Terraformers

Published by: Bill (R&D, SpecialEffect) on 2nd Nov 2009 | View all blogs by Bill (R&D, SpecialEffect)

PC - Pin Interactive

Terraformers is a visual/audio hybrid with full accessibilty features for visually impared gamers including full menu interaction and gameplay allowing the game to be played entirely using just auditory feedback.

It is instantly engaging, with the tutorial helping you quickly get to grips with the gameplay mechanics and control method.
Download a trial at:

http://www.pininteractive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=28

Information from developers Pin Interactive on the game:

Some of the robots evolved and became too intelligent and revolted against their creators. The revolting robots imprisoned professor van Lange in his lab. The professor is the only one with enough knowledge to regain control over the revolting robots.

The robots also disassembled the main computer and scattered the parts in the area around the professor's lab. Your mission is to defeat the revolting robots, find the parts to the computer and free professor van Lange.

To solve the quest you will use fire arms, ammunition, secret keys, audio puzzles, communication devices and other things. In order to stop you, the robots have locked doors, hidden the computer parts and will attack you on sight. Your Powersuit use power to protect you from the planet's hostile environment and other physical injury, and you need to find Power-up stations on a regular basis.

Features

Powersuit: the powersuit contains all the necessary technology to protect the avatar from hostile attacks, In addition, it provides all of the accessability feautures described below. A built-in voiced PDA is responsible for miscellaneous feedback from these features
Sound Compass: a 3D sound represents north, and a rough 8 direction spoken feedback is available by pressing a key on the numerical keyboard (north, northwest...).
Sonar: a 3D sound gives the gamer a rough perception of the distance to objects in the direction the gamer is currently facing. By pressing a key the gamer can also check what type of object it is (door, wall, robot...). Enemies are automatically told by the PDA voice.
GPS: a global positioning system is used to get the exact positions of objectsin an area as well as the position of the avatar. A voiced menu system provides an overview of nearby objects.
Direct orientation: using the numeric keyboard the gamer can orient the avatar directly in 8 directions (north, northeast...).
Backpack: objects are accessed using a voiced menu system with hierarchies. Sound effects can also be attached to voices dynamically.
Game objects: all game objects have voiced feedback and 3D sound icons (and 3D graphics!)
Environments: 3D graphics, ambients sounds, footstep sounds on different ground materials and voiced descriptions of visual as well as other sensory input contribute to environmental feedback