Horizon Forbidden West patch adds accessibility mode for people terrified of deep water

Horizon Forbidden West players who suffer from thalassophobia - a fear of deep water - will be now be able to play the game in a newly-added accessibility mode.

Added to the game today via Patch 1.21 in preparation for the Burning Shores DLC, Guerilla Games mentions Thalassophobia Mode in its patch notes on the Horizon subreddit. Sparse details are given, but the game mode should hopefully make Horizon Forbidden West more accessible to those with a debilitating fear of deep water.

"Additional accessibility features" are also listed in the patch notes, though no further information has been given on what this might entail. Other features included in the PS5-only patch are special modes for color blindness, enlarged subtitles, an auto-pickup toggle, auto-camera, and "Navigation assist in Focus mode". It also provides support for the Burning Shores DLC, which is available to pre-download now.

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Many parts of the game involve plunging Aloy into large bodies of water to complete missions or puzzles. Avoiding swimming altogether is easier said than done, with tasks like collecting all Horizon Forbidden West vista points forcing you to dive into the ocean or stare out across it.

Exploration-based puzzles can be a hassle for anyone, even in one of the best open world games. But for someone with thalassophobia these instances could be downright distressing. Given that Horizon offers one of the best underwater gameplay experiences, though, here's hoping Thalassophobia Mode helps everyone feel more comfortable.

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Jasmine is a Senior Staff Writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London, she started her games journalism career as a freelancer with TheGamer and Tech Radar Gaming before joining GamesRadar+ full-time in 2023. As part of the Features team, her duties include attending game previews and key international conferences such as Gamescom and Digital Dragons in between regular interviews, opinion pieces, and the occasional news or guides stint. In her spare time, you'll likely find Jasmine thinking/talking about Resident Evil, purchasing another book she's unlikely to read, or complaining about the weather.