Shredders Review: "Tommy Wiseau Hits The Slopes"
Shredders is one of the most perplexing sports games you'll likely come across this year. After some seriously fun titles like Riders Republic, WWE 2K22, and Gran Turismo 7, it felt like the sports genre itself was on an unstoppable roll. Yet in steps this quirky snowboarding title that tries to plant its feet firmly in both the triple-A space and the indie market, to deliver something that has a conflicting personality, is oddly expansive, and worst of all, is just plain dull.
Tommy Wiseau's Shredders
Click to enlargeYou are a snowboarding enthusiast and a part of the up and coming Shredaggedon group, whose only goal is to make it into the elite Invitational. The aim of the game is to pull off sick tricks in gnarly courses while in a sprawling open world, and slowly but surely boost that snowboarding reputation of yours.
The narrative strings see you go from abandoned towns with plenty of rails to grind, to breakneck descents down wistful mountain ranges, while introducing you to new characters as you climb your way up the snowboarding hierarchy. You'll become familiar with characters like Lisa and Scotty, and the latter could easily be mistaken as your avatar. But oddly enough, you are the silent creep that stands on the side lines, often just out of frame. You could honestly take this character completely out of the game, and it would make no difference to the overall narrative. For reference, in the shot shown below, you are the one wearing the grey jacket...
Click to enlargeThis, however, is the beginning of that aforementioned quirkiness. There is a certain comedic tone (if you want to call it that) that laughs at some of the game's shortcomings. Characters will joke about how everyone's face is covered up since the developers didn't have the money to animate them. Or a character will show up to chat when they were bombing it down a mountain in the opposite direction two seconds prior. There are outright references to the fact that this is a video game from the characters themselves.
Initially, this might incite the odd chuckle, and it can be funny to watch the team at FoamPunch navigating its way around a tight budget. However, eventually the "it doesn't make sense, but at least we are referencing it" style of humour becomes grating, and makes some of the cutscene nigh-unwatchable. That isn't helped at all by some of the most tired voice acting you've ever heard, and that's because half of the characters you'll come across aren't actually voice actors. In a strive for authenticity, Shredders employs real pro snowboarding legends, who then voice themselves. While it is an admirable idea, the results are less than inspiring.
You will be complimented and cheered on by people that sound less interested in the game than you are. And since everyone wears masks and goggles, besides the name and bored delivery, there is no real benefit to including these real-life legends. Partner it all up with some questionable dialogue, and Shredders reveals itself to be the love child of Tommy Wiseau's The Room and some more deliberate parody like The Spoils of Babylon.
Grinding To A Halt
Click to enlargeAll of that is just the narrative, and admittedly, most players aren't looking to get swept away by the drama and comedy of up-and-coming snowboarding enthusiasts. What they are really looking for are fun mechanics and wild environments that allow for the coolest tricks. Sadly, this is yet another area where Shredders lets its players down.
While there is a certain learning curve to its mechanics, there is never really a moment where Shredders' controls feel natural or fun. You are constantly fighting with janky turns, irritating clipping, and move sets that more than anything just feel awkward to pull off. Admittedly, the more time you put into it, the better you will become, and there are brief moments of enjoyment as you smoothly cruise across the fluffy yet crunchy blanket of snow. But you are ripped away from those moments the second you fall off course, or awkwardly clip along a railing. Shredders become a masterclass of losing momentum, in a way that dispels you from getting back on the board. And that is because, while there is something in its mechanics, there is a dullness hanging over it, where there is no speed, urgency, or adrenaline to entice you back.
However, that is playing into the chill vibes the game is putting out. With its open world, you can aimlessly flip, spin, grind, and speed your way around. It almost feels like a completely different game when you ditch your snowboard buds to just hit the slopes. We imagine this would be the perfect companion to a long day's work where you just want to play a game that isn't asking for much and looks pretty. But when you intentionally boot up Shredders for a longer session, you'll struggle to find a reason to play.
Lots To Do But Not Reason To Do It
Click to enlargeShredders wants you to know that it is a big game. There are multiple regions, with a multitude of missions and challenges to work through, and it has thrown in the element of multiplayer in there for good measure. However, despite its apparent enormity, it severely lacks any reason to work through its content.
As it stands, the only unlockable element of the game are the cosmetics, where players can customise their hats, gloves, goggles, jackets, trousers, shoes, and boards. But for the most part, these vary from charcoal to dark grey hats - there aren't any dinosaur costumes here. And if you aren't all too fussed with cosmetics, then the game lacks something to strive towards. There are no levelling systems, skills to unlock, or even a currency. You have three challenges to complete with each mission, but the game never really tells you what you get for completing all of them or just one. And the score you so desperately tried to top is entirely forgotten about the second you move onto whatever is next. Even, as you aimlessly wander the score will tick up as you pull off more tricks, but for what?
Put It In The Shredder
Click to enlargeShredders is a mind-numbingly dull snowboarding experience that near flawlessly misses the mark in almost every component it strives towards. Its biggest mistake is trying to craft up a triple-A experience on an indie budget, which results in something that feels empty and devoid of reason. However, it is a mismatched personality that really seals the deal, and will leave players itching to ditch it for something more lively. It is part retro arcade, part simulator, part polished open world, part multiplayer, and all of that is sprinkled with a self-referential narrative that will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe die a little inside. There are glimmers of hope in each of these areas, but FoamPunch decided to go big rather than hone in on what could have worked for the game.
In the end, you are left with an experience that begs to be forgotten about as quickly as you installed it. And if you are inclined to stick with this experience, it can only be for its pseudo Tommy Wiseau hits the slopes narrative. Even then, it does naaaahhht hit the mark.
3/10
Reviewed on Xbox Series X. Code provided by the publisher.
