Sifu developer says accessibility features are coming - including difficulty modes
"Both easier and harder"
Sifu developer Sloclap has told an industry accessibility advocate that the studio is committed to bringing new accessibility features to the fighting game, including difficulty modes.
Though co-founder Pierre Tarno stopped short of confirming when, exactly, the new features might be available, Can I Play That?'s Steve Saylor tweeted the "break[ing] news" that the post-launch updates will include better captions, high contrast mode (right now it only works on PC following a bug on console), and - perhaps most interestingly - difficulty modes.
Saylor explained that "both easier and harder" modes are on the way, not dissimilar to "Metroid Dread's update".
Hey! So it's weird I get to help break news but yes #Sifu is getting #accessibility updates post-launch.- Better captions- High Contrast Mode on PS4/5 (was on PC, but not PS4/5 at launch due to a bug)- Difficulty Modes. Both easier & harder, similar to Metroid Dread's update. https://t.co/9pFTOmfvnRFebruary 11, 2022
The difficulty modes, in particular, are attracting attention on social media, with some respondents delighted at the opportunity to try an easier - or even harder - mode, whilst others are seemingly unhappy at the development to make the game easier for some people.
Not sure what to think of Sifu just yet? Well, check out 12DOVE's Sifu review.
"Sifu's combat isn't just fun, it's satisfying and addictive, it's nuanced and intuitive, it oozes charisma and it's damn challenging – all the while powered, for the most part, by just four buttons: light attack, strong attack, block and dodge," we said, awarding the game 4.5 stars out of 5.
"Still, players can expect to unleash over 150 moves through a variety of combos – many of which harness the special abilities noted earlier, some of which involve activating a range of slow-motion, limb-targeting Focus Attacks – while making use of environmental weapons such as wooden staffs, table legs, bricks, bottles, baseball bats, katanas, and malleable iron pipes to name but a few of the tools at your disposal."
Sign up to the 12DOVE Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Sifu is out right now on PC as well as a PlayStation console exclusive on both PS4 and PS5. Sifu has been beaten in just 40 minutes with zero deaths by one expert player but if you're not quite that tough yet, take a look at our Sifu tips if you'd like to try a speedrun of your own.
There are plenty of big titles still to come - check them out on our upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games.
Vikki Blake is 12DOVE's Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.
Tekken 8 boss gives broken Tifa stans hope after Clive got to join the fighter instead: "It's not like we're only limited to one character from Final Fantasy"
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is one of the best-selling games in Bandai Namco history: "A nice surprise in a year that's been kind of rough overall," says analyst