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Blind Student Plays Through Abe's Exoddus Using Only Audio Cues
Terry Garrett is a student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where he's studying to become a mechanical engineer. In his spare time he takes karate classes and plays video games. What makes Garrett particularly interesting is that he's been able to accomplish those things in spite of being blind since he was 5.
A while ago he contacted Oddworld Inhabitants, saying that he was a fan of the sound design in Abe's Exoddus. Using only those audio cues, Garrett says he was able to play through the entirety of the game without assistance or walkthroughs. Oddworld Inhabitants got in touch with him with the question that you're probably already asking yourself. How did he do it?
"When I start playing I track sound landmarks (foot steps, objects, sound of running or pushing against walls)," he says. "After this, I start exploring to see what does what. Always looking for landmark sounds to get my orientation down (sound of water, sound of footsteps changing from grass to dirt).
"Finally, I have a great sense of the minds eye. Once I know what is in an area and how they are laid out, I can make a real time picture of what is going on in front of me just through sound. even in 3D. If this is hard to picture I know, I can't explain it better than that."
Check out the video below to see Garrett play the game while answering interview questions. It's pretty insane, really.
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