If you have been spending some time on social media lately, you have likely seen a lot of discourse about yellow paint in video games. While that seems like an odd thing to be upset about, first of all, welcome to the internet. But also, the conversation is actually a little deeper than it first seems.
Why are gamers talking about yellow paint?
The yellow paint in video games discussion stems from developers using yellow paint to show the player where they need to go or to point out something important in the environment. After people got to play the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo, they noticed yellow paint that showed players where to climb a wall. Yellow is a color that often sticks out in an environment, so developers use this to direct your eye toward certain spots.
Like most issues, there are two sides to this argument. The ones upset about it argue that using yellow paint in this manner is immersion-breaking. Games like Assassin’s Creed and Uncharted have used breaks in a wall and visible uncolored environment pieces to let people know where to climb. Then you have games like Resident Evil: Village that would plaster yellow paint over barrels to let you know there were items in them.
The other side is completely fine with an easily seen marker showing them where to go. They don’t want to be lost looking for their one path forward because they don’t notice a chip in the wall. They argue that the general public doesn’t pay attention to the fine details that often, so it is a good idea to use something that catches your eye.
What side is right?
We can understand where both sides are coming from. There isn’t really a right or wrong side in this argument because the situation should dictate if it is right for the game or not. On the one hand, we like having a clear path forward in a linear game. The 2018 God of War did this rather well and even incorporated their yellow markings into the plot. There are times, though, when games can guide you a little too much. We think that the best course of action would be to work in an accessibility option for video games like this that allows you to use the yellow paint or hide it. Another topic that brings up the fight for more accessibility in video games.
