A collection of short reviews for games played in 2022

God of War Ragnarök – Santa Monica Studio (2022)

I finished God of War Ragnarök towards the end of the year – what an amazing game from start to finish! Santa Monica Studio really built on the strong foundations of the 2018 reboot and dynamic between Kratos and Atreus. A lot of similarities with gameplay but there’s enough new surprises and features to make it stand apart (and is the better of the two in my opinion!). Just like the previous game, the intense combat is balanced perfectly with the emotional moments (many a tear was shed). 10/10 for performances across the board including the dogs & wolves. Well deserved win(s) at The Game Awards.

I took A LOT of screenshots. Safe to say I won’t be forgetting this game in a hurry!

Nothing beats traveling the realms while listening to the stories and banter between the characters. It was really fun to pair this game with reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.

Image credit: Sony

Metal: Hellsinger – The Outsiders (2022)

The hottest (and heaviest) game this year was Metal: Hellsinger from The Outsiders and Funcom. A rhythm FPS where you slay demons to the beat of metal tracks. Switch between duel-wielding pistols, a pump shotgun, slaying sword and other cool weapons for different combos. The more in sync you are with the rhythm, the more intense the music and your total score (which increases damage afflicted). At the top level you unlock the vocals on each metal track. A real treat with some of the genre’s biggest names (Matt Heafy, Trivum; Serj Tankian, System of a Down; Alissa White-Gluz, Arch Enemy + more) featuring alongside the composers of the game’s soundtrack: Two Feathers.

To celebrate the launch there was the largest-ever performance at Gamescom 2022 of the game’s top songs (my favourite moment of the whole event!).

Image credit: Funcom

The Last of Us Part I – Naughty Dog (2022)

Really worth getting if you’re a Last of Us fan. The enemy AI and visuals have all been updated bringing Part I to the same quality level at TLOU2. Now you can play both games back to back on the PS5. All of my favourite survival horror elements are there and I found myself scouring every room and alley for resources and narrative clues. Bring on the HBO TV series!

Image credit: Sony

Trek to Yomi – Flying Wild Hog (2022)

A side-scrolling action game set in feudal Japan that has an indie feel to it with simple combat and limited moves. Black and white visuals go really well with this Kurosawa-influenced game and each location has amazing backdrops. I would have preferred it to not go down the “fantasy” route but still an enjoyable experience in one of my favourite historical settings.

Image credit: Devolver Digital

River City Girls – WayForward (2019)

Playing Elden Ring is a marathon, not a sprint, so I needed something casual to fill the downtime in between. I found that with River City Girls, a side-scrolling beat ’em up where you play as a schoolgirl going around town looking for your boyfriend who’s been “kidnapped”. A fantastic game with its fair share of tricky bosses, witty dialogue, and countless moves to unlock – you can even dab your way out of trouble. My love for retro side-scrollers continues! 

Image credit: WayForward

Elden Ring – From Software (2022)

A game that lived up to the hype and then some! Open-world exploration + Souls combat makes for a perfect match. The map is a welcome addition and I populated mine full of markers for key locations, tough bosses and quests to revisit as I progressed. 

Even after 140 hours, Elden Ring felt fresh and exciting – just the dungeons started to feel repetitive. I wished the game would force me to use different weapons/playstyles (as there’s a lot!), but I guess that’s why you can replay the game.

A real test of patience with the final bosses (I “walked away” from Elden Ring numerous times) but always found myself coming back to try a new tactic.

Hardest boss: Maliketh, The Black Blade. I just panicked in phase 2 every time

Best boss: General Radahn. Elden Ring is epic throughout, but this fight was so memorable, such a cinematic fight across a large battlefield

Best part: Fighting dragons while on horseback

Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Bad North – Plausible Concept (2018)

If you’ve ever wanted a minimalistic version of the real-time Total War battles then Bad North is your game. Defend your islands from Viking invaders in this rogue lite which is super addictive. It’s all about troop placement and responding to various threats on your island which has a different design every new battle. Especially fun on the Switch!

