With the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo in full swing, the controversy over the game’s use of color-coded yellow paint to signal environmental elements that can be used for platforming has sparked a debate. Some players are not fond of this hand-holding feature that makes the game more accessible, while others argue that it’s an important feature for helping players with low vision or cognitive disabilities. Developers have weighed in, explaining that the visual clues are necessary to prevent players from feeling frustrated and quitting the game altogether.
The debate over the use of yellow paint in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is reminiscent of a similar controversy surrounding the Resident Evil 4 remake. Although some argue that the use of obvious visual clues for platforming in games is unnecessary, others point out the importance of making games more accessible to a wider audience. This debate is not new, and will likely continue as more big games featuring visual clues for platforming are released in the future.
It is clear from this ongoing discussion that the use of visual clues in video games for exploration and progression has been a topic of controversy for some time. While some argue that these visual cues are unnecessary, others believe they are an important accessibility feature. As the debate continues, it will be interesting to see how game developers will address this issue in future releases.