I, like many other winter sports enthusiasts, missed the opportunity to hit the slopes. Therefore, I crave the chance to carve through fresh powder while hurtling down a mountain. Luckily, Shredders scratches the snowboarding itch with its stunning depiction of life on the piste.
Developed by I-Illusions and published by FoamPunch, this is an open-world sports simulation title. It captures every beautiful detail of the industry while transporting you to many stunning mountain resorts. Moreover, it’s ultra-realistic, jam-packed with tricks, has oodles of official gear, and many pro boarders. What’s more, it’s loaded with humour, gnarly language, and can be played with friends. Furthermore, the pièce de résistance is that it’s included in the Game Pass subscription service.
Shredders is wonderfully accurate.
It’s rare that sports simulation titles get it 100% correct. Try as they may, there is always something that goes wrong. Whether it’s a lack of fluidity, missing atmosphere, or poor controls, they all undermine the final product. Luckily, however, Shredders pretty much nails every aspect of snowboarding. From the wonderfully laid back language, brilliant clothing, smooth movement, and stunning landscapes, it has it all! Therefore, as a lover of the sport, it had me hooked. I couldn’t help loving the user-friendly approach and the tough but fair learning curve. The developers have got the difficulty balance just right, and this makes it challenging, but fun.
The game follows a pair of YouTubers who call themselves Shreddergeddon. You and your friend Scotty are making goofball videos at the Frozen Wood resort. Your crazy antics capture the attention of Lisa, a brand ambassador. Looking for some free advertising, she asks you both to shoot some promo videos. From here, the pair experience otherwise out of reach areas of the mountain. Furthermore, they are introduced to an array of pro boarders and may get the chance to enter the kick-ass invitational event.
Do as you wish.
What makes Shredders truly special is its blend of open-world and mission-based antics. Subsequently, you are free to do as you wish, and this was just fantastic. You can, and you will spend hours carving up the pistes or riding through powder. What’s more, the action revolves around multiplayer shenanigans. Therefore, you can enjoy the mountain with friends and strangers online. Whether you just want to slide down a red run or hit the park together, the choice is yours.
The missions, on the other hand, are a little more restrictive. With primary and secondary objectives to achieve, these somewhat limit your freedom. This being said, you only have to achieve the primary goal if you wish to progress. Fortunately, most of the time, this is achievable with a small amount of practice. However, ticking every box for each mission is no mean feat.
Each quest you undertake is scored between 1 and 3 medals. If the main task is completed, you pick up 1 medal. If you successfully complete the secondary tasks, you’ll be awarded maximum points. However, in order to do this, you must be dextrous, quick thinking, skilful, and have a great memory. Furthermore, you must race at lightning speeds, smash flags, complete tricks, weave through slaloms and more.
The completion of each mission progresses the story, but it also unlocks new gear. Consequently, you can kit yourself out in bright apparel and your favourite brands. After all, snowboarding is as much about the tricks as it is looking cool as hell.
Getting around.
If you’ve ever hit the mountain, you know that getting around can be tricky. Yes, there are ski lifts, but these don’t get you to the best and most wild places. Instead, you’ll need to hitch a ride behind a snowmobile. This was a brilliant addition to the gameplay that made traversing the terrain much easier.
Alongside this, a fast travel system has been incorporated. Therefore, you can easily flit between free-roam, board parks, and any quest. Subsequently, it was an easy and trouble-free way of getting around the resort. However, I rarely used this option, as I enjoyed exploring the vast wilderness.
Shredders looks incredible.
Even if you detest snow and winter sports, you’ll adore and admire Shredders’ beautiful aesthetics. The world you explore is vast, interesting, and stunning! From the crisp white snow to the azure blue sky, this captures a perfect day in the piste. Moreover, the character models are fantastic, the cinematic is fun and interesting, and the animation is spot on. However, I encountered many bugs during my pre-release experience. Sadly, I fell through the mountain, was stuck on rocks or trees, or slid on my back forever. Thankfully, none of these issues was game-breaking and the issues will be patched out.
The brilliant audio adds to the realism. Consequently, if you are riding solo, you’ll love the atmospheric sounds. Whether it’s the crunching of snow or the whistle of the wind, you’ll be transported to the mountain. Furthermore, the noises of you crashing will make you wince every time. Unfortunately, though, it’s not perfect. Sadly, the soundbites become tedious and repetitive. If the developers had mixed things up, then this issue would be resolved.
There is lots to learn.
When a game is realistic, you know there will be a lot to learn. Shredders pushes you to learn and memorise every trick. On top of this, you must be precise with the analogue sticks. Luckily, though, you can scrape through with limited skills. However, to excel, you must master every element. Fortunately, the controls are responsive and this reduces the challenge exponentially. Yet, it’s still tough to pull off every trick, but this makes it particularly addictive.
Thanks to the massive maps, a large list of tricks, the crazy amount of unlockables, and multiplayer action, this has masses of longevity. Alongside this, a tough achievement list keeps you playing. I enjoyed the focus on each mission, but free-roaming is where Shredders excels. You’ll lose yourself in the vast rugged world, and will enjoy the blend of piste, park, and wilderness to ride across.
Shredders is well designed.
Snowboarding isn’t simply a sport, it’s a way of life. This ethos has been captured perfectly within Shredders’ core concept. Every element is so well designed that you’ll lose yourself in its beautiful and simple to understand approach. It is excellent to play alone, but it is much better with friends. I adored it and I recommend you to buy it here! Can you impress the pros and make it to the kick-ass invitational? Grab your camera and your board, and set the mountain alight.
