Star Fox Outfit

Bayonetta 2 earned plenty of plaudits in 2014 - critically acclaimed and with terrific fan feedback, it also made regular appearances in Game of the Year shortlists. We'd certainly agree that it's an outstanding game, but it's picked up a notable award that reflects an appreciation of some key design choices that Platinum Games made.

The AbleGamers Charity has named Bayonetta 2 as its Accessible Mainstream Game of the Year, praising its multiple control schemes that make the game more playable for those that may find complex button inputs or combinations physically challenging or inaccessible. With multiple controllers and the GamePad option to play with a stylus, in addition to the assist combat option that allows single button combat, it was praised in the announcement for succeeding where other titles either fail or make no attempt to support accessibility.

Bayonetta 2 stands out among other accessible mainstream games by paying careful attention to user friendly game experience. The inclusion of a one-button combat mode creates an experience other character action titles should implement. As a proof of concept, this game demonstrates that accessibility can be implemented into a mainstream AAA game without harming any of the gameplay. Popular titles such as Shadow of Mordor could easily implement one-button mode for those who need such accessibility while leaving a complicated controls for those who prefer those methods, and still award players with a top-notch game that is accessible to everyone.

Multiple control schemes interchangeably allow combat to be as streamlined as possible without degrading any of the overarching game play design choices. Touch and motion controls are optional, quick time events are of minimal impact to the game play thanks to the one-button mode, and yet still allows for more experienced players to set up challenges they deem appropriate to tackle.

It's certainly worth remembering that accessibility for all gamers can be an important issue, and worth celebrating when a title gets things right. It's worth also noting that Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire was nominated for the same award.

Thanks to Benson for the heads up.

[source ablegamers.com]