Fans of snowboarding will surely get a lot out ofShredders, a snowboarding that feels custom-built for fans of the extreme sport. Clearly developed by an indie team that cares about the sport,Shreddersis a downright blast play. You play as a snowboarder who, along with his YouTube cameraman buddy, must scour the mountain slopes trying to nail gnarly trick lines, while possibly meeting up with some pros along the way.
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Playing like a mixturebetween a simulation and an arcade snowboarding game,Shreddersis a game all about the freedom of expression the sport is seemingly known for. While there is a ton of powder-filled fun to have in this game, it’s not all great news. The game most certainly has its issues in terms of gameplay, presentation, and technically speaking. Here are some of the fixes the game desperately needs to make it an all-out winner in the subgenre.
One of the major issues thatShreddersdeals with (depending on the platform) is long loading times.Loading times can often take players out of an experienceand that happens to be the case here withShredders. For a game that otherwise has a pretty seamless gameplay loop of snowboarding through expansive mountain areas, it’s frustrating to have these countless loading screens.
The initial loading time alone is enough to make players wonder if the game is going to start at all.While the subsequent loading timesaren’t quite as bad, they still break the immersion of an otherwise fun game.
5Countless Technical Issues And Performance Hiccups
On top of the countless loading time issues,Shreddersalso suffers from numerous technical and performance issues. While this isn’t entirely surprising given that the game is made by a small indie team, it’s still unfortunate to see, especially months after the game’s initial launch.
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Texture pop-in, screen tearing, and frame rate problems are the major hiccups on display here in this game. The biggest issue is that these problems persist through almost every part of an otherwise pretty clean package. None of these issues are game-breaking, however, they do lead the game as coming across as sloppy and unpolished at times.
4Choosing A New Spawn Point Is Cumbersome
Shreddersisn’t a seamless open mountain despite often feeling that way while carving down a powder-filled slope, performing grinds and tricks in the terrain park, or riding near a buddy in a race. The game’s play areas are broken up into multiple “stages"and spawn points set across a diverse rangeof mountain areas.
While it’s really neat to see so many different and diverse play areas, actually choosing a new spawn point is cumbersome and confusing at the best of times. Players are able to hop to a new area by opening up the menu and selecting a mountain and a spawn point. While that may sound simple, it actually comes across as unwieldy, given the sparse menu layouts and lack of context distinction.
3Multiplayer Confusion Needs To Be Addressed
One of the most unique, yet underutilized aspects ofShreddersis the game’s persistent online world. This sparsely discussed gameplay feature hangs out in the background and is really never given its proper time in the limelight. The game hints at it here and there as players shred around the mountain slopes, often stumbling across another snowboarder with a unique name above their head.
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However, there isn’t a good way to know whether multiplayer functions as a standalone mechanic or if it’s simply there to bulk out an otherwise lonely experience on the mountain. The multiplayer menu guides players to choose to have an open public session or a private one. Despite those options, the game doesn’t take the time to flesh out the experience with more modes and options for playing together.
2Controls Often Don’t Respond Appropriately
Shredderscombines arcade-style gameplay controls with some simulation aspects. The best way to think of the gameplay and controls here is if classic Xbox snowboarding gamesAmpedwere fused with theSkateseries. There’s a lot of nuance to the way players guide their customizable snowboarder down the mountain slopes. From simply turning, carving, and getting speed to performing tricks, jumps, and grinds, the game, while fun, feels like a mixed bag in terms of controls.
The game has a wind-up system whereby players can line up for a big jump off of a kicker and hold down the thumbstick in the opposite direction in order to spin more rapidly after leaving the jump. This system is very reminiscent of theSSXseries but doesn’t always control as expected. Players often get stuck moving the wrong way which can lead to a wonky and janky jump overall. Ifcontrols were clean up just a bit,Shredderscould be a true masterpiece.
1More Challenges And Events
Shreddersoften feels quite lonely and sparse, mostly due to a lack of events, challenges, and dynamic eventswhile carving and tricking across the countless mountain areas. While the game’s story mode does guide players through specific events and challenges, usually tied to meeting a certain character, between those times, the game doesn’t give players much to chew on.
If the devs could add in more dynamic events, challenges, and encounters then it could turn this game into a true snowboarding powerhouse. Perhaps mixing the multiplayer components with these potential extra modes, events, and challenges could lead to a more robust gameplay space.