Image credit: Raw Fury

Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Techland (2022)

Dying Light 2 was one of the first games I played this year. The vertical open world provides plenty of options to get from point A to B in the city: freerunning, climbing, paragliding, taking on the zombie-infested streets, and more! (The best games are the ones where you have a fast travel option but you choose not to use it).

If, like me, you’re more interested in reaching the top of every building, clearing bandit camps, and scavenging, then your character level is going to be way too high when you take on the story missions (where’s level scaling?). But in the end, this just shows the amount of quality content the game has to offer.

Just like DL1, there’s nothing quite like the risk of going out at night to scavenge, start a chase, and take on the OP Volatiles (stay alive until dawn and you’ll get double XP for your troubles).

Highly recommend for fans of Metro, The Last of Us, Days Gone, Mirrors Edge and parkour in Assassin’s Creed.

Also kudos to the Techland design team for the Slipknot reference in the below safe code clue – love it!

Image credit: Techland

What are your favourite games you played this year? Let me know below in the comments!

The Best “Just one More” Games

Some of the best games are the ones that you just can’t pull yourself away from. It can start as “I’ll just sit down and play for a bit” and next it’s 3am in the morning and you have to be up early for work.

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity. I think this sums up nicely what the best gaming experiences are: complete immersion where time doesn’t matter. Looking at some recent games I’ve played (and enjoyed), I narrowed down the real reasons why I’m kidding myself when I say “just one more…”.

Just one more…

…Night run (Dying Light 2)

Dying Light 2 is the sequel to 2016’s original game that introduced us to the winning combination of parkour and zombies. Similar to the first entry, there’s a day/night cycle and going out after dark means stronger and more enemies to contend with. But in return, double XP, more loot, and a guaranteed rush of adrenaline. 

It’s an intense experience; the docile daytime zombies are replaced by stronger and faster enemies including the infamous volatiles who’ll be coming at you from all sides (even the gutters this time around). Your only refuge is at a safe house – easily noticeable by the glow of the UV blue light – where you can safely wait until dawn. But watch out – one mistake and you’ll fall victim to the zombie mob and lose all your experience points, Dark Souls style.

Can you make it to dawn alive? Can you even make it to bed? Good night, and good luck.

What a coincidence, dawn is here both in the game and reality (Image credit: Techland)

…Location to explore (Elden Ring)

Open-world games are all the rage with their sprawling maps and endless quests to sink your teeth into. My favourites are the ones that encourage you to explore based on in-game visual cues rather than relying on a map and waypoints.

The seminal Breath of the Wild was released in 2017 and set a high standard for the genre. While taking elements from open-world games before it – Ubisoft’s towers as points of interest, Bethesda’s side quests, and a mixture of survival mechanics – BotW also removes restrictions often found in the genre. You are free to go straight to the final boss if you wish, and unlocking towers doesn’t populate the map with markers, just the terrain layout. This leaves the thrill of discovering new locations to you: the player.  

Elden Ring follows in BotW’s huge footsteps and adds in the signature trying combat and subtle storytelling found in From Software games. Although a map has been introduced (a first for the souls series), there’s no quest log and the HUD is generally icon-free. How you tackle each region is up to you and not knowing what’s around the corner or over that ridge will keep you up way past your bedtime.

All points of interest in this image can be reached in one way or another: the castle, the broken bridge, the mini tree on the right, etc. (Image credit: From Software)

…Escape attempt (Hades)

Hades is one of many quality rogue-likes that have come out in recent years, joining the likes of Spelunky 2, Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, and the BAFTA-winning Returnal. In this Greek-myth-inspired game, you play as Zagreus (the son of Hades) as you attempt to escape the underworld and the trappings of your controlling father.

