product analyzed

the blind legend

the blind legend

A blind legend logo
Overall rating:
5/5
Technology:

Categories assigned to this product within the main category Technology.

Needs:

Categories assigned to this product within the main category Needs.

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Below is the video of the review.

What does it consist of:

April 2021

A Blind Legend is a video game with an innovative game format, in which vision is not necessary to play, so it is especially suitable for those who are blind or have vision difficulties or for those who wish to live a gaming experience new, using the ear as the sole mode of location and decision-making.

In this action and adventure video game we will play Edward Blake, a blind knight from the "Age of Chivalry", whose wife, Lady Caroline, has been kidnapped by the terrible Thork, the hero's great enemy. The voice of Louise, the protagonist's daughter, will guide us during the development of the adventure. The control of the character will be done through the touch screen of the mobile device through certain movements.

The game is located in a sound universe in three dimensions that allows you to position yourself and move through it. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to play correctly the use of headphones or headphones, so that this three-dimensional universe can be created through sound. Currently, the only languages ​​available to play are English and French.

This collaborative project has been developed by DOWiNO, a French studio for the creation of digital devices, audiovisual content and video games whose objective is to raise awareness and educate on issues of strong social impact such as sustainable development, social responsibility, public health, disability or solidarity.

Forms of acquisition:

The Android version can be purchased free of charge through the following link:

The iOS version can be purchased free of charge through the following link:

The video game is also available for computer at a price of € 6,99. The game is delivered through the virtual video game platform Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/437530/A_Blind_Legend/

 

Technical assessment:

Author: Alberto Vidal Rodríguez

April 2021

An important aspect to highlight is, as mentioned above, that the game is only available in English and French. Therefore, if one of these two languages ​​is not handled at a medium-high or high level, it will be very difficult to play this video game, since a high understanding of the language is needed to be able to play it.

In addition, it is necessary to have headphones or headphones since with the speaker of the mobile device itself it is not possible to create a sensation of three-dimensional sound, which is necessary for the correct use of the video game.

 

FUNCTIONING

The operation of the game is very simple. Once we open the application installed on the mobile phone, it will guide us through the steps that we must follow through voice messages.

At no time is it necessary to view anything on the screen, and very few images will be displayed on it. In fact, the mobile screen will show practically at all times the black background with a superimposed white haze that is shown in the image below. When we are moving the character, a small circular monitor will appear at the bottom that shows us in which direction we are moving or, when we attack with the sword, a white line will appear that crosses the screen, but these images are not essential to be able to play.

First, we must select the language in which we want to play, English or French, and the difficulty we want, normal or difficult. To select we must double-click on the screen and to change the option, swipe quickly from one side of the screen to the other. All these commands are perfectly explained during game development.

Once we have selected language and difficulty we will arrive at the main menu. To scroll through the different elements of the main menu, simply slide from one side of the screen to the other. The main menu items are:

  • Continue game.
  • New game.
  • Select scene.
  • Change language.
  • Adjustments
  • Remaining lives.
  • Buy lives.
  • Credits
  • Subscribe to the newsletter.
  • Exit.

To access each of them, just double-click on the screen.

To start playing we must enter New game or in Continue game if we had already started one, going back to the last checkpoint where we stayed.

In the first minutes of the game we will be taught the basic controls of the game and we will be given a short introduction about the plot of the story. The basic controls that will allow us to control the protagonist are those shown in the following image.

Source: Ulule (https://es.ulule.com/a-blind-legend/)

During the development of the game we will have to move around the map following the instructions of the protagonist's daughter, who acts as a guide. Some of the actions that will have to be carried out will be to hide in caves or behind waterfalls, fight against wild animals or fight against armed enemies using our shield and our sword.

Both wild animals and enemies can kill us. Each time this happens we will lose a life and start from the last checkpoint we have passed. When passing through these checkpoints the game will be saved automatically.

We have a maximum of 5 lives and these are automatically recharged in periods of 20 minutes until reaching the maximum of 5. If we run out of lives there is the possibility of buying new lives from the main menu. These lives can be purchased in packs of 2, 5 or 10 lives or buy unlimited lives, with variable prices depending on the number of lives you want to buy. This is one of the few cases in the game in which the user will be told by a voice message that it is convenient for a person without serious vision difficulties to be helped to follow this purchase step. It is also one of the few exceptions in which an image will be displayed per screen, with the price of the product we want to buy and the possible payment methods, as shown in the image below.

