Shredders review: It's all about cold adrenaline

Winter sports have always been seasonal since the ideal conditions for skiing and snowboarding can only be found for a limited time. However, these limitations do not bind video games in general and allow players to enjoy their sport at any time.

While sports games are abundant globally, Shredders brings a new experience for players with snowboarding as a focus. However, the idea of snow sports isn’t new in the video gaming industry and has been seen previously with Ubisoft’s Steep.

Even though Shredder’s alternative exists in 2022, the game certainly has its charm that made my experience fun and mesmerizing at times.

Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and USA Today Crossword Answers

Shredders review: “Always pumped up”

Snowboarding is something I’ve always felt intrigued about but never had the chance to experience firsthand. However, with Shredders, I certainly got a taste of how adrenaline would feel when gliding down snowy slopes.

While it focuses entirely on being a snowboarding game to the core, Shredders held that up. The game also gave a great narrative experience during my gameplay sessions, which made the game fun and stale.

For an adrenaline junkie who likes to experience cool tricks while risking life, Shedders did not disappoint for a second.

Gameplay: “Hey! Look at this cool trick!”

Slidin' and glidin' (Image via FoamPunch)

People who like to see and perform stunts snowboarding probably have remained on their bucket list, and I belong to that group. Shredders provided a highly detailed move tutorial that allows players to perform tricks without a hassle for a guy who is a complete newbie when it comes to snowboarding tricks.

Also, kudos to the simple control mechanics that the game provides and allows players to enjoy this game without sweating. It didn’t take too long to get acquainted with the controls, and a few moments later, I’m “shredding” through the snowy playground without any hassle.

Expand Tweet

As time passed, the game introduced more difficult tricks in professional snowboarding, and it always felt satisfying when I successfully landed on my feet after performing it. Even the tutorial is intertwined with the campaign also deserves a shoutout.

The animation when performing the tricks has also remained fluid during my gameplay which I deeply appreciated. However, there were moments when the controls had felt unresponsive and had broken the flow of the stunt I was trying to pull off.

The game's music also hypes the players to perform complex tricks and was undoubtedly enjoyable during my gameplay.

Shredders have remained quite simple in terms of accessibility, allowing for a great experience while gaming and technically.

Story: “Gotta reach the top”

"Who is Bon Jovi?" - Scotty 2022 (Image via FoamPunch)

The story starts with two snowboarders who share a love for the winter sport and blogging for their not-so-famous YouTube account called Shreddageddons. Among these two, Scotty has been introduced as a funny character who takes snowboarding very lightly. However, the real fun began once the INDY540 came into action and unlocked more opportunities with Lisa.

Every character in Shedders was fun to listen to, and each had their own set of traits that made them unique. Indeed, there were times when the narrative felt off, making the experience slightly underwhelming. However, the narrative is quite enjoyable if those embarrassing moments are left aside.

Expand Tweet

I always looked out for more from Scotty during my gameplay as I loved his childishness and humor, which was undoubtedly funny at times. His enthusiasm for shredding is admirable, and it demonstrates how serious they are about snowboarding, which also distinguishes him.

As the story progresses, players are introduced to even more significant opportunities like sponsors and equipment, which made me feel I was going big. Thus, pulling me into the Shreddageddon life even more.

Self-inflicting humor has worked for the game, and I’ve loved it during my sessions.

Visuals and performance: “Looks good, but does it feel good?”

Performing stunts is pretty fun (Image via FoamPunch)

For my testing, I have used my custom setup, and the specifications are as follows:

Test bench specification

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060S
RAM: 16GB
Monitor: LG 1080p IPS Display@240Hz
Framerates: 100-120 FPS

While the game looks good with mid-high tier graphics settings, the frame rates have remained inconsistent at times. Also, as mentioned previously, the game has specific issues regarding gameplay. While these problems seem minor, a high-paced game like this certainly gets impacted.

Leaving those flaws aside, the game certainly looks great to the eye as nothing seems better than snowy slopes on a sunny day. There are times when the world felt lackluster, even though some players can be seen shredding from one point to another.

Taking sound design into consideration, the experience has been good when snowboarding. However, there were some moments where dialogues have felt odd and could be improved upon easily.

Generally speaking, the performance has been decent on my end and has given me a smooth experience most of the time. Also, as an indie-developed game, the game certainly stands out and does seem significant compared to other Triple-A staking games.

In Conclusion

Perfect weather to go out with a snowboard (Image via FoamPunch)

Honestly, Shredders is certainly worth it if a player is strictly looking for a snowboarding game. The story seems decent enough to keep players intrigued, and the introduction of tutorials throughout the story is also an excellent addition.

The game provides a nice open playground for players to perform stunts with their snowboards, making it a decent game in its genre.

Furthermore, the fact that players can access Shredders through XBOX Game Pass adds more reasons why players have to check it out.

There wasn’t a single point that made the game feel like an indie game altogether, and the effort put into it has undoubtedly paid off.

In short, Shredders, as a brand new indie game, delivers a great snowboarding experience combined with an intriguing campaign. It also provides excellent visuals and stunts that feel great if appropriately performed.