A Typographical Error
Typography is something that speaks to my geeky side that enjoys graphic design and writing. So words making art is something that captivates me. When I scrolled through PSN to find Type: Rider, a game about typography and fonts, it was something I had to snatch up right away.
The only game that I have the experience to compare it to would be the classic Sonic – speeding through an area collecting coins on the way; at certain points there is no back tracking. But this game is not to the same vein or control as Sonic.
You control 2 dots that are basically a sideways colon. Each level has you going through a different font, and what you collect are the letters of the font. A special find that will need to be looked for is the ‘&’ symbol. The rest of the letters come very simply in their alphabetical order. In addition to the text, there are asterisk marks that, when collected, will unlock history to typography and the figures who worked with it.
The two balls control horribly. When you need to spin, jump or turn to solve some of the basic puzzles or to reach the next letter, it is all around frustrating. Had it just been playing with 1 dot, I don’t feel this issue would have occurred. And this issues becomes all the more irritating when dealing with water.
The levels themselves have typography. The level is made of enlarged letters of whichever font is highlighted – This being the front of the area where the balls will move across. There are also style changes that go along with the history of the font. Even the background will show the font as some of the historical figures. The music will also change depending on the level or font. Going through each level will be timed, giving a more speed run feel than a collect these pieces vibe, despite having both aspects. It even includes specific levels meant to be sped through.
I purchased this game with every intention of enjoying it. Sadly, the poor controls in the game make it not that enjoyable to play. I do believe the concept and the style of the game is done well and is certainly something I could have enjoyed. When jumping or even moving forward becomes a problem in the controls, the content doesn’t do enough to make up for it.