 

Tests performed

In order to analyze and evaluate the video game, a series of tests have been carried out to verify its operation. The tests have been carried out on a Samsung Galaxy S8 device (Android 8.0.0) and an iPhone 6S (IOS 13.4.1). The game has been tested for the mobile versions for both operating systems, but not the paid version of the computer game.

 

ACCESSIBILITY TESTS

In this section, different criteria have been applied to assess whether the application can be used regardless of the capabilities of the user.

-Cognitive accessibility: It can be said that the video game has a medium difficulty of use. Although the actions that we can perform when controlling the protagonist are very few, they must be memorized and used under different specific situations. This, coupled with the fact that there are no images in the video game, can make the game difficult to use for people with cognitive disabilities.

-Accessibility for people with reduced or no vision: The video game can be used without any problem by people with reduced or no vision. However, it has been proven that when using the screen readers present in iOS and Android such as Voice-Over and TalkBack, the game presents serious problems to be played. Therefore, in order to enjoy A Blind Legend, it is necessary to deactivate, at least until the application is closed, these screen readers.

-Accessibility for people with hearing difficulties: In order to play the game, hearing is essential, so this game can be difficult to use by people with reduced hearing and cannot be played by people with zero hearing capacity or by deafblind people who use a braille display to manage your mobile devices.

 

RELIABILITY TESTS

These tests are intended to verify if the application has bugs that do not allow it to perform its functions.

The application has been tested for several days on both Android and iOS. In both operating systems the operation of the video game has been correct both in the download, installation and use processes.

 

 

Conclusions

A Blind Legend is a very good initiative for people with vision problems to have an interesting leisure alternative, since it is a game specially designed for this group, although it can also be very attractive for any user looking for a different type of game, original and inclusive.

The operation of the game is simple and in a few minutes you can master all the movements that make it possible to control the main character. Therefore, it can be said that the gameplay of the game is quite good.

Despite this, this simplicity of movements and actions that we can carry out means that the options we have in the game are limited, which can make it repetitive at some point. Even so, the plot and the story are interesting and the characters are quite successful, with special mention for the existence of a blind protagonist, which can make, for example, young people from the group of blind people feel especially identified with this character.

The entire sound system of the game is very good and is one of the strengths of this video game. Thanks to a binaural sound system, the game recreates a three-dimensional universe set in a medieval and fantastic world through only sound. This three-dimensional sound is really achieved and allows the player to feel like they are inside the universe and the plot that the game poses.

The main point to improve the game is that it is currently only available in English and French. This greatly limits the number of users who can play it.

In addition, the limit of 5 lives and the possibility of buying them in the game can be seen as another point to improve. Despite this, the creators of the video game indicate that the benefit received through in-app purchases, as well as through donations, is used to pay for dissemination tasks and to improve the video game, expanding the number of levels or languages ​​among other aspects.

It can be said that, in general terms, the user experience has been very satisfactory. In addition, a final positive point is that during all the tests carried out, no problem has been detected that prevents the video game from being used correctly.

Highlights

  • Good leisure alternative for people with reduced or no vision, as well as for those who want to live a new and innovative gaming experience.
  • Very good video game sound system, which allows you to create a three-dimensional universe through sound.

Improvement points

  • Currently the game is only available in English and French.
  • The maximum number of 5 lives limits the time that can be played.

 

 

Technical evaluation scores.

Design and manufacturing:
4/5
This section refers to the physical aspects and details of the manufacturing of the technological product
Technical benefits:
4/5
Description of the quality of the technical specifications of the technological solution
User experience:
5/5
This criterion is linked to the user's assessment when relating to the technical product or application.
Accessibility:
5/5
It is the degree to which people can use or access a product, technological solution or service, regardless of their technical, cognitive or physical abilities

Social valuation:

Social valuation scores.

Impact and utility:
This item has not been rated/5
Describes to what extent the functionalities of the product are useful and impact on improving the life of the user
Design and Ergonomics:
This item has not been rated/5
Assessment of how the design of the technological solution adapts to the person to achieve greater comfort and efficiency when using it
Usability and accessibility:
This item has not been rated/5
Possibility of the device to be used, understood and taken advantage of under equal conditions for anyone
Ease of acquisition:
This item has not been rated/5
It refers to the possibilities of accessing and acquiring a technological solution by the user.

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