Dinsun Review
I’ve seen plenty of surfing games come and go since the 90s, and YouRiding feels like it was designed by surfers for surfers, which is both its strength and its downfall. The wave generation is impressive, but the controls are finicky at best. On a touch screen, trying to time a bottom turn or pull off a proper aerial feels more like fighting the interface than mastering a skill.
The progression is slow, and for a game about the 'soul' of surfing, it feels remarkably clinical. There’s a lot of content here—hundreds of waves—but they all start to feel the same after an hour. If you’re a die-hard bodyboarder, you might find something to love here, but as a gamer, I found the experience hollow and frustratingly difficult for the wrong reasons.
Overall Stats
Pros & Cons
- Authentic wave locations
- Realistic wave physics
- Extensive customization
- Clunky touch controls
- Stale career progression
- Steep learning curve
Technical Report
Performance: Occasional lag on older devices during heavy wave spray effects.
- None notable
Audience Fit
Buy if: You are a surfing enthusiast looking for a technical simulator.
Skip if: You want an arcade-style sports game with easy-to-learn controls.
- True Surf
- Surf World Series
Reviewer Context
- Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative gamer
- Hardware: iPad Pro (11-inch)
- Playtime: 8 hours
- Status: Reached Regional Pro circuit
