Easy Mode and Accessibility Options for Sekiro

So there's somehow still a debate going on about easy modes in video games and accessibility and all that, with everyone from game journalists to random twitter dorks getting involved. I have my own opinions, but I figured that actions speak louder than words. So I spent a little time working and behold, an easy mode for Sekiro! And some accessibility options too.

Easy Mode:

Simply put, it's an easy mode for the game. Once installed, your base health is massively increased, reducing the chances that you'll get one-shot, and your damage is roughly doubled. Gourds don't heal for any more, so you can't autopilot through the game, but it is more forgiving and much faster. I wanted to make some simple fixes that didn't make the game feel patronizing for players. So they can enjoy the game, while having a little bit of leeway.

While I personally think it's a little drastic to demand easy modes from game developers, the beauty of modding is that you can change the game's experience to anything you'd like. Honestly, I made this mod for myself because while testing other mods, I was sick of having to spend so much time on the damn blazing bull. If you think that you'd prefer Sekiro a little easier, try this, there's no shame in it. Well, maybe a teensy bit of shame. 

Accessibility options

To make the game more accessible for those who are hard of hearing or vision, I've made some changes to the visuals of the game. Visual indicators now have relevant Kanji placed in the middle. Many indicators are based entirely on color, and if you have difficulty seeing it's very easy to miss a crucial jump or backstab. Now, those indicators have big bright kanji in the middle, to make it much easier to spot while retaining the flavor of the game. The perilous attack symbol has also been increased in size, and the danger sound made louder to make the process of spotting those moves much easier for those hard of hearing or sight. 

Something that really bothers me is how difficulty has become conflated with accessibility. Oh, those poor disabled folk, they need an easy mode or else they can't play the game. Even if it sounds kind and generous at first, there's a sort of condescension there, an implied bigotry in low expectations. 

I was watching that Jim Sterling video on the topic, and something he said really stuck out at me. He was talking about a quadriplegic who beat the game, and said that the only reason people cared is because normally disabled people can't do that. I strongly disagree. I think it had an impact because it challenges our assumptions that disabled people can't play video games, and forces us to confront our own ableist biases.

There's an assumption that just because someone is disabled, they must be bad at games. So games have to be made easier for them. That's a really bad way to approach designing for accessibility. Here, I've done my best to try and focus on what specifically might prevent colorblind people from enjoying the game, or unintended difficulty and barriers getting in their way. And I tried to change it in a way that doesn't affect the core gameplay. 

Install

Install Sekiro Mod Engine. Then, drag the files from this mod into the /mod folder you created.
https://www.umodder.com/utils/20111