Staying true to the roguelike genre, the game’s maps, enemies, and bonuses (called boons) are randomised on each playthrough while one thing never changes: when you die, you lose it all and have to start again. 

Not knowing what enemies you’re going to face, where you’re going, and what boons you’ll get to choose from is thrilling! There are 6 unique starter weapons and your character build will almost certainly be different on every run. You’d think making it all the way through the underworld just to get dispatched by one of Hades’ minions or a sneaky trap would be enough to throw your controller down. Actually, it made me want to start again, experiment with another character build, and go on “one more run”. 

On my way, Father (Image credit: Supergiant)

…Boss fight (all souls games)

For me, the chief culprit for not being able to put down a game is boss fights. Countless times I’ve stayed up determined to defeat a boss only to find that my skills are getting worse. Then the next day I’d wake up (calm and refreshed) and defeat the same boss on the first attempt!

From Software games are known for their insanely difficult bosses, and there’s even some debate around bringing in an easy mode. The beauty of these games is that you learn something from every death – enemy weaknesses, telegraphed attacks, and what weapons & items work best. Slowly things will click into place and knowing exactly what you need to do to win is satisfying in itself – now you just need to be awake enough to have the reflexes and concentration to pull it off.

The Lothric/Lorian boss fight in DS3 was so hard I thought it was the end of the game – turns out it was not (Image credit: From Software)

…Room to loot (Resident Evil)

The survival horror genre does a good job of taking away control from the player by making weapons weak and ammo scarce. Add in a horror setting and some well-timed jump scares and you’re in for a fun ride.

Looting becomes a necessity, and the redesigned map in the recent Resident Evil games fixes a common question for completionists – did I miss some loot?! Now the map will change from red to blue once a room is picked clean. This leaves me struggling to move onto the next level/zone without having a red-free map. Add to this the rarity of key items and ammo, and you’ll find I’ve ignored the zombies completely in search of my next herb (it’s just a health item in the game, I swear!).

Guess what my favourite colour is? (Image credit: Capcom)

…Horde to clear (Days Gone)

Days Gone lets you live out the fantasy of living in post-apocalyptic Oregon while also fighting zombies and riding around on your Sons of Anarchy motorcycle.

The unique Horde mechanic takes the idea of being overwhelmed by enemies and makes you choose between fight-or-flight (mainly flight at the start). Hordes are made up of 50 – 500 freakers (zombies basically), and there are over 40 hordes living in the game world (they sleep during the day and come out at night looking for food and drink). As you unlock abilities, figure out strategies, and get stronger weapons, you’re naturally encouraged to fight rather than flee on your bike. You can approach a horde in any way you want – go in guns blazing, or lay a bunch of explosive traps and lead the horde to their doom. It’s by far the most difficult part of the game but also the most rewarding and fun!

The Old Sawmill Horde is the biggest in the game with a total of 500 freakers – yeesh! (Image credit: Sony)

…Attempt to save the world (Into the Breach)

Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy game where you control mechs fighting to protect the earth against an alien invasion. All enemy attacks are shown before your turn, so your job is to plan a response with limited moves and action points.

In his candid post-mortem of the game, co-founder and designer Matthew Davis explains that the aim was to shift the focus from saving mechs and pilots to the population (represented by buildings). Sacrificing your pilots for the greater good can be the difference between winning or losing, and there are plenty of “for Frodo” moments. 

The draw for me – just like Hades – was as soon as I saved the world (or lost enough civilian lives to end the game), I wanted to jump straight back in and do it all over again.

I was very proud of this move, although it didn’t stop me from losing the bottom left buildings (Image credit: Subset Games)

For interested players and veterans of Into the Breach, the game will come exclusively to mobile for all Netflix subscribers on July 19th. There’s also a free update for all platforms with loads of additional content.

