Shacknews Outstanding Achievement in Accessibility of 2021 - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Accessibility in video games is important. By embracing greater accessibility, we’re opening up video games to more people, which means we get to share this great hobby with a wider audience. This year, Shacknews wishes to recognize Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for its marvellous level of accessibility, awarding it with our Outstanding Achievement in Accessibility.

For those gamers out there with a disability, interacting with video games can be challenging if not downright impossible. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart offers a suite of accessibility options that seek to provide players with the tools they need to make the experience fit their needs.

Courtney Craven of Can I Play That? has done a wonderful job at outlining some of the features Insomniac has included in Rift Apart. In their piece, Craven notes the game’s excellent contrast options. Players can choose to highlight mission-critical elements like collectibles and interactive points, or even enemies, in unique colors. Furthering this is the ability to change non-critical elements into sepia tones or less vibrant colors to ensure other areas are more prominent.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also features game speed settings and customizable subtitles. Craven notes that the speed of the game can become overwhelming, especially when using fast-moving vehicles or in dense combat situations. By dropping the game speed down, it allows users to have a bit more time to reposition and deal with the obstacle or challenge.

The team at Insomniac Games should feel proud of the accessibility features it was able to deliver in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. By giving players these options, and pushing forwards with more improvements, we’re creating an even better gaming experience across the board. It’s for this reason that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has won the Shacknews Outstanding Achievement in Accessibility for the year 2021.

Watch the Shacknews Awards 2021 YouTube playlist or read our Year of the Games: 2021 article for all of the awards in one place. We will be announcing our Shacknews GOTY 2021 on December 31.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler