GamePro: The 10 best HUDs in gaming

Heads-Up Displays, or HUDs, are a critical part of any game. Unfortunately, not all developers give their HUD design the priority they should.

Many games either clutter the screen with unwanted information or have a such a clumsy layout it's hard to see even basic information...say, how much health you have left.

Despite the overwhelming amount of faulty HUDs, some games have perfected this crucial aspect. Whether showing weakened health through a character's on screen animation, displaying available ammo on the weapon itself, or revealing available items by placing them visibly on the characters body, some inventive developers are working to change the way we interact with games. GamePro lists the 10 best HUDs in all of gaming... and three of the worst.

[riqued]

I thing MGS HUD is pretty good too.

I never played a R&C game before and the first time I played it I took a good amount of time to figure out where my health is. I didn't like it.

[gamesblow]

R&C has one of the best huds around... Uncharted has the absolute best. Nothing at all. "ha" Uncharted is amazing, amazing, amazing.

[MaximusPrime_]

yea i agreed. Uncharted has the best HUD

[Xi]

i love the visor effect, how it curves along the helmet, the way the reticle changes with different guns and gun combos. Even the way it starts up.

[TheIneffableBob]

I like Crysis' HUD. They didn't go the cheap route and just use bitmaps. They employed high-quality middleware HUD tech to create a vector HUD that scales well with pretty much every resolution, ensuring a smooth look.

[Maestro]

Best HUD ever: Metroid Prime

[okcomputer]

The best hud is no hud, like in uncharted. It makes for a better experience when theres nothing but the game environment itself on screen. killzone 2 is going that route also.

[Hooby]

How is that true for games like Halo?

If you're behind MC's visor you want to see what MC see's, it makes it less immersive to have "nothing". In 3rd person games it's okay.

[SmokeyMcBear]

haha you actually think that a visor that is 2 inches from your face will actually display all the information that you see on screen.. hardly man

[moses]

I love games with no huds, if the game is realistic. It makes a game much more immersive and real, but if you have a game like Halo which isn't that realistic, you really NEED the hud there for guidance.

[MK_Red]

Glad to see Assassins there. Games HUD and menus were definitly incredible. I do agree that Uncharted could have been there.

The last ones (on the best) are THE bests IMO. RE's animation based method and Metroid Prime's helmet display rule.

[jinn]

Gee, like i even pay attention to HUD's

[Double-Edged]

GRAW2
VEGAS
Forza2 (real time telemtry)
Gears of War Hud... Gotta love the active reload

[nurayi]

I think you missed the point

[rushbd]

Deus Ex's customizable hud. Pure class