In a blow to accessibility for the game, Life is Strange: True Colors won’t be able to add subtitles during Alex’s songs due to licensing issues.
We saw from the trailer of Life is Strange: True Colors how central music is to the game – with lingering shots of records and Alex’s guitar and a scene where Steph steps into a recording booth to sing. You can watch the trailer here:
Sadly, it seems that the songs won’t have subtitles for the foreseeable future. A statement from publisher Square Enix, originally posted by Laura Kate Dale, reads:
“Due to licensing restrictions surrounding copyrighted lyrics, subtitles are unfortunately not available during the two sequences where Alex sings… We apologize for the lack of subtitle accessibility during these two sequences.”
As noted by TheGamer, it’s not clear whether the issue is with the publisher or the music licensing companies. Including subtitles is generally considered the bare minimum in terms of accessibility. While they are included in dialogue in the game, missing them from the songs changes the playing experience for those that need them – especially in a game like Life is Strange: True Colors where the music is so central. Sadly, it seems like the issue is here to stay – at least for now.
Life is Strange: True Colors was released last week on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Google Stadia. Nintendo Switch players will be able to access it later this year.
What do you think about the accessibility issues? Is there a creative way games could include everyone? Let us know your ideas via our social media channels.
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Featured Image Credit: Square Enix