True Skate Review

By , on October 18, 2012


True Skate
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Incredibly intuitive flick and hold system; every swipe and tap will twist and turn the board, making it easy to pull off some crazy tricks.
  • 'Missions' provide a decent tutorial, running through basic concepts and building your confidence.

CONS

  • While almost the perfect skate-park, variety is the spice of life; new locations would encourage exploration and experimentation.
  • Limited mission system; largely a series of follow-the-leader exercises.

VERDICT

True Skate walks a thin line between simulation and sandbox, producing a very realistic skating title, but falling short of providing players with decent objectives outside of 'mucking about'.


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Tony Hawk Pro Skating allowed me to vicariously live out my enjoyment of skateboarding without the need to go outside and get hot and sweaty during the Summer months. However, Tony Hawk and its ilk had no problem with throwing reality out the window. This may make for a good game, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to flex your skills by trying your hand at something challenging; something realistic.

True Skate by True Axis adds itself to the relatively short list of games that seek to inject a modicum of reality in the sports they portray, utilizing an intuitive swipe system to flick the board in to the air and move it around. Trying to pull off specific maneuvers could have been tricky if not for the somewhat 'floatier' physics, meaning players are encouraged to take their time when approaching each obstacle and nailing that Darkside grind with a Kick Flip finish.

The park itself isn't huge, but gorgeously rendered and packed to the gills with all manner of ramps, rails, bowls and hills to ride over. A built-in 'mission' system acts as a sort of tutorial, introducing you to most of the areas by making you 'follow' their lead.

Unfortunately once you're done with the missions you're left with nothing but the sandbox mode and some achievements to complete to keep you entertained. Coming up with your best scoring trick can make for a fun exercise, but the lack of exploration and varied objectives leaves the game feeling more like a toy after a short playthrough.

Don't let that dissuade you though - if you love skating and want something that approaches the sport with a sense of realism, this is for you.

Screenshots

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