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While this makes sense on the surface, this was another part of SkateBIRD that was frankly inconsistent. It was easy to completely lose all your progress with the FANCY bar as well, simply by falling off your board. Even when this issue wasn't happening, filling the FANCY bar at all was always a question of "What's going to work this time?" since the rate at which the FANCY bar filled appeared to be completely arbitrary at points. I ran into a persistent issue where the FANCY bar would freeze halfway through the "A" for long periods of time, wasting valuable seconds when attempting to finish missions. Filling the FANCY bar, however, is also incredibly inconsistent.Įvery time I felt frustrated with SkateBIRD, it was always related to movement. This lets you pull off greater combos faster, and access different areas of the map with greater jumps and longer continuous grinds. You can fill the FANCY bar by completing tricks and skillfully maneuvering across the maps, and your maximum speed increases as the FANCY bar fills. Speed in SkateBIRD is a problem as well, and relies on the "FANCY" bar. When some missions later on require traversing across vertical maps using a variety of jumps and grinds, this inconsistency often leads to flat-out failure. Above all else, SkateBIRD feels inconsistent in its movements, so you can never be certain exactly where Birb is going to end up once you run up a half pipe or jump for a rail to grind on. While SkateBIRD's controls are relatively intuitive and easy to grasp, the act of moving around the map often ends in frustration and a need to start over once again. SkateBIRD isn't perfect, however, and was downright frustrating at times due to a few issues that all pile onto one mechanic: movement. If you think I had a lot of good to say about SkateBIRD, then you're right! SkateBIRD knows exactly what kind of experience it wants players to have, and it does a pretty good job of making it happen.
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Source: Windows Central | Glass Bottom Games (Image credit: Source: Windows Central | Glass Bottom Games) These kinds of options are often an afterthought for games, but might be crucial for some players to enjoy the casual skateboarding experience that SkateBIRD seeks to offer.
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Besides being able to customize my soundtrack as I unlocked new tracks, SkateBIRD includes a bevy of options for players that embrace accessibility, including an FOV (field-of-view) slider on Xbox Series X|S, the ability to slow down game time, disable the balancing mechanic for grinding and manuals, reducing the risk of bailing, and more. One thing I did greatly appreciate when playing SkateBIRD was the comprehensive options provided to me. For everyone else, though, I strongly suggest keeping an eye out for these oft-secret mixtapes. Those who elect to stream SkateBIRD through Amazon's service will have to give up the hidden soundtrack, as these mixtapes are relegated to "empty collectible" territory at Amazon's behest. This was one of my favorite parts of SkateBIRD, which is unfortunate for Amazon Luna players. Not everyone will love this hidden soundtrack as much as I did, probably (you should, though), but SkateBIRD lets you customize your soundtrack on a per-track level whenever you want.
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SkateBIRD includes options for players that embrace accessibility. While SkateBIRD's OST is good, and is right in line with other indie games, these mixtapes unlock a variety of punk and ska rock tracks that were surprisingly great. The best collectibles, however, are the mixtapes, which unlock hidden tracks in SkateBIRD's soundtrack. The old-school vibe (aside from the bird theme) continues with a plethora of collectibles and secrets to find hidden throughout SkateBIRD's various levels, which reward you with new cosmetic items like clothing, skateboards, and wheels. SkateBIRD Screenshot Image (Image credit: Glass Bottom Games)
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