SkateBIRD Reviews
SkateBIRD is a silly little indie game that does quite an impressive job of adapting familiar skateboarding gameplay to a bird-sized world. Completing its missions and finding its collectibles may be rewarding but you'd wish there was much more to it than that.
There a lot of elements of SkateBIRD that are great. The birds are fun, as is customizing them and finding more things with which to dress them up. Their little adventure is also fun, the soundtrack is excellent, and the levels are fun miniaturized takes on the normal skatepark fare. It’s just that there is so much dragging these charming elements down, the most noticeable of which is the actual skating and the physics involved with it. SkateBIRD might be fun to experience for its premise and cuteness, but those looking for a good technical skate game experience will likely find their expectations crashing and burning frequently, much like most of my sessions with it.
SkateBird is a hilarious joke about chicken wings doing flips on Skate. It makes us dream to think how great it would be with a multiplayer mode but, unfortunately, we'll be left wanting.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Skatebird takes a great premise and even manages to package the idea into a visually pleasing package. The problem, however, is that the final execution, like a poorly calculated maneuver on a skateboard, misses the goal. Controls and movement should be the main pillars of gameplay in a skateboarding game, but the title fails precisely in these aspects, making the experience difficult and tedious. Skateboarders and bird lovers alike probably have better alternatives on the Nintendo Switch.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
SkateBIRD is an adorable action sports game with a lot of charm and funky beats. Setting aside minor control and camera issues, the unique perspective of being a teeny bird helps bring a refreshing look to the skate game genre. From dirty cereal bowls to server cables, travelling across 5 different levels to help your human come home was enjoyable and engaging. Meeting several interesting and pun-filled birds who help you on your journey just added to the quirk and charm. Glass Bottom Games has done a commendable job making this accessible for all gamers, allowing for a unique player experience.
With the exception of the Tony Hawk redux that came to the system earlier this year, the skating scene on Switch has been on the slim side...
A chirpy spin on the skateboarding sim genre, undermined by poor level design and frustrating gameplay.
SkateBIRD is a serene and meditative experience but relies a little too heavily on nostalgia with its design while removing any real challenge. Controls hindered the opportunity to get more out of this experience, and I found my bird spent more time rolling on the ground than around on the skateboard. The mission, dialogue, and overall narrative were fun to uncover but isn’t there enough to sustain your interest after completion, essentially clipping the wings of replayability.
Skatebird would have benefited from a little more time in the nest. The game's technical problems make it hard to appreciate the positive aspects of its world. There's definitely room in the market for a more casual skateboarding game, but it needs to have the fundamentals worked out first, and Skatebird isn't there yet - though it has promise if future updates smooth out the experience considerably.
SkateBIRD’s attempt to create a Tony Hawk-esque style skateboarding game with birds, is largely underwhelming and struggles to impress. With unresponsive controls and a camera that seems to flip all over the place, SkateBIRD fails to provide any reasons to be worth picking up.
I can't get past just how anti-fun the controls, mission design and world design are. Aesthetically it's perfect, I love it, but it seems most of the effort has gone into nailing the cute gifs and not the slick heelflips.
SkateBIRD is a charming game with fun writing and a great soundtrack, but can't strike a good balance between offering precision boarding and silly physics chaos.
A sometimes wonky skating game that makes up for its jank with birbish moxie.
In an odd way, then, Glass Bottom Games has captured the truth of the situation; contrary to its mission of cuteness, it has made a game that feels hollow-boned, caged by unflattering mechanics.
I’m glad that I played SkateBIRD, and it hurts that I’ve had to give it this score. I firmly believe that as games are an art form, game developers should be trying things, even if they don’t ultimately succeed. SkateBIRD is a brilliant idea and it takes a big, heaving swing at it. Sadly, though, it’s a strikeout. However, with that being said, if the developers get another innings, I would play a SkateBIRD 2 without a moment's hesitation, and I would fully expect that the developers would deliver having had this experience.
Players looking for a new skateboarding game may get some enjoyment out of this, but keep in mind you most certainly will find issues with the movement. If you’re willing to put up with some frustrations, there’s something here for you, but if you’re easily bothered, maybe wait for a sale.
Crazy and unique, Skatebird is far from perfect but you should give it a shot.
Review in Italian | Read full review
SkateBIRD is a hard sell, because this is not a very cheap title and it is not very fun. This is a rather failed attempt at being a unique title within the skateboarding genre of video games, as it fails in its controls, camera, and its extreme requirements to unlock things. It does do some things right, though, and I do have to commend it for being a funny experience despite its flaws. The music is great, the birds look amazing, and most of the parks are well designed, and this could be a worthy pickup at a discounted price. However, these poor birds have had their wings clipped, and they will not be flying off the shelf any time soon.
SkateBIRD is a fun, if flawed, experience. Charming, with a light-hearted story and a good sense of humor, there’s plenty to enjoy, even with the overly floaty feeling that hampers the controls. While it’s likely not the best skater you’ll ever play, it’s probably one of the more unique ones. I don’t think I’d really recommend it to hardcore fans of skater games, but for people looking for a casual experience you can pick up anytime and not feel too invested in, it might be worth a look.
Although it has an innovative premise and is visually very cute, the overall experience of SkateBIRD is frustrating. The controls and camera are confusing, and the physics doesn't work as it should. It's a game with a very original concept and could be a lot of fun, but it lacked polish.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review