Lord Azrael
Member
It looks like some default font for a word processing program, hence "cheap as hell". I suppose it's not inherently bad, but it's definitely a turn for the worse, I feel, coming from previous games.
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Hideous text fonts in games
- Thread starter Shizuka
- Start date
According to a response on the PS blog post for Stranger of Sword City, the font should be getting fixed for release.
"The screens here are from an early build of the game. (I couldnt wait!) I believe the font alignment should be getting updated to show letters with a descender properly.
Keep an eye on the official website for updates. "
"The screens here are from an early build of the game. (I couldnt wait!) I believe the font alignment should be getting updated to show letters with a descender properly.
Keep an eye on the official website for updates. "
Muffdraul
Member
I can't stand the MGS5 subtitle font
That's another one on my shit list.
Spring-Loaded
Member
On an SD screen, the 'u's look like 'a's
OmegaDL50
Member
A m a z i n g g a m e, b u t t h a t s p a c i n g l e a v e s a l o t t o b e d e s i r e d.
(I believe there's a patch to fix it, mind)
Variable width fonts were created for this reason. I don't know why anyone would choose not use a VWF when the option presents itself to use one exists.
Pro from Dover
Member
Ultima 7
Just, GAH!
Just, GAH!
DS System Font is notorious for games smashing the letters together in as little space as possible.
I can't stand the MGS5 subtitle font
Could one of the text and kerning geeks exlpain these, Ive seen MGSV, FF13 and DS games show up a lot in these threads and previous threads and I dot understand whats wrong with any of them. I thing MGSV subtitle font looks good, I Love all of squeenix's UI work from the PS3 on, and the DS seems like a fine compromise when working in low resolution. None of them are illegible or hard to read (In fact id say squares might be too sharp at times), why do they come up so much?
CarbonFire
Member
It still showed up in the gameplay videos they posted more recently, but I hope you're right. given the game isn't coming out for another 8 months, there's still plenty of time to change it.
This is my answer. Crazy number of fonts on the screen lol
Tales of Symphonia
I'm kind of triggered because I absolutely adore the menus on the XIII series because they look so stylish and it's incredible functional and the fonts were very readable in my old TV.
If I remember correctly, couldn't you actually change the font in Symphonia?
Can't remember offhand any fonts I myself hated though. But I do have to agree with some of the other posts here regarding fonts that were almost illegible, like Monster Hunter 3U (on the 3DS), Xenoblade Chronicles X (mainly when playing offscreen), and Diablo 2 (the numbers 5 and 6).
You know what really is bothering me about this? How some characters pop out of their icon, but others don't.
HoodWinked
Member
mgsv is fine you have to think of where the fonts are used. these particular fonts in question are used in subtitles.
the large kerning makes it extremely legible and to read from a wide range of viewing configurations. reads well on a tv while sitting on a couch, and from close on a monitor.
i think its actually a very thoughtful font choice since its so different from the rest of the fonts in game. almost an emphasis on language hint hint.
the large kerning makes it extremely legible and to read from a wide range of viewing configurations. reads well on a tv while sitting on a couch, and from close on a monitor.
i think its actually a very thoughtful font choice since its so different from the rest of the fonts in game. almost an emphasis on language hint hint.
Ultima 7
Just, GAH!
This and Darklands are 2 games I straight up cannot play because of the fonts. Maybe it was better on older, smaller screens, but it's straight up indecipherable for me.
Muffdraul
Member
I never gave it much thought, it's always been a gut reaction. After about 5 seconds of rumination-
I guess I tend to prefer simple and clean sans serif fonts because they never call attention to themselves. They're so neutral that they're virtually invisible. The words are communicated and that's it. When it comes to subtitles and menus, that's what I want. When MGSV and FFXII go out of their way to shove these odd fonts in my face, it calls attention to them, and that comes across as a sort of... visual/mental interference. Very minor but noticeable enough to be annoying. It manifests in my mind as "Why would they want this this sucky ass font in their game???"
That's the best way I can describe beyond it "I dunno man, I just don't like the way they look OK????"
According to a response on the PS blog post for Stranger of Sword City, the font should be getting fixed for release.
"The screens here are from an early build of the game. (I couldnt wait!) I believe the font alignment should be getting updated to show letters with a descender properly.
If your early build screenshots (not labeled as such btw) make people go "Hmm, I'm not so sure about buying the game now" maybe you should think twice before making them public.
I don't disagree, but at least it's been acknowledged.
Yeah, at least that.
I'm just saying, if the font was fixed 90% of the comments would have been about the art of the game, not the shitty font.
I'm with you. I don't know what a good font is, I don't know what a bad font is, I don't know what's legible and what isn't, I don't what kerning is, and I don't know what tracking is. Typographic comuni-what? I couldn't tell you a thing about visual design. But I can tell you that this looks actually fucking awesome!
