Topic: Type:Rider (Switch eShop) Review

[Daan]

The world of typography is charming, but Type:Rider's gameplay feels more like backdrop.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/50414/typerider-switch-eshop-review

Type:Rider is a weird title to assess. It is an atmospheric platformer in some sense of the term, but the subject matter that the game presents might not be for most. When it comes to choosing a game to play, it is somewhat important that you find the theme to be engaging as well. For myself, I always loved typography, so seeing a game diving into its history is rather neat. Type:Rider guides you through worlds based on various font types and tries to describe how things have progressed. Does it make a compelling game? For me personally, that answer would be a yes.

Don't get me wrong, though: Type:Rider isn't the best experience out there. The platforming itself is fine for the most part. It doesn't do anything blatantly bad, but you will never be challenged by its side-scrolling aspect. The platforming sections are meant as gap filler between the educational elements of the game, and I was far more excited by this aspect. You can even see elements of the font types being used as platforms, which is honestly quite clever.

That said, there isn’t a lot of focus on the pure game experience. Even though I'm delighted to learn about typography, I can't imagine that many others will feel the same way. When compared to similar titles on the Switch, the platforming can come off as nothing more than a prop. That isn't an incorrect way of thinking, but at least Type:Rider guides you through some entertaining worlds that highlight the wonders of the subject matter. The beautiful artwork is a sight to be seen, and it isn't often that the art is an active part of the journey.

At the end of the day, I can't help but feel intrigued that I played Type:Rider. The subject matters really hits close to home, and found it striking in that specific sense. The platforming is serviceable, but it doesn’t really stand out. The side-scrolling perspective is a prop, used to give the journey more of a game-like feel. As an experience, it did the trick somewhat convincingly, but don't expect anything majorly engaging during your playthrough.