2023 Golden Lance Award for Best UI
Immersion is difficult to achieve. In games more than any other medium due to the sheer volume of information that has to be passed on to the player at any given time. Health status, ammo quantity, item selection, party makeup, there is so much that a player needs to know. Game developers are set up with the difficult task of ensuring you the player understand all of it at a moment’s notice. As if that weren’t enough, they also want you to see and appreciate the gorgeous world they have built. It is a balance of utility and aesthetic that these three games absolutely nailed. With that said, here are the winners of Lords of Gamings 2023 Golden Lance Award for Best UI.
Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3
I was very intimidated by Baldur’s Gate III. I do not play tabletop RPGs because of how complex they can get, and CRPGs like this one are no different. That said, I was surprised how quickly I was able to grasp the controls and menu navigation. Every part of the HUD and attack wheels felt like they made sense in where they were placed. I rarely ever felt like I couldn’t figure out where something was, and given that the game doesn’t really put you through a tutorial, the level of intuitiveness achieved here is truly impressive.
Runner Up: Dead Space Remake
The Dead Space Remake doesn’t stray too far away from the original 2008 release, and for good reason. It already has an impeccable storyline, combat, and atmosphere. One aspect that not only holds up well but at the time was not appreciated well enough, is the game’s incredible UI.
Dead Space brilliantly incorporates most of its UI information into Isaac Clarke’s suit. The health bar is on the back of the suit, while the ammo counter pops up when you ADS your weapon. Also, the waypoint finder is integrated into the suit’s glove. When you level up your suit, it is distinguishable with additional armor pieces on your suit, and more blocks are added to the heath bar. It’s these subtle, yet clever, touches that maintain a clean and minimalist HUD. The remake understood and that is why it left the game’s UI practically untouched.
Runner Up: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
