“I’m excited to play the game more,” Thompson says, still holding the controller on a recent Friday after killing a few monsters.
And even though their hearing is fine, improved subtitles in an adjustable text size helps them process information. They can customize an on-screen display of information to minimize distractions and sensory overload while playing. Unlike with Gears of War 4, Thompson can actually play Gears 5, thanks to a new option to turn off “camera shake,” or quick camera movements that trigger their vertigo, nausea and headaches. The game has since been widely lauded for its thoughtful accessibility. With a stronger focus on inclusivity than ever before, The Coalition studio developed the third-person shooter and latest installment in the Gears of War series, released in September by Xbox Game Studios.
Now a well-known game accessibility specialist and developer in Vancouver, Canada, Thompson recently got a chance to try out Gears 5 - a game with a long list of accessibility features that mean more people can play it. “But as I slowly came to terms with my disabilities, it was revolutionary, because I realized the problem was with the games, and not with me.” “I really, really struggled,” says Thompson, who’s also autistic with co-occuring dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which affect how they process information and play games. Thompson, who uses they/them/their pronouns, wanted to play games to cope with pain and surgeries, but found many games impossible to play without suffering severe migraines, motion sickness, hand pain and other barriers. Games were about community, therapy, adventure and passion.īut more than six years ago, Thompson had a stroke at age 31 that led to vestibular and cognitive disabilities and a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that weakens joints, skin, blood vessels and muscles. Video games have saved Cherry Thompson’s life many times, from ‘80s game Rainbow Islands providing escape from a difficult childhood to Pokémon Red giving solace when Thompson was a homeless teenager.
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