Creative Loading Screens

Let's face it: loading screens are resources that should not be present at the games. Game developers themselves also do not like the idea, but with the hardware limitations of consoles and PCs, we're still not at that point. Surely, if we can't avoid them, then the practical idea right now is to actually enjoy loading times in the best way possible. Many games feature blank screens with either just the game logo or images with the word “Loading” somewhere in between, forcing the player to stare at it in silence. It's even worse when loading times take longer than usual. However, there are some developers who like to take this timeout to display different types of content. Let's talk about some loading screens that are impressive by their creativity and fun interactivity.

Juliet Starling is one of the most beloved and beautiful characters of this generation. Besides creating a very bold girl, developers knew how to give off that same vibe in the loading screen. Lollipop Chainsaw's loading time shows the protagonist pedaling toward infinity. The addition of background music and changes in scenery make it even more enjoyable.

Suda-51's Shadows of the Damned has a waiting screen with a very nice song. Unfortunately, it is also short, so it's looped several times. Loading the game has a moving image of protagonist Garcia Hotspur walking (one that looks more like a GIF), but at least it's not just a boring, static screenshot.

If the idea is to distract the player simply with songs, Namco hasn't quite hit that mark. In an attempt to stop the loading of iDOLM @ STER more relaxed, the developer has put one of the characters to sing. The video is actually amusing the first few seconds, but we want to see if you can hear more of the song.

Dragon Ball Z does not need much effort to be successful. And to avoid frustration, the developer included an interactive loading screen in Budokai 3. Before starting any battle, you can press a button repeatedly to make a legion of Saibamen sprout from the ground. The fun is guaranteed, if you perform the action as frantically as you can while waiting.

Another game that has been successful in loading mini-games is Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad. Here, the idea is to kill as many zombies as you can. This is actually a great mini game to quickly pass the time. It's a fun idea that more developers should take note of.

Developer Codemasters have also done well in creating differentiated menus in DiRT 2. Likewise, the developer devised a loading screen packed with details to help the player. During this time, you can check out information about the race, achievements and some statistics, so you're never lost in what's going on in your game progress.

Seeking to show a series of concepts and details about its immense game universe, Mass Effect 2 brings well diversified loading screens to the player. Some images may not make sense, but the concept behind it is pretty cool. The songs also very pleasing, giving the perfect climate for reading up on science fiction game's lore.

Last but not least, Metal Gear Solid 4, though I'm not focusing on the game's typical loading screens. Rather, it is the screen as soon as you install the game. Whatever potential criticism that was going to come out of this didn't affect Hideo Kojima, and dared to put Old Snake smoking while the game is installed. The soundtrack doesn't need much commenting on. We're talking about MGS, after all.

 

Do you know other loading screens that are as cool as these?

Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed