Shaun White Skateboarding

Shaun White Skateboarding is an attempt to make not a sports simulator, but an adventure where a skateboard changes the world around it. The city lives by boring rules, but as soon as you perform a series of tricks on the board, the space begins to be rebuilt: ramps rise from the ground, railings lengthen, colors become brighter. This mechanic turns every task into an experiment. Shaun White himself acts as a mentor and gradually teaches the hero new techniques. The arsenal of tricks is wide: from basic turns to complex combinations using the terrain that the player himself created. The tasks are mixed with city exploration: to find new spots, you have to look into alleys and onto rooftops. The controls are designed for a wide audience: understanding the basics is easy, but finishing lines and holding combos is a challenge. The music and design are cheerful, the atmosphere is friendly, and the very idea of ​​“revitalizing” the city through skating makes the game unlike other skate projects. The visual change of the city is especially pleasing: as progress progresses, gray streets turn into bright areas for skating, and local residents begin to become interested in skateboarding. The tasks gradually become more difficult, but no one forces you to rush: you can ride freely and look for spots on your own. This is a rare case where a skate arcade game is built around an idea, and not just around a list of techniques. Strict fans of the genre criticized it for being arcade-like, and in vain: this is not a simulator, but an adventure for those who want to ride and watch how the world changes around them.