SkateBIRD is a silly game with silly bird tricks. It’s amazing how one silly pun could be taken and extended into a full-fledged game, and the idea behind this title is good enough to actually make a cohesive unit. Today, an update brings new content to the game, as well as bringing the game to the PS5. In this SkateBIRD review, we talk about whether or not the game is worth it to get in 2023, and whether or not the new content is reason enough to purchase a copy, and if the PS5 version is any good.
SkateBIRD Review: What is SkateBIRD?
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SkateBIRD is a skateboarding simulation game, featuring an adorable tiny little bird on a Tech Deck. It is developed and self-published by Glass Bottom Games, out now on PC through Steam and Itch.io, as well as on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Amazon Luna, and also on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 starting June 1, 2023.
SkateBIRD is a game that takes two puns a little bit too far: the title where bird sounds like the board part of the word skateboard, and the fact that skateboarding’s most famous practitioner is actually named Tony HAWK. So, it takes the normal formula of a skateboarding game and replaces the human with a chirpy little bird, doing ollies and nosegrinds on day-to-day objects with a Tech Deck. How does that translate into an actual game? Find out the rest in our SkateBIRD review.
Gameplay
SkateBIRD puts players in self-contained skate parks. Some of these are indoors, consisting of ramps and rails made from everyday items, and some are outdoors with everyday outdoor objects. Players control a cute little board on a cute little skateboard as they try to rake up points and fill their FANCY meter by doing tricks with their skateboard. Sometimes, the player could pass by other bird NPCs to pick up new missions from them, which they have to complete sometimes under time trial. These missions most of the time require players to complete tricks in specific situations, while others require the player to look for objects found within the skate park. All of these only give structure to the game’s otherwise freestyle skateboarding system, with the player unlocking new content in the form of new skate parks, accessories, and cosmetics as they complete these missions. The game features a lot of collectibles and several different skate parks to keep things fresh and engaging. The diversity is a nice way to prolong the game’s shelf life, and it’s nice that the game allows you to switch between different locations at will.
The game also utilizes the fact that players take control of a bird to its advantage – the skateBIRD can flap its wings to do a second ollie mid-air, or to prolong its air time. The bird also uses its wings – as opposed to its feet – to “kick” off the ground to gain more speed.
In practice, however, the game is very wonky. The physics don’t seem to agree with the game, with speed and velocity somehow feeling hampered. Momentum doesn’t feel right, and it never feels like I’m going as fast as I should be. Maybe it’s because you’re controlling a small little bird on a Tech Deck? If that’s the case, then it’s poor game design. If this is somehow not intended, then the game’s physics engine has something wrong with it. Speaking of physics, it’s kind of funny and at the same time sad that the little bird just goes stiff when it falls off the skateboard. It looks like the bird that was doing tricks just seconds again suddenly went stiff like a taxidermied specimen.
What doesn’t help the game’s longevity, however, is the lack of a multiplayer mode. Skateboarding games are usually all about raking up points and aiming for a high score and had SkateBIRD aimed to have an online leaderboard, it probably would have a stronger following than it has now. Unfortunately, multiplayer game modes do not exist here, much less any online leaderboards.
Finally, the game’s finicky controls and the awkward camera sometimes get in the way of fun, especially when it comes to looking for things that you’re supposed to collect. Granted, the bird can look around using the R-stick, but it’s no owl and its range of view feels limited. It could get dizzying at times how the camera would snap back to a different angle after finishing a trick, and it almost always messes up your landing.
Story
SkateBIRD follows the story of an aspiring skatebirder named Birb who wants to make it big in the skatebirding community. With their owner Big Friend not around, they are free to do what they want in the owner’s room – which, for this tiny little bird, means following their dreams and becoming a full-fledged skatebirding superstar.
Graphics
SkateBIRD’s graphics are pretty soft and cute, with most of the details spent on the characters. These bird creatures are cute and all, but there’s nothing really remarkable about them. Everything else, however, look so soft and blurry. Perhaps that’s why the game’s depth of field is low by default, to hide the fact that the entire skate park is poorly rendered. Granted, the game isn’t aiming to be a technical masterpiece, but we have to judge the package as it is – it’s no technical marvel, but the cute little birds give the game a lot of charm and likability.
Music and Sound Design
SkateBIRD has a very low-key, very chill vibe and its music and sound design follow this principle. However, it just doesn’t sit well with me. The music I’m used to listening to when playing skateboarding games is much more punk rock and more upbeat and energizing.
The game’s sound effects are serviceable. I’m not sure if I like the fact that my little birdie chirps in pain whenever it falls off its skateboard. It’s a cute sound, but it kinda makes me feel sorry for my little bird friend. The birds chirping as part of their dialogue is hella cute, though.
I’m actually not surprised to find out that SkateBIRD won awards for its soundtrack. Its music is cozy and relaxing and something I’d actually listen to on my daily commute. I just don’t think it fits the genre that it’s being played on.
Verdict: Is SkateBIRD worth it to get on the PS5 in 2023?
Overall, the game is fun to play if you just want to chill and don’t really take the game too seriously. But when you start picking up the missions and trying to get high scores, frustration will start to set in. This is a nice game to sit back and mess around, but it’s never going to be the next skateboarding sim that will somehow dethrone Tony Hawk’s. It was never meant to be that way, and the game’s silliness reminds you of that all the time. However, it’s still a shame how we couldn’t get a game with this amount of silliness that could actually compete with Tony Hawk’s in terms of gameplay because that would have been really rad. Instead, we have to settle with what SkateBIRD actually is: a silly game not to be taken too seriously. At the full price of $19.99, even with the new content coming out with this June update, I don’t think it’s worth picking up, especially since there are a lot of great games coming out this June, but definitely, something you should play when it comes out on PS+ or when it drops its price to about half its SRP.
Score: 5.5/10
Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a PS5 review copy to allow us to cover the game. This copy did not, in any way, affect this SkateBIRD Review’s final score and verdict.
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