The hit marker, a staple of first-person shooter interfaces, diligently confirms successful hits. While this glyph provides an unambiguous form of feedback, its overuse and the tendency for it to appear in nearly every modern shooter, even single-player experiences, has led to a discussion about its necessity and impact.
Originally popularized by Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the hit marker's "X" glyph and accompanying sound effect became synonymous with the series' multiplayer. Notably, many Call of Duty campaigns historically omitted hit markers, as the visual confirmation of an enemy falling dead was deemed sufficient. The recent Black Ops 7 campaign, however, includes hit markers and enemy health bars, which the author suggests detract from immersion.
Before the widespread adoption of hit markers, developers relied on more immersive feedback mechanisms. Impact animations, detailed wound effects, and visible blood spurts served to inform players of successful hits. This approach aligns with the principle of "show, don't tell," where the game world itself provides direct feedback rather than relying on a user interface element. When executed well, these methods are considered more effective than a simple hit marker.
This reliance on hit markers has led to their inclusion in titles where they may be unnecessary. The Halo series, for example, has incorporated hit markers since Halo 4, despite its earlier installments featuring clear, diegetic feedback like shield flickering and enemy reactions to shots. Similarly, the Gears of War series, which originally utilized gory blood spurts as hit confirmation, has adopted hit markers as the default for both its multiplayer and campaign modes, potentially at the expense of toned-down visceral effects.
The shift toward hit markers may also be allowing developers to skimp on more nuanced feedback. A comparison between Left 4 Dead 2 and its spiritual successor, Back 4 Blood, highlights this difference. Left 4 Dead 2's zombie animations, wound details, and ragdoll physics provide highly reactive and weighty feedback. In contrast, Back 4 Blood's introduction of hit markers is seen as making its zombies less visually distinct and their reactions to damage less impactful, despite the development team including many who worked on the original Left 4 Dead.
The author invites further discussion on the topic, noting that hit markers have become an almost omnipresent feature in the FPS genre without significant public debate.