Honourable mentions

Joyrides in GTA – for a twist on this, try competing with your friends for the best helicopter death

Turns in Rome: Total War – Rome wasn’t built in a day and this game puts that into perspective

Side quests in Fallout: New Vegas & The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – when the side quests are this good, you won’t mind missing the main story (although that’s pretty good too)

Team Deathmatch in Call of Duty – there was a time when my K/D ratio meant way too much to me

What games have stopped you from going to bed at a reasonable hour? Let me know below in the comments!

6 Ways Mythology is Used in Video Games

In my last blog, I looked at how history influences games – from the location and time period to art and significant events – and it’s a similar case for mythology in games. Mythology is the collection of myths and stories about a specific culture, religion, or any group with shared beliefs e.g., stories about the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.

Unlike history, which is commonly accepted to have happened, mythology is a set of beliefs passed down to us through folklore and stories. As we’re going to see below, this allows a lot of room for interpretation and goes well with the creative medium of video games.

1. Gods of all shapes and sizes

Gods and goddesses of all pantheons regularly feature in games – from being the main protagonist (Kratos in GoW) and antagonist (more of this in point 3) to comedic narrators (Immortals Fenyx Rising) and all of a game’s playable characters (Smite). At the time of writing, the online MMO Smite has an impressive 118 playable gods from 16 different pantheons, with Hindu deity Shiva being the latest announcement.

In Immortals Fenyx Rising, the story is told through the comedic bickerings of Zeus and Prometheus (Image credit: Hi-Rez Studios & Ubisoft)

In 2020, Supergiant gave us Hades, a roguelike dungeon crawler where you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades as you attempt to escape the underworld. Along the way you’re aided by (and up against), gods and characters from Greek mythology. What makes this game stand out is its rich storytelling and cast of colourful and diverse characters. Athena and Ares are dark-skinned, Dionysus is south Asian, Hermes is east Asian, and Eurydice is a Black woman crowned with an afro made from the branches and canopy of a tree. Hades is inspired by classical mythology rather than modern adaptations and the game’s Creative Director, Greg Kasvin, explains this diversity choice: “they’re called the Greek gods because they were worshiped in ancient Greece, not because they themselves are ethnically Greek.”

Repeatedly speaking with these characters will unlock tons of superbly written and performed narrative content (Image credit: Supergiant)

This year’s GoW Ragnarök also looks to follow Hades in its diverse representation of gods – this time in Norse mythology.

GoW’s Thor looks similar to the beer-bellied hero from Avengers Endgame (Image credit: Sony)

2. Storytime

Games full of mythology have no shortage of folklore and interesting stories to tell the players and one way of doing this is through cinematics and onscreen descriptions. God of War and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla change this up by fitting in storytelling as the player traverses the map and open world (or worlds in GoW’s case). In GoW, the talking head of Mimir tells stories from Norse mythology, and in AC Valhalla, your Viking crew will share songs, Nordic folktales, and funny anecdotes as you travel the English rivers looking for Saxon settlements to raid.

“Did you hear the one about… ?” (Image credits: Ubisoft & Sony)

It’s a good example of introducing the player to common stories from the time while also not interrupting gameplay. A similar method is used in Mafia 3 where the radio stations provide a backdrop to the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s (as well as filling in for the lack of fast travel).

3. Enemies

Video game baddies have long been inspired by mythology and folklore – from the monsters in The Witcher (mainly Slavic folklore) to the ancient Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu in House of Ashes, which also happens to be the same demon from The Exorcist.

My favourite use of this is 2019’s Game of the Year, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which blends history and mythology together – a winning combination in my book. Set during the Senguko-Era in late 16th century Japan, the game draws closely from surrounding legends and myths, mainly in the design of enemies and bosses inspired by Yokai (Japanese spirits). From the Demon of Hatred to the Divine Dragon, Sekiro’s creatures are both beautiful and terrifying – which might make facing them for the hundredth time a little more comforting.

