Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Mobile Accessibility Spotlight

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown launched for mobile devices last month, bringing the award-winning action-adventure platformer to iOS and Android users. Ubisoft Da Nang adapted the game from the console experience to a mobile one, updating existing accessibility features and implementing new ones to ensure as many people as possible can play and enjoy the game on mobile.

To learn more about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's mobile accessibility features, we spoke to Game Content Director Alexis Denance about the differences between accessibility on mobile devices and consoles, and the unique challenges of developing accessibility for mobile.

How do the accessibility features for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on mobile compare to the console version?

Alexis Denance: We kept intact all the work done by Ubisoft Montpellier's team on the HD version up until the third content update. This means that the Memory Shards are there, as well as the High Contrast features, and all the parameters for difficulty, including the ones like Multidirectional Parry that were added in post-launch updates.For the mobile version, we focused on delivering features that would help the touch controls of the game, while not forgetting to support controller for those who wish to use it.

We added a Controls Customization feature, where you can change the size, position, and transparency of the buttons. For some controls you even have several ways to use them, such as the Clairvoyance that you can use as a button OR a double tap on screen.We also focused on reducing the cognitive load on controls by proposing automatic versions of some of them, with the Auto-Potion, Auto-Parry, and Auto-Hit.

Many of the platforming hazards represent a particular challenge, as they can create pass/fail gameplay moments. To reduce frustration, we added an optional shield that will spawn if the player dies repeatedly in the same area. To increase the reaction timing window, we also added a feature to reduce the speed of the game, down to 75%.Finally, we also packaged all those new options and tailored the experience to mobile by adding a new difficulty preset, as well as a clear choice of three playstyles for mobile: HD Experience, Mobile, and Casual. Bottom line, we wanted to offer a lot of customization options for players without overwhelming them, so they can take ownership of the game and play to their liking.There are many more tiny details and changes we put into the game to discover!

What unique challenges and opportunities does developing for mobile present?

AD: Most obviously, it's the controls, especially on a game like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which makes full use of all buttons. This means, in the endgame, you can have up to 8 buttons under your right thumb. Besides the lack of feedback on the feel of pressing a button, those buttons also take up room on the screen, which is something we have to manage as well at the camera level.Luckily, mobile devices are usually wider than your standard 16:9, helping on that matter. But it also comes with a lot of challenges; as we extended the full screen support to 20:9, we had to deal with a lot of small camera issues and considerations.

Many would think performance and compromised visuals would be a huge issue on mobile, but this was not the case for us. This is due to the nature of the game - side-scrolling, stylized art direction - as well as the great optimization work by Ubisoft Montpellier's team. The fact that they insisted on delivering a game that runs at 60FPS on Switch means that most current-gen phones can handle the game as well. This was a great relief for us, where we just had to ensure we ran the game with the right configuration, instead of spending a lot of time on optimization.

What considerations are specific to mobile that might not come up on console?

AD: Controls come to mind as we mentioned earlier, with its issues of on screen real estate, and lack of physical feedback, such as having your joystick hit the edge of its range. However, the touch controls also come with interesting opportunities, such as using Swipe moves, Double Taps, or even releasing the screen, which is what we proposed for Auto-Parry.A less obvious consideration would be to consider that most mobile players play without sound, so you cannot rely exclusively on audio cues, and it's generally less easy to convey a story. The diversity in hardware, whether we're talking screen size, screen ratio, or CPU/GPU, also presents various challenges in adaptation and quality control, as you want to ensure a maximum of coverage to offer the game to a maximum of players.

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES LIST

VISUALS

• Prominent visual cues to more easily tell when enemy attacks are reckless or unparryable.

• UI text contrast.

• Colorblind-accessible by design.

• Text presentation designed at a size suitable for both living room and hand-held use, in a clear sans-serif font and on plain contrasting backgrounds.

• Alternative font for people with different reading preferences.

• High contrast settings - remove all color from the background, apply plain bright colors to important gameplay elements (e.g. players, enemies, traps), or both. Multiple preset combinations of colors for gameplay elements.

• Screen shake can be disabled.

AUDIO

• (NEW) Enhanced visuals for audio information, such as prosperity bird pulse.

• Subtitles are on by default, and players can choose the opacity of the background (none/half/full).

• Separate volume sliders for master, music, SFX, voiceover, and interface sounds.

• No important information is communicated through sound alone.

• Text log - scroll back through the last 50 lines of conversation.

NAVIGATION & GUIDANCE

• (NEW) Directional Assist - add a directional arrow around Sargon.

• (NEW) Optional Shield help - after successive deaths players are offered a single hit invincibility shield, then difficulty prompts, then platforming assist.

• (NEW) Expanded tutorials covering each input method.

• The Eye of the Wanderer - pin screenshots to the map using Memory Shards.

• Guided mode - optional icons marking objectives and available/blocked paths.

• Reminder of important controls is shown on-screen during gameplay for gamepad controls.

• Practice area with no consequences of failure.

• Platforming assist - optional portal to skip past challenging sections of platforming.

• Interactive elements can be given extra highlighting.

CONTROLS

• (NEW) Time Lord - permanently slow gameplay down to as low as 75% speed, giving more reaction time between inputs.

• (NEW) Gamepad and touch supported, with presets for console experience, mobile experience, and casual experience.

• (NEW) Multiple touch input methods, including a choice between buttons, swipes and double-taps, movement buttons or movement virtual stick, and layout and shape of movement buttons.

• (NEW) Adjustable size, position, and transparency of all virtual inputs.

• (NEW) Three configuration slots for virtual controls.

• (NEW) Automation - options for auto-potion, auto-parry and auto-hit, which also remove buttons and de-clutter HUD.

• (NEW) Wall grab hold - ability to control and take a break during wall slides.

• (NEW) Double air dash - 2x dash instead of 1, giving more air control.

• Remapping of gameplay controls for gamepad.

• Sticks can be swapped for gamepad.

• X and Y axis inversion for both gamepad sticks.

• Vibration intensity can be adjusted or turned off for gamepad.

• No QTEs (quick time events).

• Button mashing can be auto-completed.

COMBAT

• (NEW) Difficulty settings expanded to five presets tuned for mobile, with display of the parameters affected. Can be modified at any time.

• Individual parameters can be adjusted:

• (NEW) Boss health.

• Enemy damage.

• Enemy health.

• Environmental hazards damage.

• Parry timing and dodge window.

• Athra (special attacks) charge and deplete rate.

• Refill Athra at Wak-Wak trees.

• Sliders for enemy health and environmental damage go down to a very low minimum.

• Multidirectional parry - option to parry successfully in either direction rather than having to face the enemy.

• Melee targeting assist - option to automatically turn the character in the direction of the enemy.

• Aim assist - option to increase the aim assist on weapons and powers that use targeting.

Play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on iOS or Android today!