True Surf

About

True Surf is a single player casual sport game. It was developed by True Axis and was released on October 3, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

True Surf is a realistic surfing game that uses real-world physics and live Surfline weather forecasts to simulate 21 of the world's greatest surf breaks. With touch-based physics controls, players can experience the thrill of riding the world's best waves, from the barrels of Pipe in Hawaii to the power-curve breaks at Bells Beach, Australia. The game is powered by real-time surf forecasting data from Surfline, providing an authentic and immersive surfing experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 660 reviews

graphics60 positive mentions

monetization24 negative mentions

Great graphics and realistic wave mechanics, providing an immersive surfing experience.
The game offers a variety of surf spots and real-time weather conditions, enhancing gameplay.
Addictive gameplay that keeps players engaged and coming back for more.

Progression is painfully slow, making it difficult to level up and earn in-game currency.
Microtransactions are expensive, leading to a pay-to-win feel that frustrates players.
Recent updates have introduced bugs and glitches, affecting gameplay and overall enjoyment.

graphics
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
31%
5%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive a positive reception, with many users praising their realism and beauty, particularly in depicting waves and surfing dynamics. However, some players have reported issues following updates, including graphical glitches and a decline in quality, which detracts from the overall experience. While the graphics are generally considered good for a mobile game, there are calls for improvements and refinements to enhance the visual experience further.
- “This is a great game with simple controls and amazing graphics.”
- “Gorgeous graphics, realistic surfing experience; read break patterns, weather affected, choosing a drop-in spot... and just like real surfing: incredibly easy to learn, impossible to master.”
- “The graphics are beautiful; I could just sit and watch the waves break, and I love that each location is linked to real-time weather forecasts.”
- “This latest update to the game is horrible and the graphics are now Minecraft-like.”
- “Edit: I have no idea what they did, but the recent update makes the graphics so bad on my phone it's pretty much unplayable.”
- “Latest upgrade ruined the graphics.”
gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
6%
The gameplay is generally praised for its realistic wave mechanics and engaging physics, providing a fun and immersive surfing experience. However, many players express frustration with the slow progression system, the necessity of microtransactions, and clunky controls, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While updates have improved certain aspects, issues with character progression and gameplay mechanics remain a common concern among users.
- “Great game, very realistic wave mechanics.”
- “The game physics and mechanics are amazing, the variation between surfboards feels pretty legit as well.”
- “Intuitive control and realistic gameplay combined with believable surf conditions come together for an awesome no-frills surf experience like no other.”
- “Lackluster physics and gameplay.”
- “The game feels shallow and gameplay is a bit broken.”
- “Impossible controls, average graphics, and the most boring and actually frustrating gameplay I've seen in a while.”
story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
84%
6%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and structure, as players express frustration over the mission system, which is plagued by bugs and inconsistencies that hinder progression. Many users feel that the absence of a narrative or career mode diminishes the overall experience, making it feel like a mindless sandbox rather than a compelling adventure. Additionally, the missions are often deemed overly difficult and poorly designed, leading to a repetitive and frustrating gameplay experience.
- “I surf for real, and I'll have to say, once you get a little practice and realize you only need one finger to operate any and all possible moves your surfer can make; also the waves are like real waves, some will close out, they're consistently inconsistent (which is how waves really are!).”
- “The game is amazing, but there is only one thing: when there are missions from the places and it appears the mission is to jump a certain height, I do that mission and it still doesn't say complete. I don't know why.”
- “Game has very good potential, but True Axis is not using it like adding story time, wave replay, more ways to make clams, waves are always bad, more spots, more updates.”
- “No story mode, the game is just a mindless sandbox and could be amazing with just career mode.”
- “Game has very good potential but True Axis is not using it like adding story time, wave replay, more ways to make clams, waves are always bad, more spots, more updates.”
- “Frustrating when you complete missions without them being acknowledged.”
monetization
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
21%
65%
The monetization strategy of the game has received significant criticism, with many players expressing frustration over excessive microtransactions and frequent ads that disrupt gameplay. While some users appreciate the game's mechanics and are willing to spend money, they find the pricing for in-app purchases to be exorbitant and the ad frequency overwhelming, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as a potential cash grab, with players calling for better pricing models and options to reduce or eliminate ads.
