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[RedSwirl]

A lot of people talk about how one game's UI sucks or how a console's UI is terrible, but I almost never hear about games with really good UI. I never hear them called out as examples other games should follow.

For consoles the only thing I can think of might be the original Xbox 360 blade UI. I first bought a 360 long after the blades were gone, but a piece of that old UI still exists in the home button menu, which is probably the best way to access most content on the 360.

 

[NaviLink]

In before Metroid Prime and Dead Space.

 

[Poker Face]

Halo: Reach comes to mind. Bungie is really good at making their interfaces look fantastic.

 

[whitehawk]

Beyond Good and Evil text entry.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Probably System Shock 2?

Wait, this thread is confusing me. Is the in game menus of System Shock 2 count as a UI?

 

[Tokubetsu]

Halo: Reach comes to mind. Bungie is really good at making their interfaces look fantastic.

Came in here to post this and Dead Space.

 

[Jac_Solar]

I've heard good things about Dirt 3's UI design.

 

[nkarafo]

No UI while playing is the best UI.

That's why i love Dead Space UI. And that's why i hate it in most Zelda games.

 

[rekameohs]

In before Metroid Prime and Dead Space.

...dammit.

 

[CrisKre]

Im really loving shin megami tensei IV ui. trully a class act.

 

[kittens]

Halo: Reach comes to mind. Bungie is really good at making their interfaces look fantastic.

Yup, this is the first thing I thought of. Had a few minor functionality issues, but otherwise it was fantastic.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Downhill Domination had the best ui ever.

 

[MrBig]

No UI while playing is the best UI.

Metro series is a fantastic example of this. Information available when you look for it but the actual on-screen ui is extremely minimal

 

[PotionBleue]

I like Sakurai's UI. Simple & clear.

 

[kazebyaka]

Best UI is a little to no UI. I say Dead Space does it awesome

 

[WiiredShawn]

I could have sworn we had a very similar thread just a few months ago...

But anyway, it seems the UI for Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is a significant improvement from earlier entries (which were serviceable in their own right already). That's good for me.

Also, the menu interface for L.A. Noire was pretty fancy. Too bad about the game.

Oh, and Sakurai has his UI design down to a science. You can spot his influence from a Pokemon league away.

 

[alr1ght]

Functionality over form. The less animation the better. I hate stuff like Dirt 2's menu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhZRcg8uKCA

 

[nkarafo]

Functionality over form. The less animation the better. I hate stuff like Dirt 2's menu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhZRcg8uKCA

Yup. Obnoxious, slow and time wasting.

 

[rrs]

Mirror's Edge

 

[Surface of Me]

I like Sakurai's UI. Simple & clear.

I've always hated the Smash UI's.

 

[NaviLink]

Metro series is a fantastic example of this. Information available when you look for it but the actual on-screen ui is extremely minimal

I didn't enjoy Metro 2033 that much, but I liked that practical approach regarding the UI, it fits very well with the vibe of the game, the scarcity of munitions and stuff.

 

[Goodacre0081]

a good MMO UI needs to be scalable and movable.

 

[PhoenixDawn]

I like Sakurai's UI. Simple & clear.

Came here to post these. Clean and simple menus that are pleasing to the eye and are easy to scan and select an option quickly.

 

[Xav]

 

[nkarafo]

a good MMO UI needs to be scalable and movable.

 

[Dramos]

Halo: Reach comes to mind. Bungie is really good at making their interfaces look fantastic.

I remember going crazy when they uploaded the beta teaser. The UI is still gorgeous.

Although I didn't like Forza Motorsport 4's menu UI, I really loved the Autovista presentations. Clean and simple.

Finally, I think The Division looks really unique and interesting.

 

[Kurita]

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/251/wowscrnshot110409205343.jpg[/IG]

:P[/QUOTE]
Oh god the memories...

 

[SoulUnison]

You're joking, right?

All-Stars is like looking at a bunch of menus someone whipped out in an afternoon in MS Publisher.
Plus, it doesn't even seem to completely care about the players decisions.

The game's 8 months old now, and every other match I play online, the game *forgets* what character I picked at Character Select, and just pretends I picked "Random" instead.

How is a bug that keeps you from being able to play as the character you've selected not worth a high-priority patch? In a FIGHTING game?

 

[Musolf815]

Persona 4 Golden for sure.

