
We've documented 38 accessibility features for Gears 5. Strongest in Controls and Reading but also has features in Visual, Communication, Getting Started, Navigation, Difficulty 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.
Gears of War is a series of shooting game about a conflict between humanity, the subterranean reptilian hominids known as the Locust Horde, and their mutated counterparts, the Lambent. It's a big brash game franchise with six games, a comic book series and five novels.Release Date: 07/11/2006, updated in 2019
Out Now: PC and Xbox One
Content Rating: PEGI 18
Players: 1-3 (10 online)
Genres: Action, Shooting (Adventure, Creative and Narrative)
Accessibility: 38 features
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: Coalition Gears (@CoalitionGears)
Costs: Purchase cost, In-Game Purchases and In-Game Pass
To complete the main campaign of the game you need to use a minimum of:
Action | Xbox | PC | Notes | Required |
Pause / Menu | View Button | Escape | ✔ | |
Use Item | X Button | E Key | Hold to Pickup. | ✔ |
Interact | Y Button | T Key | Required to Continue certain scenes. | ✔ |
Hide / Cover | A Button | Spacebar | ✔ | |
Hit / Melee | B Button | F Key | Hold to Execute enemy. | ✔ |
Dodge | B Button | Spacebar | ✔ | |
Aim Zoom | Right Stick Press | Mouse Wheel (Click) | Default to Hold, can be Toggle. | ✔ |
Select Weapon / Ammo | D-Pad | Mouse Wheel | ✔ | |
Movement | Left Stick | WASD Keys | ✔ | |
Aim / Look / Camera | Right Stick | Mouse Movement | ✔ | |
Aim Shot | Left Trigger | Right Mouse Button | ✔ | |
Fire | Right Trigger | Left Mouse Button | ✔ | |
View Scores | Menu Button | Tab | ✕ | |
Sprint | A Button | Spacebar | Hold to Sprint (Roadie Run). | ✕ |
Crouch | Left Stick Press | Ctrl (Left) Key | ✕ | |
View Objectives | Left Bumper | Tab | Highlight teammates and objectives. | ✕ |
Reload | Right Bumper | R Key | Can auto reload on empty. Hold for Chainsaw. | ✕ |
Aim Mark a Target | Left Stick Press + Left Trigger | Q Key | ✕ |
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 customise the controls for the game as follows:
Inputs Documented: The inputs required to complete the game in campaign mode or play competitively are documented on the database (or in other official documentation).
Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.
Swap Sticks: Can swap the sticks over so that you can use the opposite sticks to control the game.
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.
Remap One Action to Multiple Buttons: Can remap multiple buttons to perform the same action to reduce the need to memorise buttons and make the action easier to access.
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
Specific button operation required to play
Holding Down Buttons Optional: Holding down buttons for prolonged periods (a second or more) is not required or can be switched to toggling the action on and off. This is in addition to the movement stick/button which is not considered a hold for this purpose.
Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional: Quick, repeated button pressing (more than 2 times a second) is not required, can be skipped or switched to holding a button to trigger a repeated action.
Vibration Optional: Controller vibration not used in the game or you can disable it.
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity, Deadzones and Thresholds: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are and the related deadzones and thresholds.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Controls accessibility:
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Difficulty in Gears 5 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.
Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.
Adjustable Anytime: You can adjust the difficulty while playing, without having to restart the level you are on. This enables you to quickly adjust the game to suit your needs and see the difference immediately.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Difficulty accessibility:
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Gears 5 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.
Assistance With Controls: The game can automatically assist with aiming, steering, reloading, jumping, running etc. This reduces the challenge of certain aspects of play to remove barriers and make control of characters more accessible.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren't time-limited or there's a low-pressure mode. This avoids the pressure of being put on the clock for overarching missions, or failing tasks because you didn't reach a destination in time.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Reading in Gears 5 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 Text: All essential text is large and clear or can be adjusted to be. The general text used throughout the game in menus, instructions and other key information (excluding subtitles that are assessed separately) is at least 1/20 (46 pixels on 1080 screen) the height on landscape screens and at least 1/40 height on portrait screens. We base this on the full line-height, including the space above and below the letters.
High Contrast Text: Text colour contrasts to the background or can be adjusted to be. The text in menus, instructions and other information is presented in high contrast with a solid background.
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.
Speaker Indicator, their Tone and Environment Sounds: Captions indicate who is speaking (or there is only ever one person speaking) and their tone, game sound and music. This can also be indicated visually in the game with character icons or character expressions with text in speech bubbles next to the person speaking. Environmental sounds are provided as extra text within the subtitles.
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.
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Navigation in Gears 5 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.
Menu Narrated: All of the game menus can be narrated for easier navigation. The game menus can therefore be navigated without reading text.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Visual in Gears 5 which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
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.
Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events. Game events or progress highlighted by visual icons, effects or animations are also accompanied by audio to signify that progress. This is useful for blind players.
This is the audible narration of in-game text. Sometimes talk about as Text To Speech, although it may include the narration of no-textual elements. This is different to Text To Voice, which provides player-player textual communication audibly.
Menu Narrated: All of the game menus can be narrated for easier navigation. The game menus can therefore be navigated without reading text.
Colour blind friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colour blind friendly mode with double coding or similar way to avoid colour dependance.
Turn Off Blood: Reduce or disable graphic content of blood and gore.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Gears 5 which deal 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.
Visual Depiction of Directional Audio: Indication on-screen with arrows, icons, located colour splashes and the like, to show where directional audio for damage, footsteps, environmental or way-finding sounds are coming from.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Communication in Gears 5 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.
Text-to-speech: Convert text messages from other players to voiced messages. Game converts text typed by the player into synthesized audio that's read aloud to all other players in the voice channel. This feature allows players who can't speak verbally to have their thoughts expressed aloud to the rest of the players in their party.
Speech-to-text: Convert voice from other players to text messages. Transcribes incoming speech from other players into text onscreen in real time. Players who can't hear voice chat can read what other players have said aloud on their screen.
If you want to play Gears 5, but it doesn't offer the Communication accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Communication accessibility:
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
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.
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson, @GeekDadGamer and @SightlessKombat