The Forest Cathedral: Accessibility is a priority

Accessibility is at the forefront of The Forest Cathedral, the upcoming environmental thriller from Whitethorn Games.

Whitethorn Games, publishers of indie games like APICO, Wytchwood, Beasts of Maravilla Island and Lake, presents the multitude of accessible options available in developer Brian Wilson’s first-person environmental thriller The Forest Cathedral.

All options listed will be present at launch in both the PC and Xbox Series S|X versions of the game.

“Accessibility is very important to us at Whitethorn Games and we want to make The Forest Cathedral playable for as many people as possible,” said Britt Dye, Usability and Accessibility Specialist at Whitethorn Games. “As such, we’re excited to announce that we’ve incorporated several features and options to make this immersive environmental thriller more accessible to players.”

Accessible updates

• Game Settings and Saving: The settings and pause menus are accessible at all times during gameplay
• In-Game Difficulty Adjustments: The 2D difficulty options can be toggled on and off at will via the settings menu. No new save game or reboot is required to implement them
• Option to turn off spikes, which removes all deadly spikes
• Option to turn on hover mode, which reduces the speed at which the 2D character falls
• There are checkpoints periodically throughout the platformer, allowing the player to restart from a checkpoint if they die

input and keystrokes

• On PC, mouse and keyboard and gamepad controllers are fully supported
• Rebinding is supported for most actions
• Key bindings available at any time in the settings menu for standard key bindings
• The player’s key assignment is displayed in the key overview
• 3D Exploration – Camera sensitivity is adjustable and camera controls can be inverted vertically (y-axis).
• 2D Platforming – The player character can be moved using a thumbstick or the D-Pad

More adjustments

• Improved Tutorials: The introduction to the game mechanics takes place in a separate tutorial zone with controls, button prompts and text for both 3D exploration and 2D platforming
• Audio accessibility options: Maximum volume adjustable
• More Text and Reading Options: Subtitles and journal text are written in a high-contrast sans serif font by default, and there is an option to change all in-game text to Open Dyslexic sans serif font
• Screen Motion and Visual Effects: Includes an option to replace blinking static screens on terminals with a black screen
• Heads-Up Display: Key prompts are displayed on-screen as they are needed for game progression. The player’s keystrokes are reflected in the key prompts

Developed by Brian Wilson, The Forest Cathedral is a reimagining of the events surrounding real-life scientist Rachel Carson’s investigation into the harmful pesticide DDT.

Set in a vast and animated forest on a remote island, players take on the role of Rachel, who seems trapped and unable to escape the island paradise. As she explores the mysterious forces that trap her there, players will slowly uncover the horrifying effects of the pesticide, using advanced environmental technology to solve puzzles that weave 3D exploration and 2D platforming.

What secrets will Rachel discover on this island? Many will try to silence her, but for some reason unknown, the truth must come out.

The Forest Cathedral will be released for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.