions, and not all actions are supported by a distinct sound cue.
Despite these problems, overall, the experience is a huge leap forward. A reviewer described the pairing of high-contrast mode and navigation support as revealing the game’s world in ways that weren’t even possible in 2018’s iteration. Being able to explore, battle, and puzzle solve largely independently brings a strong sense of autonomy. The audio design of the game assists as well—3D spatial audio and clear audio cues for various actions make up some of the difference between sighted and non-sighted players.
God of War Ragnarök isn’t only ticking an accessibility box—it’s redefining what accessibility might mean in AAA games. Yes, there’s still plenty to be done, particularly in ensuring every aspect of the game and every menu is fully accessible to everyone. But the range of features here shows that excellent storytelling and inclusive design don’t have to be mutually exclusive objectives. For every gamer who’s ever been left out in the cold by the largest games in business, Ragnarök is an empowering, emotional call to join the fray.