I want to like this game, but it makes that hard to do. First of all, ziplines. A core part of some of the level design, and used in trial challenges. The most finnicky and tight stuff to activate. Sometimes you straight up won't grab it no matter how you time it or where at. I thought within range of the yellow cord and climbing, which, yes, worked. But would also decisively not work too. It also feels like no one tested these, as I cannot get a smooth run following the checkpoints. Almost as if any sort of failure was not accounted for. For example. Two, prime examples actually, both in Sunset Paradise. An alley run and ground/rooftop run. In the Alley run, there is red wall that you wall jump to, and are supposed to wall run along. A majority of the time, you click to climbing a rooftop ledge that is out of view during this. The checkpoints lead you this high. The second one has you jump down into the plaza to start, and has you wall eject up to a rooftop. You can't. You can, but not at all in a smooth and steady run. You get two jumps in and the architecture of the two adjacent buildings angles inward and makes you drop. I can't get a single bronze in trials because of stuff like this. I am following instructions. And it feels like I just shouldn't be doing any of this here. Like the map just barely fits the given purpose. I feel better doing my own thing than the trials, because none of that goes smoothly.
Another problem. Ledges. So much of this game does not gel with me, because it is targeted towards Skate or Jet Set fans and players. So, when I pop off a trick, and smoothly stick the landing on top of, say, a wall, or a ledge, I would be rewarded. With the ability to keep going. This just snaps you into ragdoll, like you broke a core rule. It's one thing when you vault, that works fine. But doing a flip and landing on it? Heh, chill yourself kid. This ain't Skate. You'd think that wouldn't be a problem. It costs me time in trials. That's a big problem. Also, there are bumps and ledges you can barely see. Oh, you don't believe me? Sounds off? Plywood boards. These are solely an aesthetic thing. But have their own model. With collision. This stops your flow. So. Much. It feels out of nowhere, cruel and nasty, and I know it wasn't at all intended, because the thing's paper thin and has like, no use in platforming besides as like, a jumpoff marker. Which, uh . . . yeah, knowing what it can do, I'd prefer not.
And then Trick Runs. The only challenges I can gold. And that's not a good thing. They can consist of racking up three simple tricks in a time limit to get a desired score. There is a barrier that shrinks around you. If you are outside that barrier, your tricks do not count. So what I do is stick unnaturally tight to start, and just go in tight circles doing the same three tricks. Now imagine doing this maybe up to three times for most levels. It is an uninspiring task of tedium that demands no learning curve out of you. Also, the friggin' plywood is right there on one of em'. Did they do that to mess with you? No. They just didn't test this enough. Or maybe at all.
Would I recommend this? Not right now, no. For beginners, it's not forgiving. But that's mostly the level design. And so, for Skate veterans even, I also would not recommend this to. It needs fixing. Ledges shouldn't be run enders if you stick the landing. Ziplines need to be a thousand times more forgiving. Revoke collision on a solely decorative object. Better guide players on the runs, or just rework the base maps so it actually goes like someone ran through this, because it's almost no dice on certain ejects or wall runs. I cannot even foresee myself doing these uninterrupted. I can't get bronze. The lowest bar for trials. I- I looked at the tutorials, okay, I can do the moveset. I can rack things up. I know how to climb, and vault and I can do THOSE in succession. But this wall just won't work the way I want it to. This plywood board sent me flying higher than any of my jumps could. I won't grab the zipline, HOW
C O U L D YOU GET A BEST TIME??? I'm dying, I can feel myself shrivel. And again. Trick Runs don't help me feel better. They are no fun. I can get why the achievement stats are like this. People are having fun. They're just not having fun playing the game part. Or . . . the challenges. I can get a badass run on my own, but tell me to go YOUR route and I just don't feel like I'm supposed to even be here.
Just giving an honest review. I hope it does get better. I know there's only so much to expect . . .
But really, stop that crap with the plywood, I am 100% sure that shouldn't even be happening, and it has way too consistent stopping power. It's not even rarely. I am very acquainted with this splintery bastard in the 4 hours of me playing.
