Game UI is something I feel most of us take for granted. We often seek practical functionality (as we should) over any kind of artistically pleasing aesthetic; but what about the games that manage to have both? I know from personal experience that I dont really pay attention to game interfaces as long as they are logical and easy to use, but lets take a step back and discuss some of the games that do a great job of being both creative, attractive and practical.
Some examples of games I feel have really well done user interfaces are Dragon Age: Origins, Dead Space, The Witcher.
DA:O, although not really pushing beyond the standard RPG affair (Character, Journal, Map etc...), had some really beautiful design choices with swirls of darkness and blood that they worked into the Quest titles when they appeared on your screen, the pages of the codex, quest logs etc. These are things I took for granted on my first play through, but when you compare it to its successor -the much loved Dragon Age 2- You can really see the detail and art that went into Origins. DA2 on the other hand is very minimalist; Standard Text on a black background, pretty much all of the flair and attractiveness of origins stripped away.
Dead Space also has a brilliant interface. Projected into the environment and not being separate from the flow of the game really helped build suspense and add to the realism and the immersion. Being able to pan around your character as he looked through his inventory is just plain cool.
What are some game interfaces that you guys have enjoyed?
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