Inspired by Japanese woodblock printing from the Edo period (Image credit: FromSoftware & Arita-ya Seiemon)

4. The truth behind the myth

The strategy Total War series has long kept history and mythology separate – Rome & Three Kingdoms focus on events in history while the Warhammer titles have a fantasy setting. The latest entry, A Total War Saga: TROY, blends aspects of mythology with events of the Trojan war and gives players a choice at the start for how deep into mythology they want to go.

Unfortunately, there’s still no “Movie mode” featuring Brad Pitt (Image credit: Sega)

Historical mode keeps the game grounded while Mythological mode brings to life the beliefs and legends of the ancient peoples. Gods of Olympus will interfere in battles and legendary monsters such as the Hydra and Cerberus can be hunted down and recruited into your army.

I like the Truth Behind the Myth mode as it supports the idea that mythological accounts originate from historical events and people (known as Euhemerism). Take the Minotaur for example, in Greek Mythology he’s a monstrous man-eating beast that is half man and half bull; whereas in Total War TROY, the Minotaur is a heavily built bandit king who makes a claim for power by connecting the bull mask and double axe to Minoan heritage.

On the left, a man in a costume; and on the right, a very real mythical beast (Image credit: Sega)

5. Cultural Insights

Many of the myths, legends, and tales we know today have been passed on through traditional forms of storytelling and songs that in turn preserve cultures. Games allow players to take part in the story and Never Alone paired game makers and Alaska Native storytellers to create a game based on the traditional Iñupiaq tale of Kunuuksaayuka.

Never Alone is an atmospheric puzzle platformer that combines traditional lore and visuals inspired by art from Alaska Native cultures. The game also provides additional insights into Alaska Native culture through mini documentaries and interviews with elders that are unlocked as you progress (found all together here).

Never Alone won a BAFTA for Best Debut Game in 2015 (Image credit: E-line Media)

6. Location, Location, Location

Mythology allows games to break free from earthly restrictions and gives developers a free hand in the interpretation of godly domains and their inhabitants.

The realm of the dead, for example, is a popular game destination; in GoW and Hellblade you have Helheim from Norse mythology and in AC Origins you are introduced to the Duat (ancient Egypt’s realm of the dead) as you assassinate high profile targets.

The realm of the dead always makes for great visuals (Image credit: Ninja Theory, Sony & Ubisoft)

The DLC for AC Origins allows the player to actually visit the Egyptian afterlife which is split into four realms. These contain elements from Egyptian mythology that include Aaru, the field of reeds; giant scorpions; Ba, human-headed birds expressing mobility of the soul; and Aten, the sun disk.

Uncanny valley at its finest (Image credit: Ubisoft)

I have to give a final shoutout here to Hades which features my favourite mythological location in a game. It’s not the deadly dungeons of Tartarus or the beautiful Elysium fields but the home of the title man himself. Hades, the lord of the underworld, sits behind a stone desk and is up to his neck in paperwork with the loyal (and oh so cute) Cerberus sitting by his side.

Don’t mind me Father (Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Upcoming games with Mythology

Looking at this year’s releases it’ll be interesting to see how GoW Ragnarök wraps up the rebooted franchise with its take on Greek/Norse mythology. Coming out sooner is the next DLC for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (also with Ragnarök in the title) that goes full Norse mythology – perhaps signalling a change in setting for future games?

Further down the line, the stunning Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game based on the 16th-century novel Journey to the West that focuses on Chinese folklore and mythology. As for Hellblade 2, will the sequel continue the dive into Celtic and Norse mythology or keep us grounded in the Viking age?

What parts of myths and folklore would you like to see in future games? Let me know in the comments below!

6 Ways Games Immerse the Player in History

Creating a believable world in video games will keep players engaged, dedicated and ultimately coming back for more. One way to do this is by adding lore – the game’s backstory that adds details and depth to the universe outside of the main story. Most games will feature this to some extent and even PUBG, the popular online Battle Royale, has introduced lore that attempts to explain why strangers fight to the death for a “chicken-dinner”. While lore is usually made-up and written specifically for the game’s universe, developers can also draw upon historical sources, locations, and events for inspiration.