 

[Rashid]

I really love the black ops 2 ui, when it isn't being slow. It's absolutely amazing to use. Also, the PS Store design looks great, also slow and hindered by lack of RAM, like the BO2 UI and XMB. The NXE as good at the time, as was the UI seen in the FF versus XIII trailers. I like some of the modded Oblivion UI's - Darnevan I think one was called.

The Runescape 3 New interface alpha is absolutely brilliant too. Everything is scalable, customisable, removable and stackable.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Lol seriously amateur hour, that game was a total mess.

 

[Durante]

Most game and console UI design is terrible, that's probably why so many people talk about that.

We have decades of experience designing good UIs, but somehow, all that knowledge usually gets thrown out of the window when it comes to games. Or game-related applications even, see Steam.

If I had to point out an example of good UI, I'd go with SkyUI:

It realizes that we know how to build an interface for managing lists of items, and uses that knowledge to create a modern and functional interface which is sortable, searchable, filterable and categorized.

 

[ShroudOfFate]

The UI in The Last of Us is pretty great imo. There when you need it, but gone when you don't.

 

[iMax]

Depends on the genre, really. Call of Duty UI wouldn't work well in Mirror's Edge, or vice versa. Halo 3: ODST had a good vibe to it. Hitman: Blood Money probably has the worst UI I've personally experienced.

 

[Elija2]

I like Sakurai's UI. Simple & clear.

Agreed. Does Sakurai actually design the UI in his games? He has to, they all look alike.

 

[kittens]

No UI while playing is the best UI.

Not if you're missing out on vital info.

 

[iMax]

Not if you're missing out on vital info.

I like games where the vital information seeps into the game world. You know, like the AR in Halo showing how many rounds you have left, for example.

With things like the speaker in the DualShock 4, and connected devices, etc... hopefully this will continue. It's more intuitive, and a hell of a lot more immersive.

 

[Zeth]

Booted up Dota 2 for the fist time this weekend. Thought the design was fantastic. Not much experience actually using most of the UI though, curious about others' opinions on it.

 

[Dion Blaster]

Demon Souls is automatically last place for no pausing.

 

[RedSwirl]

Most game and console UI design is terrible, that's probably why so many people talk about that.

We have decades of experience designing good UIs, but somehow, all that knowledge usually gets thrown out of the window when it comes to games. Or game-related applications even, see Steam.

If I had to point out an example of good UI, I'd go with SkyUI:

It realizes that we know how to build an interface for managing lists of items, and uses that knowledge to create a modern and functional interface which is sortable, searchable, filterable and categorized.

Is SkyUI still good if you play the game with a 360 pad?

 

[Visualante2]

I've heard good things about Dirt 3's UI design.

You heard wrong. Takes ages to get through them. So much fluff and waiting around listening to assholes talk about how your pretend career is going and all the magical things you can do in the menus. It's like the menu itself has a tutorial. (which you can not skip)

Looks pretty but way over developed.

Functionality over form. The less animation the better. I hate stuff like Dirt 2's menu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhZRcg8uKCA

I feel like this is one of those things that snowballed. Codemasters has been praised time and time again for their menu work in reviews. Especially for Dirt and they just poured more money into it thinking it was important.

 

[nkarafo]

Not if you're missing out on vital info.

Dead Space displays vital info at all times without UI elements covering parts of the screen.

 

[sunnz]

COD MW2 had great UI, I thought.

 

[iMax]

GTA IV, so minimalistic yet shows the important information very nicely without being in the way or blocking too much of the screen.

The phone works pretty well too. Just sucks the map and the game menus are so damn clunky.

 

[MrBig]

Is SkyUI still good if you play the game with a 360 pad?

Yes, still works much better than the default menu. The only difference of course is that using a mouse is faster, but you can skip by page using the triggers with controller instead of going through each item

 

[Durante]

Is SkyUI still good if you play the game with a 360 pad?

I hear people prefer it over the default (which is not huge praise), but it's really designed for kb/m IMHO. I guess the sorting and categorization are usable with a gamepad, but the text-based filtering is my favourite feature and that only works with a keyboard.

 

[Snakeyes]

I think Atlus' modern UIs are some of the best in gaming;

 

[mcfrank]

Last of Us Crafting Menu

 

[SatoAilDarko]

I like Sakurai's UI. Simple & clear.

So do I. The problem is I wish there was somehow more connection with the game itself. Kid Icarus did this well but I felt Brawl's was just Sakurai recycling it.

 

[Loofy]

Last of Us Crafting Menu

I feel that putting it in the select button is a huge reason for this.