History Main / DramaticDisappearingDisplay

* In ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'', when you're about to get a critical piece of information, sometimes, not only do the moon phase and encounter imminence displays vanish, but the screen develops letterboxing bars. Definitely the game going, "''Pay attention to this!''"

* You can [[InvokedTrope invoke this]] in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' by turning off the HUD in option screen. It's not just in the boss battle, you are free to turn the HUD on and off anytime you want for whatever reason, be it for filming cinematic videos or taking screenshots.

This is the thing where, during a climactic BossBattle or event in a {{video game}}, the game's display (showing [[ScoringPoints Score]], the LifeMeter and such) vanishes away, leaving a completely unobstructed view of the game area. Presumably, something so awe-inspiring and theatrical is about to happen that it deserves the player's complete attention, as if it were a CutScene.

* ''VideoGame/LordOfTheRingsOnline'' has this happen in some of the pivotal Epic line of quests, the equivalent of a cut-scene where the HUD disappears and the camera is jerked away from your character's perception. Notable ones include Mordirith landing on his fell-beast near the end of Volume I to reveal himself as the true final villain of the Shadows of Angmar, and when the Watcher in the Water reveals itself to the dwarves upon attempting to enter Moria at the beginning of Volume II.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'' has the bonus levels, where your entire HUD disappears (save for a timer in some bonus levels). Then again, you're a OneHitPointWonder in all bonus levels, and getting hit will make you exit. Also, when Bug dies, the HUD disappears too.

* ''Videogame/ProjectWingman'' The final form of the final boss is fight after your HUD is damaged and thus, cannot display the HUD anymore. However it was patched out for the easier difficulties due to it causing frustration for some players.

* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' does this. The [=HUDs=] disappear, and the widescreen crop widens out.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has quick time events in certain battles. In these instances, all HUD elements on screen vanish except for your HP and MP.

But also, technical limitations of 8-bit systems often prevented both the display and the large animated segments of the boss from being displayed simultaneously and the majority of these examples seem to be on 8-bit systems.

* The fight against Morpha in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' has an interesting take on the trope. If you get caught by the water tentacle, the HUD elements vanish except for your health which is kept on screen to show Link's life slowly being squeezed away before the boss tosses him. The entire HUD also vanishes if Link dies, a feature that would be used in later 3D Zelda titles while ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' doesn't do this.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', [[spoiler: Samus's suit transforms into the Metroid Suit and her beams are replaced with the Hyper Beam. Considering that the Hyper Beam kills everything in one shot and the suit itself makes her invincible, the energy, ammo, and aeion meters are removed from the HUD since they're no longer needed. Only the self destruct countdown timer and the mini-map remain on screen.]]

** [[spoiler: The first final boss fight has most of the HUD gradually disappear due to the interference caused by the final boss' attacks.]]

* Activating [[FinishingMove Astral Heat]] in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'' will cause the background to go black. And except for [[StuffBlowingUp Carl]] and [[EldritchAbomination Arakune]], successfully scoring a hit with Astral causes the {{HUD}} to disappear.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has this happen during the QuickTimeEvent against the boss of Alexander: The Heart of the Creator. The party is required to jump onto the boss's back to avoid its OneHitKill attack and during the event, everything on your HUD vanishes except the clock and your HP/MP/TP bars. It was likely done for the sheer awesomeness of riding a mech around the battle arena in the air.
** Likewise, [[spoiler:Lakshmi's ultimate attack Alluring Embrace]] completely removes the HUD and all player control for a few seconds.

* The early ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games had no on-screen HUD, and the only way to check your health and ammo was to pause. ''Code: Veronica'' had a health indicator through the Dreamcast's controller, but still nothing on screen. It wasn't until the fourth game that you had any sort of HUD at all, and initially they were going to have it only flash when you were damaged. The old-school games included no HUD during gameplay specifically because they wanted to give the games a cinematic feel to make the more immersive.

* The early ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games had no on-screen HUD, and the only way to check your health and ammo was to pause. ''Code: Veronica'' had a health indicator through the Dreamcast's controller, but still nothing on screen. It wasn't until the fourth game that you had any sort of HUD at all, and initially they were going to have it only flash when you were damaged.

* The last battle of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong94''.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' mostly averted this trope in the final boss battle, actually drawing attention to the HUD by changing it to be similar to each previous game in turn. However for the final climatic punches the HUD disappears completely.

* Similar to the ''Super Metroid'' example above, ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'' completely hides the automap display when a boss battle is in progress.

** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] at the beginning of the game, because you don't yet have the suit to give you a display, and the dramatic moment is when you acquire the suit and the display appears.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' inverts it. There's absolutely no HUD when the game begins with Bruce Wayne being arrested and inducted into Arkham City. After a little bit, you'll see a life-bar, but that's it. It isn't until Bruce scales the Ace Chemical building to retrieve his Batsuit that you get the rest of the HUD, which implies the information displayed on the HUD is just part of the suit's functions.

** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] at the beginning of the game, because you don't yet have the suit to give you a display.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar III'' has a Dramatic '''Shattering''' Display at the endgame, after which the only HUD elements are for PressXToNotDie (IE: there's no more actual combat from that point onwards).

* The Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' omitted the HUD during each Zone's third Act (where you fought Robotnik). There are [[OneHitPointWonder zero rings]] during boss battles anyway.

* In 2015, Creator/{{ESPN}}'s ''Monday Night Football'' games started auto-hiding the scoreboard when the ball is snapped.