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[Zero Spooks]

This isn't the release version HUD either.



Notice how the weapon icons are white in the release version.

The. Point. Remains.

 

[Elitist1945]

Also OP you should have named the thread: The HUD, the bad, and the ugly.

Missed opportunity.

 

[Crossing Eden]

The Assassin's creed Hud is really so shameful. They're sort of trying to improve it by giving you options to turn of elements, but what those games need is a complete revamp from the ground up.

Man if only they would do that.

Here's the HUD of Syndicate btw. Much more streamlined.

 

[The Janitor]

Example of bad HUD: Hitman Absolution, this one speaks for itself.

Example of good: The Darkness, HUD only displayed when necessary, and a subtle red dot instead of a big ugly crosshair

Most HUDs are terrible these days, bombarding the screen with info and ruining any immersion I had.
On PC I play most singleplayer games complelety HUD free thanks to 3Dmigoto, which is a tool that lets you toggle HUD shaders in games on or off.

 

[Phyla]

The way objectives were displayed in Splinter Cell Conviction were pretty neat.

 

[Wasp]

ALways been a fan of the Prime series helmet hud:

I'm gonna disagree.

It's too claustrophobic for me. It intrudes into the playing space far too much. I don't like Halo 5's helmet HUD either.

Thankfully there's a lot of customisation options so it's not an issue.

 

[Oldest Snake]

Example of bad HUD: Hitman Absolution, this one speaks for itself.

Oh God, that game was terrible. Even worse, that's not all there is. There's also the disguise status, indicated by a little version of 47 to the right of the map and the enemy alert radial menu... thing... in the middle in bright yellow.

I remember them bragging that their 'Purist' mode disabled the HUD for a 'classic' Hitman experience in the run-up to launch as well. "Spiteful" is how I saw someone describe that mode, and I honestly can't think of a better word for it.

 

[DownGrader]

I'm gonna disagree.

It's too claustrophobic for me. It intrudes into the playing space far too much. I don't like Halo 5's helmet HUD either.

Thankfully there's a lot of customisation options so it's not an issue.

HUD can be made transparent in Prime 3. I don't remember for other titles, though.

 

[liliththepale]

Brutal Legend is one of my favourites.

Technically that's all menu, not heads-up display. Still, really great aesthetic there.

The RTS HUD can get kind of busy during some of the more intense fights, but never really a problem.

 

[old manatee]

Fallout 4's HUD is an eyesore no matter what settings I use.

 

[Cth]

I love a good HUD, don't know about anyone else, but more and more I'm wishing games did away the damn things altogether. Not always possible of course, but the less information cluttering up the screen, the better as far as I'm concerned. I'm also partial to HUD elements that fade in and out as and when the player needs them.

That said, some devs do a great job of designing their HUDs... and some don't. But both are worth discussing.

I had a class on HUD design and it's funny you chose two of my favorites, although you put them on opposite sides.

I agree Dead Space is genius in it's presentation.

I disagree that AC is a disaster. Consider the sheer amount of info they have to convey, and that the info itself is what the character is supposed to be seeing within the Animus.

So, an interface on an interface, etc. I think the way the Eagle Vision was used to present filters for said information works within the context of the Animus. Finally, having the four buttons correspond to the player's limbs (again the original) was another good choice when it came to the HUD.

And because it was the original game, the player was always within the characters' HUD as you saw between missions when they talked to Lucy, etc laying down in the Animus.

In other words, it meshed well with the game setting and conveyed a lot of information which to me made it a success. I can see how some players may not like that, but as stated elsewhere you could configure it otherwise.

 

[CS_Dan]

This has to be a joke, right?

Boo to the oversized button zone and "mini"-map.

It was an example of the "not so good". The HD version looks much better.

 

[sn00zer]

Far and above my favorites are ones that are in universe like the Dead Space, which really is the GOAT UI design. Otherwise, simple, clean, and above all minimal are the best.

 

[The Janitor]

Oh God, that game was terrible. Even worse, that's not all there is. There's also the disguise status, indicated by a little version of 47 to the right of the map and the enemy alert radial menu... thing... in the middle in bright yellow.

I remember them bragging that their 'Purist' mode disabled the HUD for a 'classic' Hitman experience in the run-up to launch as well. "Spiteful" is how I saw someone describe that mode, and I honestly can't think of a better word for it.

Yeah I forced myself to play purist mode cause it looked so much better. They should've just made it an option in the menu :/

 

[DownGrader]

It was an example of the "not so good". The HD version looks much better.

Yeah, I brainfarted and though we are discussing only good ones here.

 

[Peltz]

I really love Metroid Prime's HUD.

 

[Dr Dogg]

While the Dead Space series is probably my favourite implementation of a HUD into the game world Remember Me isn't that far off. Very seamlessly integrated so objective markers, button prompts and overlays only show up when needed. The all comes together and works really well in the investigative memory diving sections. Subtitles are impossibly small and was a right pain to get to work with 21:9 resolution but great design, function and aesthetics. Though stupidly can't find a decent screenshot of it so here's a vid of one of the memory remixes (spoilers though obvs) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfBpx4ST-u4

 

[bargeparty]

I'd like to know why we don't get options for opacity.

 

[Red Hood]

Dishonored and DXHR have great, simple and clean huds.

 

[Summer Haze]

Good for me is when developers incorporate HUD elements into the game. For example the clipboard and compass in the Metro games, or the map from Far Cry 2. I think if you must have a HUD then at least make it contextual like TLoU and TR.

Bad = Any AC. The overuse of hand-holding elements and ugly design choices. Ugh. I have no idea why they would make those beautiful worlds and then ruin it by covering it all up with that crap.

 

[Mory Dunz]

It sure has potential. Wind Waker HD had some nice looking HUD.

With the gamepad, the HUD is even better since the items, map stuff, and d-pad stuff aren't there.

(my screenie)

 

[Accoun]

One I don't like is Mortal Kombat X. They tried to be minimalistic, but I'd argue it doesn't fit the game itself.

 

[stew]

The way objectives were displayed in Splinter Cell Conviction were pretty neat.

Came to say this.

 

[Rudimental]

I liked the Doom 3 HUD. Bit of a cross between more traditional HUDs and the Dead Space style. Minimal overlay shunted into the bottom corners, with clear ammo indicators on most weapons themselves. Open up your PDA for info.

 

[nOoblet16]

I love FC2's HUD. Replacing the ubiquitous radar with a pull-out map was a stroke of genius.

I wonder if we will ever get this back in Farcry or in any other game really.
It was perfect, you could have maps of different scale, and a mini map to the right, could pull it out even while driving.

 

[John Kowalski]

Technically that's all menu, not heads-up display. Still, really great aesthetic there.

The RTS HUD can get kind of busy during some of the more intense fights, but never really a problem.

i think it would look even better running on anything better than a darn potato

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

Any time someone asks what the best HUD in gaming is, the series that immediately comes to mind is Dead Space.

Really hope the series makes a come back at some point, and get rid of the multiplayer bullet point while you're at it, EA. Thx.

 

[liliththepale]

i think it would look even better running on anything better than a darn potato

Undoubtedly, but my Google-fu is weak.

 

[Noobcraft]

Rise of the Tomb Raider, it's only there when it's relevant.

Standard gameplay:

And a brief pop-up when something happens:

 

[Ludger Kresnik]

I've always dug the party display portraits in Persona 3 and 4.

 

[sn00zer]

Bad: Dissidia Final Fantasy 2015

This is the worst HUD iI have ever seen...and I dont use "worst" lightly....its literally the worst

 

[Aureon]

I don't get people who post games without any hud as "best hud".
That's not even a hud.
The cries against huds in videogames have already brought forward cancers like regenerative health, it's really not helping gameplay any.

I always had a soft-spot for WoW mod - SpartanUI:

Ah, and since we're there, the undisputable champion of bad huds:

 

[Funyarinpa]

A shout-out to both System Shock games here, and as good ones. They are obtrusive as fuck, yes. They need to get used to, yes.

However, I love how capable the HUDs are. Managing the HUD effectively becomes part of the experience and adds a lot of depth to both games, such as choosing to view the map, reload screen, or ammo overview etc. in the lower corners as well as picking whether to see your inventory, a list of logs or the weapon selection screen in the lower center for the first game or beautifully intuitive inventory management, ammo selection, and even playing minigames in the HUD itself for the second game.

I love System Shock's HUDs, thanks to their complexity the games become true FPSRPGs.

