Astral Chain
A Nintendo Switch action game from PlatinumGames.
Where Astral Chain comes up1 episode or test
Astral Chain, PlatinumGames' action title, pairs ultra-challenging combat with Unchained mode, which performs hard combos for the player but withholds letter rankings. The sources give no numbers. The lesson: a demanding product can welcome everyone if assist modes are explained honestly, without talking down to players, and if practice and easier options sit alongside the hardcore core.
- Performs the hard combos for you
- Gives no letter ranking
- Described by what it does
- Player performs the hard combos
- Letter rankings apply
Assist offered without framing it as a lesser way to play
From Astral Chain accessibility page note
What was said about Astral Chain
1Astral Chain's accessibility and difficulty modes
Astral Chain's Unchained mode does hard combos for you and withholds letter rankings. Unchained is an assist mode that performs the difficult combos for the player. It gives no letter ranking, so the mode is described by what it does and is not framed as a lesser way to play.
It sits alongside Resident Evil 2's assisted mode, which replenishes health. Both games explain what their assist modes do. The source frames this honest wording as a shift away from patronising players who choose easy, toward language like feeling like a badass.
Astral Chain stays ultra-challenging while welcoming everyone through practice, assists and easy settings. Astral Chain, like Devil May Cry 5, is a hardcore, ultra-challenging game that still offers practice areas, assisted combos and easy difficulty settings. Players who want a challenge can still find it.
The source quote: "hardcore, ultra-challenging games like Devil May Cry 5 and Astral Chain want everyone to join in". Easier modes also give players with disabilities more time to deal with threats and help players of all skill levels get in.
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Its Unchained mode does hard combos for you but gives no letter ranking. It is ultra-challenging yet welcoming to everyone.
Astral Chain's Unchained mode does hard combos for you and withholds letter rankings. Unchained is an assist mode that performs the difficult combos for the player. It gives no letter ranking, so the mode is described by what it does and is not framed as a lesser way to play.
It sits alongside Resident Evil 2's assisted mode, which replenishes health. Both games explain what their assist modes do. The source frames this honest wording as a shift away from patronising players who choose easy, toward language like feeling like a badass.
Astral Chain stays ultra-challenging while welcoming everyone through practice, assists and easy settings. Astral Chain, like Devil May Cry 5, is a hardcore, ultra-challenging game that still offers practice areas, assisted combos and easy difficulty settings. Players who want a challenge can still find it.
The source quote: "hardcore, ultra-challenging games like Devil May Cry 5 and Astral Chain want everyone to join in". Easier modes also give players with disabilities more time to deal with threats and help players of all skill levels get in.
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