10 Best Hidden Loading Screens In Games

gamerant.com:

Loading screens were once a fact of life in video games. Rarely could a game get by without having a single break in the action. Entering buildings, new areas, or even transitioning between gameplay and cutscene required the game to load up new assets, necessitating the loading screen's implementation, which became the industry standard for several console generations.

Overwatch 2 Fan Gives Competitive Loading Screen A Makeover

However, developers started getting crafty around the era of the PS3 and Xbox 360. They recognized that leading screens tended to break player immersion, so they devised ways to hide them among the gameplay proceedings. This is something that, in the current console generation, will likely not be necessary again, given the inclusion of SSDs in modern gaming consoles. However, for the brief time when developers were actively sneaking loading screens into the player experience, there were some very clever tactics they used to disguise them.

Although the new remake — running on modern hardware — has no need to resort to these kinds of illusions, back when the original Dead Space was released it was paramount for Visceral Games that there be no loading screens cropping up every 20 minutes and breaking player immersion.

The solution they devised was to hide loading screens behind «unlocking doors.» When Isaac Clarke would go to open a door, the in-game interface on the door would display a spinning wheel to indicate the door was opening. Whether it was justified as the door simply taking a while to open due to the failing systems of the USG Ishimura, or due to Isaac's unfamiliarity with the ship's controls, it prevented players from escaping Isaac's horrifying surroundings.

When players were first