I love it when a game taps into your historical interests and knowledge, so I’ve put together a list of 6 interesting ways that games immerse the player in history.

1. Historical locations

Games go beyond books and films by allowing us to experience time periods and settings of the past. Since the first release in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has covered key historical settings including Renaissance Italy, the Golden Age of Piracy, Ancient Egypt, and the Viking age, to name but a few. Although AC always exercises a degree of creative license with their titles (Minotaur boss fight anyone?), buildings and landmarks are heavily based on what evidence we still have today -text descriptions and material remains- resulting in authentic and detailed locations for the player to explore.

Yes, you can slide down the Pyramids of Giza (Image credit: Ubisoft)

The latest AC entries feature a Discovery Tour Mode where the player can explore Ancient Greece, Egypt, and Viking-era England without being interrupted by combat or quests. This mode is great for educational use and the player can take part in guided audio tours of historical sites. The Discovery Tour Mode for Valhalla is out later this year and adds a new feature where you take on the role of residents as they go about their daily lives in ninth-century England and Norway – kind of life a virtual museum.

The Discovery Tours from AC Origins and AC Odyssey are now standalone releases (Image credit: Ubisoft)

2. Staying completely true to historical accuracy

As well as famous locations, games with historical settings are full of material details -buildings, weapons, clothes etc.- that illustrate when the game is set. Red Dead Redemption 2 does a fantastic job with its realistic portray of the Wild West era, and the open-world RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance pulls out all the stops in its quest for historical accuracy. In KCD, medieval life in the Kingdom of Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) was recreated with the assistance of architects and historians to be realistic as possible. At times this can make KCD feel more like a medieval simulator than a video game -I was imprisoned for 7 days for illegally carrying an open flame through the marketplace one evening- but you have to admire the dedication to accuracy from Warhorse Studios.

No light? Straight to jail. (Image credit: Warhorse Studios)

3. Archive photos

Ubisoft Montpellier teamed up with creators of the documentary series Apocalypse, World War I to create Valiant Hearts: The Great War – a 2D puzzle side-scroller set during the First World War.

This collaboration allowed the developers to include restored and colourized images from the Apocalypse database into the game’s menu. Each mission (set in different locations across the Western Front) is accompanied by pictures and descriptions which all adds context to what you are experiencing in the game.

Poison gas was used for the first at The Battle of Ypres in 1915 (Image credit: Ubisoft)

4. Significant moments in history

Games can really make the most of their setting by focusing on defining moments in history. Mafia 3 is set in 1968 America during the height of the Civil Rights movement, and you play as Lincoln Clay, an African-American Vietnam veteran.

The team at Hangar 13 have done a great job of weaving the sentiment from the time into the game’s narrative to reinforce where the game is set and who the characters are. “You’ll hear things in the game that Lincoln would hear as a black man in 1968″ said Game Director Haden Blackman and in the fictionalized version of New Orleans, Lincoln will encounter racial slurs, white supremacist groups, “whites only” establishments and an overly-suspicious police force. Another way of grounding the game is through radio broadcasts that, along with music of the era, play news breaks which cover real-world events such as the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the arrests of the Freedom Riders.

Police response times are much quicker in affluential neighbourhoods compared to poorer districts – another nuanced detail (Image credit: 2K Games)

5. Artifact collector

Collecting items is a common mechanic in video games whether the item is to be sold, used for upgrading or just for the sake of completing a set. Historical games can add an extra layer to this by introducing artifacts and their descriptions that are typically only found in a museum.

Ghost of Tsushima is set during the occupation of Tsushima Island by the Mongols in the 13th Century and does exactly this. You play as Jin Sakai, a Japanese Samurai defending his homeland, and the Mongol artifacts you find provide an interesting insight into the Mongol way of life and their approach to war.

Artifacts are found in Mongol camps and forts across the island (Image credit: Sony Interactive)

6. Art from the past

Historical art can influence different aspects of a game. Total War: Rome II uses Ancient Greek and Roman art as inspiration for its menu and unit cards, and Red Dead Redemption 2 draws influence for its environments from the Hudson River School oil paintings.

(Image credits: Creative Assembly, 2K Games & Albert Bierstadt)

But how about using a particular art style as inspiration for the entire art direction of a game? Okami, an action-adventure based on Japanese mythology & folklore, has a visual style that is inspired by the ukiyo-e genre (Japanese water colour and wood carving art) and the sumi-e technique (traditional ink wash painting).

Painting onscreen is also a game mechanic used in combat and puzzles (Image credit: Capcom)

In a similar way Apotheon, a 2D side-scrolling action game set in Ancient Greek mythology, has the distinctive art style of Greek pottery.

The result is two visually unique games where the art reflects the historical & mythological settings.

A mixture of Ancient Greek pottery and Disney’s Hercules (Image credit: Alientrap)

While researching (mainly playing) games for this blog, I found just as many examples of immersion through the use of mythology & folklore, so keep an eye out for a future blog entry on this!

Do you know any other games that use history for player immersion? Let me know in the comments below!

Useful links for history in video games

Archaeogaming – A blog dedicated to the discussion of archaeology both of and in video games

Paizomen – A database of games set in Greek and Roman antiquity

Gaming The Past – Resources for historical video games in the classroom and beyond

Video games with historical settings – A handy wiki list

Increasing player immersion through the User Interface (UI)

Creating an immersive gameplay experience requires deciding which UI components will fit the core themes and style of the game. As functionality is key, designers have to balance creating an immersive experience for players while still presenting them with all the necessary feedback and instructions. In this blog post I’ll briefly outline the four types of UI used in video games and explore different ways of using them to achieve player immersion.

The four types of UI in video games

Terminology from “Beyond the HUD – User Interfaces for Increased Player Immersion in FPS Games”

The UI is a system of visual components that helps the player to interact with the game, find information and accomplish tasks. Through the UI the player can interact with the game’s narrative and feel like they are part of the action by breaking into the game space.  

With this in mind we can split up the UI in games into four classes: non-diegetic, diegetic, spatial and meta.

Non-Diegetic 

Non-diegetic components are the most common of the four and often appear on the Heads-up display (HUD) as stats and feedback for the player. As these exist outside of the game’s narrative and space neither the character nor anyone else in the game are aware of their existence.

This tree boss has no idea how many health flasks my character has up his sleeve (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Diegetic  

Diegetic components exist within the game’s 3D space and are part of the game’s narrative – characters in the game are aware they exist. In Alien: Isolation, the in-game motion tracker (which has to be equipped to be used) acts as a radar showing when someone is nearby.

Hopefully that someone isn’t a Xenomorph (Image credit: Sega)

Spatial 

The difference with spatial components is that, although they are represented within the 3D space as visual clues, they aren’t part of the narrative and can’t be seen by characters in-game. A common feature in racing games is the “racing line” along the road showing the player the optimal path to take to reach their destination.

Time to live life in the left lane (Image credit: Microsoft)

Meta 

Meta components exist as overlays and filters on the 2D screen rather than in the game’s 3D space. These convey physical effects from the game’s narrative such as the blood splatter & red filter effect used by first-person shooters to show your character’s low health.

Hello darkness, my old friend (Image credit: Activision)

Examples of immersive UI

Firewatch’s in-game map and compass

In the adventure title Firewatch, the in-game map and compass are the only means to navigate the Wyoming wilderness. Your character will update the map with notes and observations as you explore the area which gives a real sense of discovery and progression.

