We've documented 24 accessibility features for Skate 3, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Low Pressure, Select Difficulty, No Repeated Pressing and Play Without Hearing. Its accessibility is strongest in Getting Started and Visual but it also has features in Controls, Reading, 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.
External examiner, Angela Hickman Newnham, first checked Skate 3 (Series) accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Angela Hickman Newnham and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
The controls in Skate are different than other skating games and use combinations of the two control sticks to perform all of the jumps and tricks, with the triggers to tweak some of the holds. This can aid the playability of Skate because there is no button pushing required during the trick sequences, but the controls do require a lot of precision with the sticks to do well.
The control sticks are primarily used and there is no control map available on screen or in the menus, but the Trick Guide shows you what you need to do with the control sticks to perform each trick and an example of your skater performing the trick correctly. The Trick Analyzer and Manual Meter options can be turned on to help you with control stick precision.
Controls
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in Skate 3 which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
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.
Controller Vibration
Vibration Optional: Controller vibration not used in the game or you can disable it.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Rocket League (11 Controls Features)
- FIFA (10 Controls Features)
- Rollerdrome (9 Controls Features)
- Skatebird (8 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Difficulty in Skate 3 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.
Difficulty Options
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.
Adjust After Setting
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Difficulty
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Difficulty accessibility:
- Double Kick Heroes (3 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Getting Started in Skate 3 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.
Onboarding Before Play
Before you are presented with the home screen, onboarding settings aim to aid you accessing the menus you need to adjust the game to your requirements. They can also provide an easier way of turning on important adjustments without digging through menus.
Onboarding: The first time you open the game, you are asked to confirm options for control, navigation and accessibility settings. Games can differ in what they present at this stage, but will count for this, provided they include a streamlined onboarding process.
Assistance Getting Starting
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.
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.
No Jump Scares: No sudden loud noises or popping-up scary visuals that unexpectedly appear without warning, or the option to disable them.
Assistance For Progressing
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Getting Started accessibility:
- Thirsty Suitors (7 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in Skate 3 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.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a primary/elementary student (9-year-old) could understand.
Subtitles
Some Speech Subtitled: Some spoken content has subtitles. This reduces the pressure on interpreting all the spoken content, although not everything is captured textually.
Voice Acted
All Dialogue is Voice Acted (Or No Speech In Game): All of the game dialogue and narrative can be voiced, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to read the dialogue and narrative text to play the game.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Otto's Tennis Game (6 Reading Features)
- Skatebird (6 Reading Features)
- The Professional (5 Reading Features)
- Rollerdrome (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Navigation in Skate 3 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.
Clarity
Clear Mission Objectives: The game provides clear, structured missions with directional guidance and advice on which can be attempted next. This also indicates (ideally on maps where they are provided) which missions can't be attempted because you do not have the appropriate items yet.
Head-Up Display
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.
Menu Navigation
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Thirsty Suitors (7 Navigation Features)
- Night Skate (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Visual in Skate 3 which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Interactive Elements
Large Game Elements: Game characters and other elements are large and distinguishable. Enemies and player characters are at least 1/6 of the height of the screen. Or there is a zoom feature to make them larger.
Visual Distractions
No Flashes: No flashing strobe effects or you can disable them. This includes the absence of flashing from dramatic visual effects, explosions or weather effects like lightning.
Audio Cues for Visual Events
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.
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
Colour Options
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Otto's Tennis Game (7 Visual Features)
- The Professional (7 Visual Features)
- The Ramp (7 Visual Features)
- Rocket League (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Skate 3 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.
Adjustable Audio
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.
Play Without Hearing
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play Skate 3, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Otto's Tennis Game (3 Audio Features)
- FIFA (3 Audio Features)
Communication
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Communication in Skate 3 which deal with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction. The following games are similar to Skate 3, and offer accessibility features for Communication:
- FIFA (4 Communication Features)
- Rocket League (2 Communication Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
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 @growingupgamers and Andy Robertson