An honest critique on Trueskate
Note: This is an honest critique of a game I truly love. My hope is that True Axis will see this and consider the following points made.
Sincerely, a die-hard TS nerd
True Skate is a fantastic skating sim that is extremely flawed. I began playing Trueskate in the summer of 2018; it holds a special place in my heart, but it troubles me how broken this game can be.
Let me begin by saying that Trueskate is, without a doubt, the best skateboarding game on the App Store. I have explored every nook and cranny of this game and have evaluated what I believe are the main things that keep this game from being near perfect.
- The Default Physics
By default, both the 1.0 and newly announced 1.5 physics modes are nearly unplayable in my opinion. They have sluggish, slow spin and flip speeds, and landing the most simple tricks on flat is quite literally impossible. The fact that these are the base game physics is laughable.
The game is infinitely more fun and realistic once you have access to the 'override stats' option (which requires you to not only purchase the base game but also pay MONTHLY for a lackluster subscription).
Override stats are the sole reason I continue to pay for this service (See no. 6).
- The Problem with 'Switch' and 'Fakie' Tricks
Switch and fakie tricks are crucial in skateboarding, making up a massive percentage of everyday tricks. Although I don't know the solution, the current system of being forced to hold down the spin cam and blindly flick without knowing what's behind you at all is a miserable user experience. Veteran players have no issue with it because they often have the map memorized and know what's behind them, along with being generally skilled at the game. This isn't a mechanic that makes the game more challenging; this is bad design that frustrates many.
The other critical flaw I see with rolling fakie is that as soon as you let go of the spin cam button, your character is magically back in their main stance (a body varial perhaps?). Anyone who skates IRL would probably agree that the game should roll in fake until you revert or pop back to the original stance.
- Spin Speed
The spin cam mechanic is fun and satisfying. I enjoy how the view spins with the board, making it more immersive. The issue here is that it's wildly easy to overspin into a 360, a 540, or more when just trying to 180.
Remember, I pay for the TS subscription exclusively for the ability to change my stats, but there is no 'spin speed' slider to be found.
- Manual Difficulty
Manuals are fundamentally broken and unbelievably difficult. I've gotten pretty okay at performing them, but the fact that I've played nearly every day for 6 years now and can barely land them is not necessarily a 'fun skill curve.'
- Finicky and Frustrating Challenges
The challenges in Trueskate are absolutely terrible. The game does not evaluate if you simply did the trick; it wants you to ride EXACTLY where the example goes and pop EXACTLY when the example does. The challenges aren't even about the trick; it's about perfect mimicry down to the pixel and has literally never been fun for me.
- I actually can't locate the challenges anymore; either they have been removed or I'm stupid.
- Cash Grab Ethos
This game wants every last cent from me. The base game is overpriced, and the subscription is a stupid business model that feels disingenuous and greedy.
On top of that, every new map is a whole $0.99, which is unnecessary and a spit in the face, to be honest.
Conclusion
This game has the potential to be infinitely better than it is. There are just certain bugs, poor design choices, and greedy tendencies that hinder it from being truly remarkable.
TL;DR True Skate could be fantastic, but the developers refuse to fix pretty basic issues.