(Hotline Miami 2)
Sammy Samusu
Member
I came to post the exactly same thing, lol.Not exactly hideous, but I thought the font for MH3U (3DS) was a pretty bad pick for the super low res display of the device.
MH4U font on the other hand is pretty much god-tier.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
I can't understand what's so bad about these... they're very legible and not intrusive or distracting. >_>Shadow Hearts
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Breath of Fire 4
Brave Story
Me crying
SomedayTheFire
Member
That's fine for splash screen, but put that as text you have to read in sentences and it would be absolute hell on earth.I'm with you. I don't know what a good font is, I don't know what a bad font is, I don't know what's legible and what isn't, I don't what kerning is, and I don't know what tracking is. Typographic comuni-what? I couldn't tell you a thing about visual design. But I can tell you that this looks actually fucking awesome!
(Hotline Miami 2)
Alex_Mexico
Member
Ding ding ding ding we have a winner.Tales of Symphonia
I HATED that goddamn font even back in 2003
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
I was willing to buy it with the masked character. All of them though? Then you're just pissing away utility with an annoying typeface.
I hacked the game to fix that font because I hated it so much.
You made it less legible.
Old game fonts were designed for CRTs. Those fonts needed to be unusually bold and small details could show blurry and be harder to see. Considering the limited 8x8 character space, more often than not uppercase characters were more readable.
Of course, there is no reason to write text in all caps any longer. Dragon Age Inquisition has almost all its text written in small caps. It is completely unreadable.
I agree, the font used in SM64 is hideous.
On an SD screen, the 'u's look like 'a's
MDSLKTR
Member
I agree, the font used in SM64 is hideous.
so so bad
skullmuffins
Banned
Yeah, the ultima vii font is rough. There's actually a font replacement out there, which has zero character but it looks like it'd be a lot easier to read. I haven't had the chance to play with it for more than a few minutes.
Duane Cunningham
Member
Battlefront has text that is just plain too small.
Ingueferroque
Banned
No. This looks great. And it is not Comic Sans FFS.
Not the look, but the size:
Yeah the text front is far too small, they need to patch it to make it bigger.
The newest Pokémon games.
Why would they do this? Why would they change the iconic font from previous games? The new font looks cheap as hell.
From gen 1-5 I could read the text just fine and follow the story and soak up the game lore. But with gen 6 I haven't be able to do that as easily.
It's been succeeded:
Compare that to the Japanese logo, which random English (that while grammatically correct, doesn't actually describe anything in the game) aside, looks great:
(EDIT: Imgur compressed the glow into a weird stroke. Here's a link to a better version.)
- The English logo designer didn't realize that the Japanese characters are all aligned to a single baseline and then individually skewed afterwards. As a result, all of the bottoms of the English characters are at weird angles that takes away a lot of the cohesion the title'd otherwise have.
- Replaced white outer glow with white stroke and gray drop shadow that was used for Untold 1's logo. That adds needless elements and makes me wonder if Atlus USA even has access to a logo file.
- Just copied over the Japanese 2, not accounting for the fact that stylistically, the English and Japanese characters look pretty different.
- The "Untold" draws attention to itself by being a different color, even though the Japanese logo accepts the the Untold version of the series is already established by making it blend into everything else.
- Adds a subtitle font in a completely different style with a pointless black-to-red gradient underlines, and diamonds.
- Nothing's actually aligned with each other.
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I guess this isn't the first time Atlus has made an ugly localized logo:
Ultima 7
Just, GAH!
If only the font would be the only bad thing about that screen. The perspective makes me a bit nauseatic, like it shouldn't look like this.
Extra Sauce
Member
Dragon Fin Soup
Extra Sauce
Member
OP said hideous, not bland. I'll take the crisp and clean Arial font over text that looks like it was drawn by a 10 year old.
modernmalady
Member
I just bought Rare Replay and i've noticed Viva Pinata uses a font that looks very similar to comic sans.
Ingueferroque
Banned
The perspective is weird, but what a beautiful game. You should play it.
The romancing saga one is pretty bad, but beyond that, I agree.
Looks like the font's vertical alignment in OP has not been...
(_)
( _)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■
Justified.
lmao
I noticed that too.
I don't agree with you at all.
I can see what they were trying to do but the original logo is more cohesive and less of a mess. Also, that unnecessary black outer glow.
cj_iwakura
Member
Ah that font looks disappointing... I was gonna pick up Stranger of Sword City, but hesitating now. It reminds me of the Persona 2: Eternal Punishment font but less extreme.
I VASTLY prefer that to the PSP font.
ProvenDeadly
Member
Whatever was used in Halo 4
