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GAMES Black Desert ACCESSIBILITY REPORT
We've documented 28 accessibility features for Black Desert. Strongest in Controls and Visual but also has features in Reading, Navigation, Getting Started, Communication and Audio to reduce unintended barriers. This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Black Desert is an online role-playing game. Unlike other large online games (often called MMOs, Massively Multiplayer Online Games), it doesn't just focus on combat; you can explore the vibrant fantasy world, interact with inhabitants and choose how you want to live your life. This unique blend of online play, combat and thoughtful, detailed storytelling makes it unique.
Accessibility Notes
Game DetailsRelease Date: 03/03/2015, updated in 2019
Out Now: Android, PC, PS4, Xbox One and iOS
Content Rating: PEGI 16
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1 (100 online)
Genres: Fighting, Role-Play (Action, Adventure and Simulation)
Accessibility: 28 features
Components: 3D First-Person, Day and Night, Open World and Weather
Developer: Play Black Desert (@PlayBlackDesert)
Costs: Purchase cost and In-Game Loot Boxes
ControlsWe've documented 9 accessibility features for Controls in Black Desert which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Can play with the following:
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
Can play with the following. Additional gestures may be required for games played with a screenreader like VoiceOver.
Two Motions Targeted: Can play with touchscreen, two simultaneous taps, swipes or hold gestures.
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.
Remap Sticks: Can remap the stick controls to controller buttons for easier access of direction controls.
Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.
Remap Extra Mouse Buttons: Can remap additional buttons on mice that provide more than the two standard buttons, on systems that support these controls.
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
DifficultyWe haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Black Desert which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play. The following games are similar to Black Desert, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
Getting StartedWe've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Black Desert which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.
These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.
Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials and instructions on how to play. Information is provided in a timely manner, with appropriate level of detail.
Practice Area: You can practice freely without opponents or time pressures. This can be a specific practice option, or the ability to play levels with the easiest opponents to improve understanding and skill.
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
Save Progress Anytime: The game automatically saves progress or you can save any time. This doesn’t mean you never lose progress, but it does mean you can stop whenever you want (without having to get to a save point) without losing progress.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
ReadingWe've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Black Desert which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. This doesn't include subtitles as required reading if they are fully voiced.
Moderate Reading: Moderate reading required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a high school student (14-year-old) would appreciate.
Large Clear Subtitles: Subtitles are large, clear and of good contrast. They are at least 1/20 (46 pixels on 1080 screen) the height of a landscape screen and at least 1/40 height on portrait screens, or can be adjusted to be. We base this on the full line-height, including the space above and below the letters. Considered separately from the general text of the game, the subtitles are large, clear and of good contrast.
All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game): All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to hear spoken dialogue or narrative to play the game.
Some Dialogue is Voice Acted: Some of the game dialogue and narrative is voice acted. This reduces the pressure on reading all the dialogue text, although not everything is provided audibly.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
NavigationWe've documented 4 accessibility features for Navigation in Black Desert which deal with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.
Large Clear Navigation: The in-game navigation and maps are clear to read. They offer large text and offer markers that are large and of high contrast. Where text or information is small, there are settings to zoom-in and increase visibility.
Adjust Head-Up Display: Resize and adjust the content of the head-up display. This enables it to be made more visible. It can also enable the removal of too much information that can be distracting or confusing.
Game Map: View a map of the game world during play, with the landscape, points of interest and missions highlighted throughout the entire game. This enables the orientation of the player and the world, confirming a direction of movement and the location of destinations or points of exploration.
Menus Don't Wrap: Menus don't wrap and stop the cursor at the bottom of the list if you press down. Or menus do wrap but make it clear that you are back at the top of the list with sound or narration.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
VisualWe've documented 5 accessibility features for Visual in Black Desert which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
High Contrast: There is high contrast between elements that need to be distinguished from each other, such as characters, interactive objects and game environment, either by default or a high contrast mode. This is different to a slider that increases contrast or brightness between light and dark.
No Screen Shake: No screen shake effect or it is included but it can be disabled. This includes the absence of screen shake for dramatic effect as well as to indicate hits on a target.
Motion Sickness Friendly: Doesn't have 3D movement elements that may trigger motion sickness, like motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision. Or includes the ability to disable motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision effects.
Colour adjustments: Adjust colours of characters or game elements for greater visibility. Includes the ability to select which type of colour blind mode you require.
Turn Off Blood: Reduce or disable graphic content of blood and gore.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Visual accessibility:
AudioWe've documented 1 accessibility feature for Audio in Black Desert which deals with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
CommunicationWe've documented 2 accessibility features for Communication in Black Desert which deal with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction.
This is how players communicate with each other in online games. This can be to plan strategy, chat as they play or co-ordinate resources.
Text Chat: Chat to other players by typing text.
Filtered Chat: Option to filter out profanity and/or sharing of personal information from online chat.
If you want to play Black Desert, but it doesn't offer the Communication accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Communication accessibility:
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
Android
Android has accessibility settings including ways to navigate and interact, although not all games support this.
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
iOS
iOS has a very extensive suite of accessibility settings including ways to navigate with voice and comprehensive screen reading, though most of the features don't work with games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall
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Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships. |
Black Desert
