As I evaluation my video footage of this sport, I, briefly and solely partially, empathize with certainly one of its denizens. I sit at my laptop, gazing my display, and attempt to put phrases onto it to correctly describe describe it. Thoughts you, I’m presumably not within the Fourth Circle of the Underworld, and I’m pretty sure I’m not an precise pigeon, at the same time as I work at this keyboard with half of its letters clean from overuse. I could possibly be fallacious on the underworld factor, thoughts. I don’t have anybody as keen to help with getting phrases onto the display because the referenced pigeon, nevertheless, so I’m by myself there.
This evaluation covers a reasonably quick sport, if it actually catches your fancy, you possibly can end it in a single day, so I’ll attempt to hold this pretty quick and hopefully as candy as the sport in query. Any screenshots right here might be from the primary few chapters of the sport to forestall spoilers when potential. That is Skate Story, revealed by Devolver Digital and developed by self-taught sport developer, Sam Eng. You’re- you’re in for a experience.
Can’t Sleep…
Skate Story begins on a, what ought to most likely be barely worryingly, in speedy retrospect, relatable observe. You begin drained and hungry, and wholly unable to sleep to repair the matter. In a — hopefully, a minimum of — barely much less relatable method, nevertheless, that is straight due to the moon, itself, as its moonlight makes these below its area, demons, on this case, unable to. It then cuts to our participant character, gazing stated moon, earlier than making a call. and seeking to get tools to be able to make that call possible. The Skater, because the PC will quickly be dubbed, goes to eat the moon, and, as such, they may require transportation. Subsequently, skateboard… after a small matter of a 4 web page contract and a few problems as a part of stated contract.
This launches into the opening tutorial, and the Skater getting a flippin’ cool as hell glass scarf… together with the remainder of their physique. Skate Story retains it pretty easy because the Rabbit — your major companion for the sport — leads you in the direction of your first goal, and also you get your first have a look at how completely beautiful this sport can and can get.
… Will Not Sleep…
Because the Skater follows the Rabbit, you get a really feel for the way the sport controls, and… how do I put this. It controls the way in which the sport seems to be, and I can’t actually put it into a fashion that… is smart to me? It handles and feels in a approach that makes whole sense for the setting and idea, and it does so extremely effectively. It introduces ideas and the way they work all through the sport in a fashion that builds solidly, and doesn’t get overwhelming to anybody unfamiliar, similar to in case you had been, say, a demon that’s manufactured from glass now and never wholly assured of their skateboarding talents simply but. The music, supplied by the experimental indie pop music collective referred to as Blood Cultures and Bronx primarily based composer John Fio, is genuinely phenomenal, and suits the — I hate to make use of this time period as a result of what seems like overuse — vibe of the sport, in just about each kind of scenario and site you end up in.
It additionally has affordable penalties for screwing up, contemplating the Skater’s circumstances and the place they’re, and it’s as punishing as you’ll count on. You additionally, normally, I’m unsure all as a result of I’ve but to fail any of the extra limiting moments of the sport, get as affordable quantity of forgiveness as you possibly can count on, as a result of the developer understands the difficulties of transferring at excessive speeds on a skateboard when one is manufactured from an simply breakable materials, and the satisfaction of doing effectively with the instruments you study and are given all through such a scenario. Or any of the conditions that the Skater finds themselves beginning with, however completely not ending with, the primary skating boss battle in opposition to a moon. Sure, the primary boss battle in opposition to a moon.
…Not Secure To Sleep…
Therein lies the rub with Skate Story. I wish to go into additional element, however this can be a similar-but-somewhat-opposite scenario as with my evaluation of 1000xRESIST. If I do, nevertheless, issues will get troublesome to clarify with out spoiling among the extra fascinating issues that occur. This can be a downside I share with Sorry, We’re Closed a sport by à la mode video games that’s prone to make an seem on my High 10 Video games of 2025. That scenario resolved itself after I ended up having to select it up months after its launch date and as thus too late to moderately evaluation, nevertheless.
This was launched final week, and I can’t not evaluation it whereas it’s nonetheless comparatively recent, so, I’ll try to hold this easy. It’s a narrative-based sport, sure. It’s a skating sport, sure. It neatly and successfully combines each of those whereas increase the story via the contract that the Skater and the Rabbit deal with and the varied circumstances with a stunning quantity of humor, though it doesn’t… all the time land, admittedly… and intrigue. Consider it as within the mould of a extra experimental and otherwise motion centered Suda 51 title, albeit not fairly in that ballpark but. And, as soon as once more, with skating, of all issues.
… However Have To Sleep.
So, we, as soon as once more, discover ourselves at my dilemma from the beginning of this evaluation. How do I clarify this sport, however with the extra perform with a skosh extra egocentric need added to it. I wish to, and will suggest this sport, however discover it troublesome to place into written phrase. This can be a distinctive expertise from an extremely gifted developer and a writer that will get numerous credit score for the way they’ve affected unbiased publishing, however nonetheless not as a lot as they’ve earned via their work all through the years.
The can be a reasonably troublesome, however not unfair, sport with an especially area of interest attraction. If the idea of “demon that’s skateboarding via the underworlds to eat the moons” didn’t make that abundantly apparent from the get-go. This isn’t the kind of factor that may entice everybody, particularly with how glass-shatteringly good this yr has been for video video games as an entire. That, very like the ethereal however mildly worrying world that this sport inhabits, makes this a professional sure, albeit not for the explanations of among the greater titles this yr. Notably in case you get movement illness, I think about? The sport begins with a warning about potential points you may need, look into that earlier than going any additional in your personal security.
When you see the trailer above, and if this evaluation piques your curiosity even barely, look into it additional. It’s $20 on PSN, and likewise on Ps Plus in case you occur to have that service. I can promise you, in case you’re the type of person who sees that trailer, has an curiosity in skating video games, or the indie scene basically ? When you’ve received a curious thoughts and an curiosity in additional underground research? When you don’t take your self too significantly and have- some measure of endurance? Very similar to the Skater themselves, let me be clear: that is one hundred pc advice, Skate Story is genuinely tremendous cool and an inventive marvel, albeit not in the way in which a Clair Obscur is. Distinctive, fascinating, a tad realistically irritating at occasions, regardless of the otherworldliness of the world, and a fairly cool time, all issues thought-about.
