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90%
PROS
Great graphics, unique, cool moves, fun.
LOWS
A little tricky at first, the water sounds a little fake.
OVERALL
Surfing on your computer may sound weird at first, but Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer is a great game to buy for people who like any type of genre.
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Point goals will tell you to get a certain amount of points for the entire level, or get a certain amount of points doing one type of trick. These goals are more traditional, and they will be some of the most challenging to complete.
One mode I thoroughly enjoyed was the icon challenge. During this time, icons pop on the left side of your screen. Based upon what they say and the key combinations, you need to perform the given trick. For every 'icon' you complete, you get an icon point. The icon challenge is a separate mode, however, it is also found in goals during the career mode.
Similar to the Tony Hawk series, you can perform all types of different tricks on your surfboard. Just like you see on TV, your surfers can go through the wave tubes, do front flips, back flips, flip tricks, face tricks, and all other sorts of special moves. Even though half of the tricks look near impossible, it is still cool to imagine can do them.
Even though beaches aren't very detailed, the game still looks great. The water shimmers, and all surfers are detailed.
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The entire game is nicely animated, with tons of video footage. Even though it can get a little boring listen to pro surfer Kelly Slater talk, hardcore surfer fans will like it. I was sitting there like "Wow, shutup already." None the less, the video footage does add a nice effect to the game that lets you compare your computer tricks with video footage of guys in real life doing tricks.
There is a distinct sound when water crashes on the shore of a beach. I'm not quite sure if Pro Surfer has captured it. Even though the music and effects are for the most part good, the water itself sounds a little fake. If you play the game enough, you will start to realize that each wave sounds the same, and there is no variation in the rumbling noise that the wave makes when it hits the sandbar.
Multiplayer is also included in the game. To my surprise, I didn't enjoy this aspect of the game at all. Normally Aspyr provides excellent multiplayer support for all their games, but Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer is not one of them. There are three modes: time attack, head to head, and push. All three are played via one computer and can only be played by two people at max. Push has you bust out the best moves you can, and the better you are, the bigger your half of the screen gets. Time attack and head to head are more traditional; just beat the other guy with higher points. In all three modes, it is not possible to see the other surfer, which makes multiplayer feel more separate than playing together. The whole thing could've been a lot better, and I am truly surprised that it isn't as good as all the Tony Hawk games.
Overall, Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer is a great game. Its a lot of fun, has beautiful graphics, and is unique compared to any other PC game on the market. Pick it up for a great single player and experience and a new sense for water aquatics.