 

[MattyG]

The way objectives were displayed in Splinter Cell Conviction were pretty neat.

I forgot how much I love the HUD in this game. I need to play it again soon.

 

[pantsattack]

Dishonored and DXHR have great, simple and clean huds.

This reminded me. I really liked there was a button press to take away the item bar on DX, which I left mostly off.
And Dishonored's layout is really nice too. Each element could be toggled and faded out when not in use. A good element of design which let me take out the stance indicator was Corvo would hold his blade differently per stance, so what you saw informed you without needing the indicator. Very clever.

 

[Pusherman]

Seriously though, I liked Tresspasser's attempt at a HUD-less game. Pretty ahead of its time.

 

[Skelter]

I don't get people who post games without any hud as "best hud".
That's not even a hud.
The cries against huds in videogames have already brought forward cancers like regenerative health, it's really not helping gameplay any.

I always had a soft-spot for WoW mod - SpartanUI:

Ah, and since we're there, the undisputable champion of bad huds:

Does this really count? WoW HUD's are customizable.

 

[Conkerkid11]

I don't get people who post games without any hud as "best hud".
That's not even a hud.
The cries against huds in videogames have already brought forward cancers like regenerative health, it's really not helping gameplay any.

I always had a soft-spot for WoW mod - SpartanUI:

Ah, and since we're there, the undisputable champion of bad huds:

You're posting images of player-made addons, and not even like a single one, but several combined by a single user who saw fit to use all of those. Not sure this makes any sense. Might as well start photoshopping the UIs of multiple games together and calling that bad as well.

And there are mods for several recent games like The Witcher 3 that attempt HUD-less UIs by making aspects of the UI dynamically appear based on whether or not the player needs it.

 

[cLOUDo]

I hate the over bearing HUD in Halo 5's campaign. I just want a seamless window into the universe, instead they put the actual helmet on the screen, blocking off the game, and then put way too much visual clutter on top of that. It does nothing but make the game feel claustrophobic and detached to me. The game is gorgeous. I just wish my window into it wasn't so restrictive.

Is that how the game looks all the time?

 

[WickedLaharl]

ALways been a fan of the Prime series helmet hud:

That looks terrible.

 

[DISSESHOWEDO]

For me, nothing tops DS1-2 and 3s HUD!

 

[Aureon]

You're posting images of player-made addons, and not even like a single one, but several combined by a single user who saw fit to use all of those. Not sure this makes any sense. Might as well start photoshopping the UIs of multiple games together and calling that bad as well.

And there are mods for several recent games like The Witcher 3 that attempt HUD-less UIs by making aspects of the UI dynamically appear based on whether or not the player needs it.

A raid-ready UI used most of these frames, even if arranged somewhat differently. On a small 4:3 screen.... that's how raid-wow looked.

 

[gdt]

For me, nothing tops DS1-2 and 3s HUD!

Where is this screenshot from....?

It looks horrible. A Wii version? PC low settings?

 

[striferser]

Where is this screenshot from....?

It looks horrible. A Wii version? PC low settings?

Looks like Ios version

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Seriously though, I liked Tresspasser's attempt at a HUD-less game. Pretty ahead of its time.

Dem textures

 

[liliththepale]

ALways been a fan of the Prime series helmet hud:

Good idea, terrible execution. Too busy, too garish, too ugly.

Dem textures

Dem priorities.

 

[Orayn]

Where is this screenshot from....?

It looks horrible. A Wii version? PC low settings?

Looks like the mobile version, maybe.

 

[The Boat]

I watched the GB Quick Look of Xenoblade, and the HUD is terrible. Too much on screen.

I think Bloodborne has a very good HUD.

You can turn things on and off though, it's just that a lot of that info is useful. But yeah, it's pretty cluttered if you have everything turned on and that's more apparent when you're watching.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Just something about this HUD looks nice. It may be in other JRPGs other than the Tales Series at this point, but the first time I've seen it was Tales of Symphonia, and it's just so clean and nice.

Edit: This is a 3DS screen. PS2 is a lot less crowded.

Talea of the Abyss specifically has a nice and pleasing UI, a lot of care went into its design.

 

[CyberPunked]

2 greats HUDs from 2013. Nice and simple

The Last of Us

That isn't the last of us's hud. That's from the e3 demo.