Now which way is North? (Image credit: Campo Santo)

Ghost of Tsushima’s guiding animals

In GOT the developers wanted players to look into the game world for things to do. To help with this there are guiding animals (foxes and golden birds) in the open world that direct the player to nearby points of interest.

Also helpful for the not so obvious locations (Image credit: Sony)

Hellblade’s clear HUD

The subtleness of a game’s HUD and UI depends on the intended experience of the game. A narrative-focused game such as Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice features no HUD at all with most of the information conveyed to the player through audio means. Without a map and inventory, the HUD is icon-free allowing the player to focus on what’s happening in-game.

One of Helheim’s more picturesque spots (Image credit: Ninja Theory)

The Last of Us Part II’s guitar sessions

Playing guitar is an important part of the narrative and the player is bought into this experience by choosing which chords and strumming patterns Ellie will play in-game (via non-diegetic prompts). Everything from finger picking to chord positioning is perfectly represented onscreen and it’s a great way to wind down in-between levels.

Revenge can wait, it’s time for a jam (Image credit: Sony)

Frostpunk’s player feedback

Using meta components is a great way to inform the player of changes to the game’s state. Frostpunk, a city-building strategy game, demonstrates that this doesn’t have to be limited to just health and damage feedback. As one of the game’s main goals is to not let your citizens freeze to death, an overlay of ice will appear at the edges of the screen to warn the player of drops in temperature.

“Brace yourself, cold is coming!” (Image credit: 11 bit studios)

Dead Space’s UI embedded in the 3D-space

The Dead Space series is a good example of all the UI elements (health, inventory, map, menu etc.) being visually represented in-game. This fully diegetic approach is explained by the game’s futuristic space setting. With no HUD in sight, health is displayed on the back of the character’s suit and the game’s interface, map and player inventory are all projected via holograms in-game.

Health suits, coming to a store near you (Image credit: EA)

Resident Evil 3’s environmental visual clues

In Resident Evil 3 (2020), visual clues in the environment assist players with exploration throughout the open-space section of the game. The use of shop signs and clever lighting make points of interest stand out in the environment and embody a more subtle approach compared to in-game icons.

I’d bet good money that gun shop has something useful inside (Image credit: Capcom)

Control’s signs for navigation (that never made it to the final game)

If you want to create an immersive world it’s important to still provide the player with the right tools for exploration. Remedy initially wanted players to navigate Control’s world by only using the signs found throughout the game. However, user research sessions showed that players kept getting lost and confused so the developers decided to add in a map.

Navigating Control without a map would be tricky to say the least (Image credit: Remedy Entertainment)

Red Dead Redemption 2’s character journal

RDR2 has a journal where your character will record important game events, key locations and various discoveries. Unlike other titles where this can only be accessed via the menu, this journal is one of Arthur Morgan’s possessions and can be viewed at any point in-game.

Dear diary, today I made a new friend (Image credit: Rockstar games)

Mafia: Definitive Edition’s spatial road signs

When driving around the city of Lost Haven, visual clues that look like real road signs appear and disappear in the game space. These signs direct you and help you stay focused on driving rather than constantly looking at your mini-map.

Eyes on the road, buddy (Image credit: 2K games)

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s exploration mode

With this mode enabled destination markers are removed from the HUD. Instead, you have to listen out for clues in conversations with non-playable characters to find out where you need to go. Having to rely on your own navigational skills makes for a much more engaging experience rather than just going from one waypoint to another.

Where did she say those herbs were again? (Image credit: Ubisoft)

The above examples show a variety of ways of using the UI to increase immersion in games. What works well in one game might not fit another, i.e., not including a map may fit a narrative-driven game, but it would make an open-world title more difficult to navigate (unless there is an innovative alternative). Ultimately, it’s important to strike the right balance between functionality and immersion so that the player has the best possible experience.

What are your favourite UI examples from immersive games? Let me know below in the comments!