10 Genius Gameplay Tricks That Made Video Games WAY Better
2. The In-Universe User Interface - Dead Space
Dead Space is one hell of a video game any way you cut it, its atmospheric sci-fi survival horror shenanigans elevated significantly by the developers' decision to implement a diegetic user interface.
That is to say, there's no conventional heads-up display (HUD) in the game whatsoever - all of the usual attributes you'd expect to see displayed on the screen appear within the universe of the game itself.
Protagonist Isaac Clarke's health and stasis meters appear on the back of his suit, such that they're always available for the player to view in every moment of the game.
For more comprehensive elements like Isaac's inventory and the map, they are projected as in-game holographs.
Because these aspects exist within the game's world they don't pause the action, meaning the player is always bolted into the adventure, in turn heightening the tension in every moment.
It's surprising that diegetic user interfaces such as this don't appear more often, because when they're done right they can add immeasurably to the overall immersion.