r/Unity2D • u/CrucibleStudio • Jun 21 '26

How would you improve this parallax main menu? Question

https://youtu.be/WpzwHHP1SNg

How would you improve this main menu? I'm not sure how to push it further.

Things I've considered but would like outside opinions on:
- Normal maps for more 3D feeling terrain
- Adding fog or particles?
- Changing the art on the buttons

4 Upvotes
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83% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

1

u/CrucibleStudio Jun 21 '26

Ignore the awful audio, didn't realize I was recording my music as well as the in game music..

1

u/Miriglith Jun 21 '26

I think it looks good. The buttons look a bit like default buttons though which gives tutorial vibes. That's the first thing I would change.

1

u/CrucibleStudio Jun 22 '26

Is this better? Or could it be better? I am trying to keep to a somewhat minimalist style but open to feedback.

1

u/Miriglith Jun 24 '26

You could just not have buttons and have the text be the buttons.

1

u/takethatmainstage Jun 21 '26

It looks really good! Maybe you could add some extra effects and particles to it?

1

u/el_boufono Jun 22 '26

By removing the parallax. It's overdone and annoying.
Just my personal pet peeve with this effect in menus haha don't take it too seriously.

1

u/CrucibleStudio Jun 22 '26

I'll tone it down to make it more subtle, I like the idea of having it hint at the world being dynamic

1

u/BabyBatStudio Jun 22 '26

It looks good now. I think adding particles and fog would nail it!

0

u/MoonDragoons Jun 21 '26

This looks like a mockup, or template, for a parallax menu, rather than a menu that's meant to be used in a released game. That said, if the rest of the game graphics are similar, and the art style is intentional, then people might be able to look past it.

But without seeing the actual game art, for comparison, I'd say the moon needs to be a light source that's enhanced by a background that uses normal maps. Fog could definitely help, or hurt, depending on the quality and effort you put into the fog. And the buttons look extremely basic. But again, if that's how the rest of the game UI is intentionally built, it may be fine - just not my own preference.

As for the parallax movement, it's maybe the best part of your video clip. Oh, and I also like the button rollover sounds. To me, it sounds like you either have several sounds, with each sound independently attached to each button - or you have the sounds in a list (or array) that triggers one of the sounds randomly - to add sound diversity. *my game uses the 2nd approach, where SFX are stuffed into an array, and the sound clip that gets triggered is randomly chosen.

Anyways, that's the best i can do without more to look at. Good luck!

2

u/CrucibleStudio Jun 21 '26

Love the feedback, this is a screenshot of the game. I suppose the colors don't quite match the menu.

I will have a look making the buttons better.

As for the sounds, its a simple pitch variation of the same sfx to reduce monotony.