Aug 1st, 2018, 06:43 PM
What are your favourite HUD and/or UI designs in games? Do you prefer as little information on screen as possible, or do you want everything you need to know available to you at all times?
Best Customisation - Nier: Automata
For me this game has the best approach to HUD design out of any game I've seen. Every single part of the HUD is controlled by chips that you can remove at will, so not only can you customise every single part of the HUD, but you're almost encouraged to so that you can free up chip space for chips that will help you in combat. There's even a chip to determine if the HUD should ever fade out when you don't need to see certain information.
Most Integrated - Dead Space
The game has absolutely no HUD on screen, instead having all ammo, health, and stasis meters displayed on the weapons or Isaac's suit. Any time you open a menu to check your inventory, missions, logs, or anything else, your suit displays it as a hologram in front of you while the game world continues. While having time continue while browsing your inventory can be found in games like Minecraft, I've yet to find a game that made its HUD so integrated as Dead Space.
Fallout comes in a close second due to the PipBoy, but gameplay pauses when in use (at least in Fallout 4) and some elements such as health are also kept on screen at all times as overlays.
Best Customisation - Nier: Automata
For me this game has the best approach to HUD design out of any game I've seen. Every single part of the HUD is controlled by chips that you can remove at will, so not only can you customise every single part of the HUD, but you're almost encouraged to so that you can free up chip space for chips that will help you in combat. There's even a chip to determine if the HUD should ever fade out when you don't need to see certain information.
Most Integrated - Dead Space
The game has absolutely no HUD on screen, instead having all ammo, health, and stasis meters displayed on the weapons or Isaac's suit. Any time you open a menu to check your inventory, missions, logs, or anything else, your suit displays it as a hologram in front of you while the game world continues. While having time continue while browsing your inventory can be found in games like Minecraft, I've yet to find a game that made its HUD so integrated as Dead Space.
Fallout comes in a close second due to the PipBoy, but gameplay pauses when in use (at least in Fallout 4) and some elements such as health are also kept on screen at all times as overlays.