The release ofSkateBIRDfor PC and the Nintendo Switch has filled a gap in a once-great genre of video gaming – the Skating genre. WithSkate 4on the way, and after the dismalTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, skateboarding video game fans finally have something worthwhile to play. This new title puts its own spin on the skating tropes and satisfying skateboarding gameplay that fans all know by heart.
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However,SkateBIRDis far from a perfect game. It was made by a small studio and released independently, so there is certainlysome leeway to be given. Some glitches make the game virtually unplayable, though, such as the game’s jumpy camera and slow movement and unintuitive controls. These elements can take veteran skating game fans some time to get used to, and could use a few tweaks to make the game even better.
5The Camera’s Incredible Glitchiness
The main problem withSkateBIRDas of right now is its camera. The camera works fine in most situations, hanging back a little bit from the player’s bird and generally not causing any issues. The moment the player gets into a tight corner or gets the camera too close to an edge, though, it’s a different story. When players fall off their skateboard, the game often becomes nauseating to look at because of these issues.
There was a hotfix released for Steam players announced late in September, but this option has to be enabled in the Options menu andisn’t enabled by default. Nintendo Switch players have yet to hear whether camera issues will be fixed for them too, as it can be harder to implement hotfixes on the platform. It’s one of the few fatal flaws in this otherwise charming skating game.
4Clipping Costumes & Outfits
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It’scommon in video gamesto see objects clipping through each other unintentionally. For example, just about every FPS gamer has seen their teammate’s guns clip into the wall while turning around. The clipping inSkateBIRDis much more noticeable, though, and it ruins the otherwise great aesthetics of some Create-a-Birb outfits.
3The Skateboard’s Turn Radius
One major problem that many players had withSkateBIRDon release was the control scheme. Although tricks are pretty much mapped the same way as tricks in theTony Hawk’s Pro Skaterseries, controlling the skateboard itself is a completely different story. No longer are players able to turn on a dime andmake daring maneuvers through tight spaces–SkateBIRDinstead offers a more floaty, less precise means of controlling the character.
The most noticeable issue with the game’s controls is in the turn radius of the skateboard. While other skating games allow players to quickly turn around a tight corner or adjust their sensitivity while turning,SkateBIRDoffers no such mechanic. Currently, players have to endure the huge turn radius of their bird without much of a way to change the sensitivity.
2No Option To Change View In Create-a-Birb
While this is not necessarily a game-breaking glitch, it’s still a problem that should be rectified. In the Create-a-Birb screen, players are shown a preview of what their bird looks like based on their current outfit choices. One aspect that this customization screen lacks, though, is the ability to rotate the bird or see any view aside from the front. This cuts off players' ability to properly customize their characters to their liking.
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It’s a shame, too, because there are several options for cosmetics worn on the back, like the cape, scarf, or bandana. There are also several options for skateboard undersides that are almost never seen by the player. Currently, theonly way to seewhat the bottom of the skateboard looks like is to leave the Create-a-Birb screen and perform a flip trick, though this only gives the player a fraction of a second to see the design they chose.
1Some Music Tracks Play Much More Often Than Others
A less common glitch, but one that many players have reported, is related to the game’s music. Throughout each level, players can find hidden mixtapes that unlock new tracks to listen to throughout the game. These tracks are played generally at random, but some players have found that certain songs play much, much more often than others.
There is an option to skip the current song (or outright block a song from playing in a certain playlist). Thus, it’s a glitch that players can easily “fix” themselves, but it would still be nice to havethe game properly presentits soundtrack without playing the same songs over and over again. It’s not a something that every player has encountered, and it might not be a glitch at all considering that songs play randomly. Still, would be a welcome change to have a system that blocked a song from playing for a specific length of time after it has already been played, and mix up the soundtrack a little.
SkateBIRDis available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
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