Hello! Thank you for your comment, and thank you for caring enough to write it.
So, we actually were aware of the connotations the word "crippled" has and, before the version went out we specifically discussed its use in the game in that scene. The word is distasteful, yes, and we used it with a goal of showing a bit about Asterion's emotions in that situation. In that moment he is thinking so lowly of himself that he would use specifically a slur instead of a more adequate word. It also has the purpose of reminding that Asterion is still not fully adapted to the 21st century, back in the early 20th century that word was used more often — although I don't think the scene conveys this too well.
In contrast, the player character is (I hope!) much more tactful and sensitive on this topic, because he knows better.
That was our intention. That said, I then looked at the files and I realised we dropped the ball in a different way. It's not Asterion who uses the word "crippled", it's the narrator, which botches it. The narrator doesn't have much of a reason to use that word, so all the justification I just wrote just fails to go through because we dropped the ball in the execution.
Thank you for pointing it out. What do you think would be a better word to use as a substitute?
"It was the kind of exhaustion that made even opening one's eyes an insurmountable task."
"Old or crippled, the minotaur needed this \"accessibility invention.
Would "disabled" be better? Is there an even more appropriate option?
Sorry for this situation! And once again thank you for taking time of your day to point it out, it's very appreciated.