Interface & HUD

1. Design Aesthetic: “The Diegetic OS”

The UI is designed to look like a Head-Up Display (HUD) projected onto the player’s ocular sensors. It uses a minimalist, “glass-morphism” style with neon accents (Cyan for health, Amber for heat).

Responsive UI: The interface is not static. When the player moves quickly or dashes, the HUD elements subtly “lag” behind or lean into the movement, reinforcing the feeling of being a physical machine.
The “Glitch” State: As the player takes damage or enters highly corrupted areas, the UI begins to flicker, show “Error: Null Pointer” messages, or physically shift out of alignment.

2. On-Screen HUD Elements (Combat Mode)

During the 2D Combat segments, the HUD is pushed to the edges of the screen to keep the center clear for dodging.

A. The Vitality Bar

HP Segments: Represented as “Data Integrity.” Instead of a smooth bar, it is composed of blocks. When a block is lost, it “shatters” into pixels.
Dash Charges: 3 small pips located directly under the HP bar. They dim when used and “re-code” (fill up) over time.

B. The Aim Reticle & Heat Gauge

This is the most important element, as it surrounds the player’s focus point.

The Reticle: A dynamic crosshair that follows the Right Stick/Mouse.
The Heat Arc: A semi-circular bar that wraps around the reticle.
- Blue/Green: Safe operating temperatures.
- Flashing Red: 90% Heat. The reticle begins to shake.
- OVERHEAT: The reticle disappears and is replaced by a “SYSTEM COOLING” countdown.

C. The Minimap

Overworld: A stylized 3D wireframe map.
Mind Dungeons: A “Node Map” showing connected rooms. Current “Corruption Levels” of the dungeon are displayed as a percentage above the map.

Interacting with menus (Inventory, Job Board, Workshop) feels like browsing a computer directory.

Navigation: Clean, vertical lists with “monospaced” fonts.
The “Drone Workshop”: A detailed schematic view of the Combat Drone. When the player hovers over a part (e.g., the Barrel), the 3D model rotates, and the stats (Fire Rate, Heat Gen) are highlighted.
Dialogue Boxes: Located at the bottom center. They feature animated 2D pixel-art portraits. When the “Suspicious AI” speaks, the text box may occasionally “flicker” with hidden, red text.

4. Gameplay Impact of the UI

The Interface is more than just information; it is a gameplay mechanic.

Information Overload: In late-game “Nightmare” Mind Dives, the UI becomes cluttered with “Fake” warnings and pop-up windows, forcing the player to physically look “past” the interface to see the bullets.
Heat Blur: When the Heat Gauge is high, the entire screen edges get a “Chromatic Aberration” effect, making it harder to see incoming projectiles in the player’s peripheral vision.
Objective Pings: Instead of a long checklist, objectives appear as “System Notifications” in the top right corner (e.g., TASK: PURGE_SECTOR_04 [IN_PROGRESS]).

HUD Summary Table

Element	Purpose
Vitality Bar	Tracks HP and Dash charges.
Aim Reticle	Directs Drone fire; tracks System Heat.
Notification Feed	Displays mission objectives and item pickups.
Data Bank	Archives Legacy Logs and Drone upgrades.

Accessibility & Customization

Players can toggle “Static HUD” in the options menu to disable the lag/lean effects and the glitch flickers if they suffer from motion sickness, ensuring the game remains accessible without losing its digital identity.