- “Great game, ok graphics, almost no ads, a stupid high skill ceiling, and real fun.”
- “The mechanical function is currently unparalleled, but the game requires microtransactions if you wish to alter or enhance your experience.”
- “Like most games on mobile, it has potential but is clearly developed around playing for 15 minutes and then buying in-game purchases to keep you coming back for new content.”
- “I like the surfing gameplay, but the costs of the different microtransactions are absolutely absurd.”
- “Game kicks off with the usual solid pace, great waves and money to earn yet as things progress, it takes a downturn into a cash grabbing saga.”
- “The amount of ads kill the game.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
94%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous glitches that affect gameplay, such as buggy missions, camera issues, and character animations. While some users appreciate the game's addictive nature and smooth performance, the prevalence of bugs and lack of updates have led to frustration, diminishing the overall experience. Many players feel that the game's potential is hindered by these ongoing stability issues, making it difficult to progress without resorting to cheats.
- “Great game, so addictive, very smooth and runs great.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I rarely experience any crashes or lag.”
- “I love how stable the game is; it allows me to focus on gameplay without interruptions.”
- “Said missions are buggy too, won't register half the things you do.”
- “Whenever you try to do a floater/vertical turn or just hit the lip in general, your board glitches out and makes the turn feel very unnatural.”
- “Game was really nice, but lately has been acting really buggy and weird.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with many expressing disappointment over the slow character progression and high costs for upgrades. While some enjoy the grind as part of the experience, the lack of meaningful rewards and variety makes it feel overly repetitive and discouraging for others. Overall, the grinding element detracts from the enjoyment of an otherwise solid game.
- “This makes saving up for new boards tedious and takes the fun out of an otherwise great game.”
- “The disappointment is how grindy the character progression is and the insane pricing structure to simply get some decent boards; which are absolutely required to experience different waves and styles.”
- “At this point, I'm honestly not sure how to level up past 15 or 16 besides grinding for hours a day, but there is not enough variety to keep it interesting for nearly that long.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music and sound effects in the game are generally considered lacking, with many users expressing a desire for a more engaging soundtrack and better audio integration. Players find the absence of music during gameplay frustrating, especially as it disrupts their ability to listen to their own music. Overall, there is a strong call for improvements in the audio experience to enhance immersion and enjoyment.
- “Always love the music in surf videos and competitions.”
- “Kind of annoying that we can't play the game with our own music; other than that, great physics and good surf simulator.”
- “Bigger waves, more ways to earn, make the weather change, allow for more sensitivity in the air, add a crowd and music, allow for wind and spray.”
- “The air 360 missions don't register even if I do up to 411°; the audio is too soft and there is no soundtrack.”
- “It breaks immersion and messes with my music player that I use for background noise.”
- “I'm not sure if it's just my phone, the Oppo AX5, but there's no music or any sound that comes from the game.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly on the Z Fold series, leading to frequent crashes and stuttering gameplay. While it offers realistic surfing conditions, the current performance of the longboard is disappointing and detracts from the overall experience. Players find the grind for in-game currency to enhance performance tedious, limiting long-term enjoyment.
- “Different conditions, different sections super realistic surfing performance.”
- “Definitely not optimized for the Z Fold series.”
- “This new update has severe performance issues.”
- “It's a stuttering mess to play and crashes often.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers appreciate the game's ability to evoke a nostalgic beach atmosphere, but suggest enhancements such as additional events, simplified upgrades, and the inclusion of sound effects, like waves, to further enrich the immersive experience.
- “Takes me straight back to the beach atmosphere.”
- “Some improvements could be made with events and upgrades, such as more events and easier upgrades. Adding some sounds to the waves would enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find humor in the game's quirky mechanics, such as intentionally making their character roll and the absurdity of the controls, despite expressing frustration with graphical glitches and unclear instructions. The combination of odd character animations and unexpected gameplay moments contributes to a lighthearted, if chaotic, experience.
- “It's kind of funny to make your character roll on purpose or unexpectedly.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express that the emotional aspect of the game is deeply immersive, likening the experience to the thrill of surfing Pipeline, where the tactile interaction with the screen enhances the connection to the action.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game features an interesting concept, many users feel it falls short in terms of replayability, suggesting that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it.
- “Cool concept but lacking replay value.”