Overview

This page describes the in-game accessibility settings for NALE Chapters 1, 2 & 3, and is kept up-to-date with the latest information as-and-when it changes.

These changes are correct for all versions of the game on or after...

• Chapter 1 v3.2
• Chapter 2 v1.7
• Chapter 3 v1.4

... which will be shortly after this is posted, so if you're reading this and don't have these options, please try downloading the latest version.

Disclaimer

Use of options to “reduce effect intensity” may make the NALE chapters more comfortable for players who are photosensitive. However, even with these enabled, TSS does not guarantee that the game is “safe” for all players (we simply can’t cover the huge range of possible photosensitive conditions).

We still advocate that players who have photosensitive conditions seek medical advice before playing NALE, and take typical precautions, such as playing in a well-lit room and not playing while in a fatigued state.

Breakdown of Accessibility Options

Defaults

While we’ve made attempts in many cases to preserve the flow of the game when accessibility options are turned on, some of these changes have modified the game’s atmosphere or the pacing of cutscenes. As a result, we suggest players who are not particularly photosensitive keep all of these settings at their defaults - namely:

• Reduced Effect Intensity OFF
• Screen Flashes ON
• Screen Shakes ON
• Battle Camera ON

Options don't save in browser version of Chapter 1

Please be aware; due to browser security settings, these options do not save in the browser-based version of Chapter 1; they will reset each time you refresh/reload the page. This is because we didn't want NALE to ask the player to change their browser security settings for the game. If you want the options to save, please download the game via the links further down the game's page; the downloaded version should save without problems.

Players with reduced dexterity

NALE is a Visual Novel/Graphic Adventure hybrid. As a result, in all present chapters so far, there are zero elements which require twitch skills or timed reactions. We believe that players with limited dexterity should be able to play the game without problems.

Colour-perception & colour-blindness

NALE has been designed so that there are no aspects to its gameplay that hinge on the perception of colour. Users with most common forms of colour-blindness should not have any problems playing NALE to its fullest. As a result, there are no “colour-blindness options”, as the game simply does not require them.

Battle Difficulty

Both NALE Chapters 2 & 3 involve “battle” sequences. Each of these chapters offers the player the choice between a mode where the player can lose, and a mode where they can never lose. This choice is offered to the player during each mode’s tutorial.

Note that in each chapter, the penalty for losing a battle is simply that the player can try again.

In Chapter 2, if players lose a battle, they are offered the choice to shift into the “can never lose” mode.

In Chapter 3, players can change modes at any time by “using” Nina’s car, at the Rostro Vista parking lot.

There is no penalty for for using these “can never lose” modes, nor is there any bonus for not using them. Players can just decide if they want that challenge, or would prefer not to have it. The game plays out identically either way.

Effect Intensity

There are several options which can adjust the intensity of onscreen effects:

• Screen flashes - Default ON - Turn OFF to disable screen flashes. Generally this removes the flashes on effects like lightning in storm scenes, or attack animations. However, on its own this does not remove white transitions or many smaller intense effects (turn “Reduced Effect Intensity” ON for this).
• Screen shakes - Default ON - Turn OFF to disable screen shakes. This may be of interest to players who suffer from motion sickness.
• Battle camera - Default ON - Turn OFF to stabilise the camera during battles, which may help users who experience motion sickness in these situations. In Chapter 3’s race battles, the camera now moves when required to indicate something important; mist cosmetic movement has been removed or heavily toned down.
• Reduced Effect Intensity - Default OFF - Turned ON to reduce certain effects, which are given in more detail below.
• Volume settings - Default 60% - players can control the volume for SFX, music and event sounds. Players who are audio-sensitive may wish to reduce these values.

NOTE: NALE’s cinematic roving cutscene camera cannot be disabled. This is because the camera's framing is a fundamental part of how the game works (often, just outside the camera shot, players would see random characters or props, not dissimilar to being able to see backstage during a theatre performance).

To fully engage the options that reduce visual discomfort for photo-sensitive users, we recommend…

• Reduced Effect Intensity ON
• Screen Flashes OFF
• Screen Shakes OFF
• Battle Camera OFF

Reduced Effect Intensity Breakdown

If the Reduced Effect Intensity setting is turned ON, the games will exhibit the following changes.

• All Chapters
  • Players are given a notification when starting the game about use of the setting
  • Players are given a warning before the intro video starts, and told how they can skip it if they choose to do so
  • All character animations are substituted with versions that have less contrast and no strong flashes
• Chapter 1
  • Removed red flash in defendant lobby sequence
  • Removed a white fade transition during court sequence; replaced with a dip to black
  • Removed white flashes involved in Jackie Marsden’s testimony; replaced with a dip to black
  • Removed flashing red/blue lights during the arrest sequence; the scene instead has a soft red glow
  • The above list results in approximately 7 specific changes to Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
  • Removed all fade-to-white transitions
  • Removed or revamped all screen tints that are flashy or vivid and replaced with longer transitions
  • Changed flashing tutorial bars in battle tutorial to a non-strobing effect
  • All battle VFX now have “reduced effect intensity” versions that are substituted
  • Disabled rain VFX in some scenes; audio and dark grey shade is still present to imply rain
  • Reworked several cutscenes where pacing is affected by the removal of colour transitions & flashes; e.g. in some places where a character might say “did you see that”, we now have a thunder sound and have them say “did you hear that”.
  • The above list results in approximately 25 specific changes to Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
  • Flashing elements have been reduced in race battle segments; interface elements fade in and out more slowly, resulting in a less “flashing” experience. Several VFX items have been removed that had a flashing or strobing element. Additionally, disabling the “battle camera” setting in the options reduces the amount of camera movement.
  • Removed or revamped all screen tints that are flashy or vivid & replaced with longer transitions
  • Some cutscenes have been modified to rework their pacing & camera movements
  • Nina’s nightmare sequences have been modified significantly, as these had flashing elements. Some of these changes have permanently replaced the older versions, even if the REI setting is not enabled.
  • Slight strobe of computer monitor in “CCTV” scenes has been disabled
  • The above list results in approximately 17 specific changes to Chapter 3

Accessibility Feedback

If you have any feedback about the games - such as if you feel we have missed something in the game that you noticed, please inform us at tanukisama-AT-gmail.com.

We would really love to receive any feedback players have in this area, as there are practically as many considerations to accessibility as there are players, and while we can't always action feedback, we endeavour to make changes where it's possible to do so.