As I evaluate my video footage of this sport, I, briefly and solely partly, empathize with one among its denizens. I sit at my laptop, looking at my display, and attempt to put phrases onto it to correctly describe how one can 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 prepared to help with getting phrases onto the display because the referenced pigeon, nonetheless, so I’m alone there.
This evaluate covers a reasonably brief sport, if it actually catches your fancy, you’ll be able to end it in a single day, so I’ll attempt to preserve this pretty brief and hopefully as candy as the sport in query. Any screenshots right here will likely be from the primary few chapters of the sport to forestall spoilers when potential. That is Skate Story, printed by Devolver Digital and developed by self-taught sport developer, Sam Eng. You’re- you’re in for a trip.
Can’t Sleep…
Skate Story begins on a, what ought to in all probability be barely worryingly, in rapid retrospect, relatable be aware. You begin drained and hungry, and wholly unable to sleep to repair the matter. In a — hopefully, at the very least — barely much less relatable method, nonetheless, 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, looking at mentioned moon, earlier than making a choice. and trying to get tools with the intention to make that call possible. The Skater, because the PC will quickly be dubbed, goes to eat the moon, and, as such, they are going to require transportation. Due to this fact, skateboard… after a small matter of a 4 web page contract and a few issues as a part of mentioned 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 predominant companion for the sport — leads you in the direction of your first goal, and also you get your first take a look at how completely attractive this sport can and can get.
… Will Not Sleep…
Because the Skater follows the Rabbit, you get a really feel for a way the sport controls, and… how do I put this. It controls the best way the sport appears to be like, and I can’t actually put it into a fashion that… is sensible to me? It handles and feels in a method that makes complete 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, resembling in the event you had been, say, a demon that’s product of glass now and never wholly assured of their skateboarding skills simply but. The music, supplied by the experimental indie pop music collective referred to as Blood Cultures and Bronx based mostly composer John Fio, is genuinely phenomenal, and matches the — I hate to make use of this time period because of what seems like overuse — vibe of the sport, in just about each form of scenario and site you end up in.
It additionally has cheap penalties for screwing up, contemplating the Skater’s circumstances and the place they’re, and it’s as punishing as you’d anticipate. You additionally, usually, I’m undecided all as a result of I’ve but to fail any of the extra limiting moments of the sport, get as cheap quantity of forgiveness as you’ll be able to anticipate, as a result of the developer understands the difficulties of transferring at excessive speeds on a skateboard when one is product of 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 need to go into additional element, however this can be a similar-but-somewhat-opposite scenario as with my evaluate of 1000xRESIST. If I do, nonetheless, issues will get troublesome to elucidate with out spoiling a number of the extra attention-grabbing issues that occur. It is a downside I share with Sorry, We’re Closed a sport by à la mode video games that’s more likely to make an seem on my Prime 10 Video games of 2025. That scenario resolved itself after I ended up having to choose it up months after its launch date and as thus too late to fairly evaluate, nonetheless.
This was launched final week, and I can’t not evaluate it whereas it’s nonetheless comparatively contemporary, so, I’ll try to preserve this easy. It’s a narrative-based sport, sure. It’s a skating sport, sure. It neatly and successfully combines each of those whereas build up the story by 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 in another way 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 evaluate. How do I clarify this sport, however with the extra operate with a skosh extra egocentric want added to it. I need to, and can suggest this sport, however discover it troublesome to place into written phrase. It is a distinctive expertise from an extremely proficient developer and a writer that will get a whole lot of credit score for a way they’ve affected impartial publishing, however nonetheless not as a lot as they’ve earned by their work all through the years.
The can also be a reasonably troublesome, however not unfair, sport with an especially area of interest attraction. If the idea of “demon that’s skateboarding by the underworlds to eat the moons” didn’t make that abundantly apparent from the get-go. This isn’t the form of factor that may entice everybody, particularly with how glass-shatteringly good this yr has been for video video games as a complete. That, very like the ethereal however mildly worrying world that this sport inhabits, makes this a certified sure, albeit not for the explanations of a number of the greater titles this yr. Significantly in the event you get movement illness, I think about? The sport begins with a warning about potential points you might need, look into that earlier than going any additional in your personal security.
For those who see the trailer above, and if this evaluate piques your curiosity even barely, look into it additional. It’s $20 on PSN, and likewise on Ps Plus in the event you occur to have that service. I can promise you, in the event you’re the form of person who sees that trailer, has an curiosity in skating video games, or the indie scene typically ? For those who’ve bought a curious thoughts and an curiosity in additional underground research? For those who don’t take your self too significantly and have- some measure of persistence? Very like the Skater themselves, let me be clear: that is one hundred pc suggestion, Skate Story is genuinely tremendous cool and an inventive marvel, albeit not in the best way a Clair Obscur is. Distinctive, fascinating, a tad realistically irritating at instances, regardless of the otherworldliness of the world, and a fairly cool time, all issues thought-about.
