Welcome Time Wasters!
This week I returned to my mobile phone for my gaming needs. Fun fact about that, I was visiting my parents about the time Winter Storm Joans came tromping through the area. I haven’t seen my smartphone since. Here’s hoping I didn’t lose it in the snow.
So the game I played this week was called Traffic Rider. It’s a game that has players racing through traffic on a motorcycle to complete certain objectives. Most of these are based on time, such as reaching the finish line in time, travelling a certain distance in time or overtaking a certain number of vehicles in time.
Traffic Rider has a control system that I’ve always hated, but it works out really well this time around. Players control the direction of their motorcycle by tilting the smartphone to the left and right. These controls are really tight and responsive, which was a welcome change from many other smartphone games that are a complete mess because of these controls. Players also press the handles of the bikes to speed up and slow down, which was a nice touch of realism.
Traffic Rider has a great sense of speed going for it. It’s really fun to weave in and out of traffic and players are rewarded with extra time for near misses. It feels really good to slip in between two cars going at your maximum speed and coming out unscathed. There are also other features to mix up play, such as a horn and being able to pop wheelies for bonus points.
The main goal of Traffic Rider is to progress forward in its Career Mode. This has players completing various different challenges in different situations. There are times when the player will have to travel between four lanes of forward moving traffic or four lanes of traffic moving in both directions. The only real problem is that all of the roadways are straight. There could have been more variation and challenge to the game if it had roads that twist and turn.
Players earn points in Traffic Rider by completing tasks, traveling at high speeds and in other ways. These points are converted into currency at the end of each level and this currency can be used to buy new motorcycles. Players also level up as they progress in the game and this unlocks new motorcycles for purchase. It limits the options so that players will still find a good challenge even with the best motorcycle available to them.
The visuals of Traffic Rider are really great for a smartphone game. The game is in full 3D and textures have a decent amount of detail to them. It’s also played from the first-person perspective of the biker, which is a neat decision that really works for it. I know that this is an area where graphics have been getting better, but I’ve never been one to care if I having the best smartphone on the market and it still plays the game without a problem.
Alright, so here’s the fun part of the review: audio. I was always playing Traffic Rider when I was out an about. This means that I never had my volume turned on as a courtesy to those around me. I was planning to whip my smartphone out as I wrote this review and play a few levels to get a fell for this element of the game. However, as I mentioned above, my phone is currently MIA. That being said, I really have no right to weigh in on this part of the game. I’ll be updating this review once my smartphone is recovered.
(Update: Phones has been found, audio is generic at best.)
Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my time with Traffic Rider. It’s a great little game to waste time with. There are plenty of challenges and bikes to unlock. Plus it’s got such a great sense of speed to it. The controls are also really solid, which came as a pleasant surprise. While I can’t rule in on the audio yet, I can still guarantee that this game is worth checking out.
Traffic Rider earns 4 GiN Gems out of 5!
great game!