Canadian Indie developer, and winner of the Ubisoft 2018 Indie Series Special Prize, Falling Squirrel Games, earlier today, announced that their action-adventure title, The Vale, will be coming to Windows PC through Stream, this coming August.
For those unfamiliar with The Vale, the title is a true, one-of-a-kind experience, made ground up with the visually-impaired in mind. The title features an immersive auditory focused approach to game design. In fact, the game requires players to actually close their eyes, in order to properly experience The Vale. In order to ensure an authentic and thoughtful experience, during development, Falling Squirrel enlisted the consultation of the Canadian National Institue for the Blind (CNIB), to properly understand the nuances of how those affected by impaired vision, perceive the world.
The Vale employs the use of binaural audio technology, haptic feedback, coupled with a powerful narrative, which Falling Squirrel promises will entice and entertain both the visually impaired and sighted audience.
David Evans, Owner and Game Director at Falling Squirrel shared his thoughts on the exciting news regarding The Vale, stating,
“We’re excited to share a project that reflects our passion for exciting and unique entries into the gaming sphere. We hope that through The Vale we are able to remove barriers and demonstrate that creating a gaming experience that is accessible to visually impaired gamers can still engage the sighted community.”
A list of the key features available in The Vale can be found down below:
Key Features:
- Accessible Gaming For All: Haptic controller feedback, binaural audio technology, and cinematic voice acting guides players through battle, quests and cut scenes, making this an experience that is accessible to visually impaired and sighted players alike
- Diverse Soundscape Environments: The bustle of busy villages, the gentle rustling of leaves through the trees in the forests, the eerie echos of the unknown in dank caves — full 3-dimensional sound surrounds players as they adventure over 20 diverse locations ripe for exploration
- Immersive Medieval Combat: Players are immersed in the action in a way that is completely refreshing as enemies attack with random and story-based encounters, boss battles, and more. During combat, intuitive battle clamor guides players towards enemies as they attack and defend against their foes
- Meaningful RPG Elements: Presented with a choice of gender and combat styles, players will guide their fully-voiced hero and build their potential as they unlock branching magic paths, loot enemies, hunt animals for valuable items, and visit shops to purchase weapons and armor — each with unique sounds and stats
- A Story for the Ages: With branching narratives determined by player choice, over 20 side quests and more than 20 audio cut scenes, players will uncover twists and surprises as they travel the land and speak with the many unique and fully voiced characters they encounter
The Vale will release through Steam on Windows PC this August 2019.