Just about everything about DOOM: Eternal looks good, from the gameplay to the stages and all the enemies in between. Except, there is one major problem with the game’s visuals: The UI. The atrocious user interface that was on display during the DOOM: Eternal demonstration that took place during Bethesda’s conference at this past year’s E3 is supposed to look like that. Apparently id Software wants it to be “big and bold”.
In an interview conducted with VG 24/7, creative director Hugo Martin explained…
“The thing about the UI – when you actually play the game, and you have it in your hands, the game moves at about 200 miles an hour. We’re throwing so much stuff at you, and when you’re in that situation, if you’re in a race car going that fast around the track, all of the messaging has to be big, bold and loud, otherwise you’re going to get fucking killed.
“So the colour of wheel is that way so that in a millisecond glance, you know what ammo you have, how much you have. Pickups are loud because you need those to survive in the game. The UI itself is meant to be big and bold, so that way, again, you don’t want to die because you didn’t know what state your resources were in.”
If you missed out on the hideously gaudy UI that was on display at E3, you can check out the video below via Gamespot.
The main issue with the UI is that it’s intrusive, obstructive, and downright hideous.
Scientifically speaking, there’s only a limited amount of screen real estate offered to the player. We have a giant green mission navigation bar at the top of the screen for people who have no business playing video games to inform them where the next quest marker is, we have a Demonic Corruption meter on the top right hand corner of the screen with orange and pink bars, a bunch of icons at the bottom right hand corner of the screen showing a flame and a chainsaw along with the player ammo. The bottom left hand corner of the screen is a jumble of icons that includes health and armor along with Jove knows what above them.
The entire HUD is a Frankenstein of colors, numbers, symbols, and iconography that’s more distracting than it is helpful.
If they really want to help players navigate their items, weapons, specials, and the map, how about let them turn all that junk off and only activate it when you switch weapons or take damage?
The only saving grace is that Martin did say that id Software is still taking feedback, saying…
““I would tell the fans, just play the game, and then tell me what you think,” Martin asked. “We are listening, though, we respect our fans tremendously, but it is built that way for a reason, to help you survive. And if you died because it was too subtle, there’s really not a lot about the game that can be subtle for a game that’s as action-packed and intense as our game is, because subtlety will get you killed.”
Maybe they’ll address this issue before release? I would be happy with the ability to open the options menu and choose how much of the HUD I don’t want to see. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with giving people options.
DOOM: Eternal is due for release on November 22nd, 2019 for the Xbox One, PS4, PC, and the Nintendo Switch, and is one of the last manly games to be made during eighth gen so definitely support it if you feel it’s a good game and to make a statement that real men still want their games filled to the brim with testosterone and not that physically debilitating substance that strips men of the very essence of their soul that helped them build nations, make babies, and destroy the degeneracy that impedes man’s existential ascension. I’m talking about that venomous poison known as soy. But I digress.
(Thanks for the news tip s_fnx)