Skatebird Review: Winged Thrashin’
Skatebird is a silly, welcome addition to skateboarding’s gaming catalog. That is, depending on which platform you play the game on.
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Despite its original announcement in 2018, followed by a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign in 2019, I was first made aware of Skatebird during last year’s Wholesome Direct 2020, when I watched a spunky, fat, little bird cruising around on its skateboard and grinding rails like, well, Tony Hawk. While the rest of the games shown off during the Wholesome Direct had me excited, it was Skatebird that piqued my interest.
Sure, the idea of a skateboarding bird wasn’t quite as appealing as playing as the Hawkman himself (a desire that actually became a reality later in the year with the surprise release of the remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2). However, considering that at that time, we were just entering a revitalized era of skateboarding video games with titles such as Session, Skater XL, THPS 1 + 2, and the announcement of the next Skate game, it only made sense that Skatebird’s humorous spin on the extreme sport would come about in some form or another. And for the most part, it’s a welcome addition to skating’s gaming catalog. That is, depending on which platform you play the game on.
In terms of its overall gameplay, Skatebird puts you in the skate shoes (talons?) of Birb – a house bird who skates throughout sandbox-like levels while taking on missions and collecting hidden objects. Each level has a different theme, such as a bedroom and an office, where Birb will kick flip and tail grab its way over ramps, rails, and big air jumps made out of everyday objects like leftover pizza boxes and straws.
Controls are about as straightforward as you can get. If you’ve played any games in the THPS series, you will be immediately familiar with Skatebird’s single button flip tricks, grabs, rotations, stalls, and grinds. You do, however, have a double jump ability and a slower descent back to the ground after catching big air. You are a bird with wings, after all. In that sense, the game is a great entry point for those just starting to cut their teeth on the skateboarding genre. Don’t expect to be blown away if you’re already a hardened veteran of the genre. While playing, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a really, REALLY well-done remaster of 1998’s Rugrats: Search for Reptar levels mixed with 2000’s Grind Session (I promise this is a compliment).
With that said, I need to disclose that I’m approaching this review a bit differently than other reviews, as I reviewed Skatebird on two different platforms at basically the same time. I initially began my review by playing the game on the Nintendo Switch, since it seemed to be the platform of choice that was shown off during various gaming showcases in the build-up to its release. Unfortunately, the entire Switch experience gave me a sour taste in my mouth and had me ready to hurl my handheld device out my second story window and onto the street below where perhaps a skateboarder would ollie directly onto the device, shattering it into a million pieces. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but with the typewriter and graphical issues, along with the unresponsive controls (which I mostly attribute to the terribly designed Joy-Con controllers), it just wasn’t an enjoyable experience. I was about as non-zen as I could be while playing Skatebird on Switch – a stark difference in comparison to our preview of the game.
Then, I had a thought. I had a sneaking suspicion that the game might be better on PC, so I gave it a go. Boy, am I glad I did. Skatebird is a far better experience on PC than the Switch. Using a DualShock or Xbox controller is far more suited for any skateboarding game than the Joy-Cons are. It honestly makes a world of difference, as I’m able to control my bird and it’s tricks with better precision.
Unsurprisingly, the game also just looks better on PC than the Nintendo Switch. This makes sense given the Switch’s technical limitations. However, Skatebird has a quirky graphical design where the background of the level is super blurry until you skate closer to it. This actually made me considerably nauseous while playing on the Switch. I’m still not a huge fan of that design on PC, but at least I don’t get sick as I skate through the open sandbox-designed levels, exploring every nook and cranny for unlockable cosmetic items.
Whether you’re playing on Switch or PC, by far, the best feature in Skatebird is its music. Featuring a completely original soundtrack composed by Nathan Madsen, along with a handful of licensed tracks, Skatebird’s music is my favorite part of the game – whether I’m mindlessly cruising throughout the level while listening to chill hop-style rhythms and melodies (which referred to as lofi Bird-hop by its creators), or bobbing my head along to the beat of a Ska track. If we’re currently living in a new golden age of skateboarding games, it’s only appropriate that Ska comes roaring back in as well. I’m glad that the team behind Skatebird seems to share this same sentiment.
I’m not going to say “buyer beware” in regards to the Switch version of Skatebird. By all means, if you have younger gamers or Switch is your primary gaming device, then playing Skatebird on Switch will probably be just fine for you. However, if you have the option, go with the PC version of the game, especially considering that the game is coming to Xbox Game Pass next month. Even though many of its tropes are a bit played out within the genre, Skatebird is a game that knows it’s silly, and embraces it in a way that makes it fun to play (on PC).
A Nintendo Switch and PC copy of Skatebird was provided to TheGamer for this review, with the rating being attributed to the PC version of the game. Skatebird will be available on September 16, 2021 for PC, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/skatebird-review/