Skate Story

Some of the coolest and most interesting visuals I have ever seen in a game, along side a unique story and world. I couldn't ask for a more perfect skate game, truly embodying the feeling of skating and of a skaters spirit. Wonderful game and great gameplay.

A lot of people glaze this game for daring to be different but I don’t think that makes it good. The gameplay and level design ranges from boring to frustrating. Yes it’s weird “in a good way” but I don’t think that excuses having a nonsensical story with characters that were never fleshed out. I ultimately felt unfulfilled when I rolled credits. As others have mentioned, its highlight is its art and sound design. I do have respect for the sole developer and think it is quite an amazing accomplishment. I certainly will follow his future projects. Additional support in the level design and overall gameplay experience could have turned this game into an all timer. Overall I give it a 6/10 and only would recommend it to hardcore video game connoisseurs

Синдзи, полезай в бесконечную многоножку

DA et musiques incroyables, gameplay un peu dur a prendre en main au début mais siiiii satisfaisant une fois dans les doigts. Incroyable

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Skate Story is a skateboarding narrative adventure with a heavy dose of surrealism. When a demon is offered their freedom by the Devil in exchange for swallowing the Moon, they promptly equip themselves with a skateboard and follow a rabbit into the depths of the underworld. The demon earns the moniker "The Skater," and together with their rabbit guide, Rabbie, the pair travel across many depths of Hell, consuming fragments of the Moon along their journey. Skate Story's narrative is a bit hard to pin down from a traditional storytelling sense. Due to the game's dreamlike surrealism, the story weaves in and out of coherence, often unfolding like a poetic reading of someone else's dream journal. Rabbie and The Skater are the two most consistent characters throughout the adventure, though a few supporting cast members do show up for recurring appearances. Often vague in its message, Skate Story is sometimes hauntingly beautiful as The Skater grinds their way from one dreamscape to the next, accompanied by poetic narration. Those seeking meaning from the abstraction might push up their coke-bottle glasses and suggest Skate Story is an allegory for the pursuit of a dream, with The Skater representing an unyielding drive even at the cost of their own destruction. Skate Story's music is compelling, playing a critical role in setting the tone for much of the game. I'd even go so far as to say that in several sequences of the story, the music is the only thing setting Skate Story apart from a rather simplistic skateboarding simulator. There are two components to Skate Story's gameplay: open-world exploration and linear cinematic skateboarding. While there are ten chapters overall, about six of these chapters follow a formulaic setting. The chapters begin by placing The Skater in an open zone where they can skate about earning currency to spend at the gift shops. Gift shops contain a variety of different board designs and stickers, which The Skater can use to express their individuality, though they otherwise have no impact on gameplay. These open zones will also typically feature a small quest, such as recovering the Devil's laundry, which usually involves simply performing a few tricks or completing a small skating level. I did not entirely appreciate the open zones, as they felt like speed bumps to Skate Story's momentum. In contrast, the linear cinematic sections of the game were exceptionally fun. Gliding through levels with captivating music and striking art direction was where Skate Story demonstrated its strengths, often culminating in small boss fights that involve landing tricks on the Moon's silhouette. As The Skater is made of glass, they shatter whenever they hit a wall or fall off their board at high speeds. While the glass protagonist makes for a fun aesthetic, I found it was sometimes at odds with the parts of the game I enjoyed. During the cinematic vignettes, I wanted to just be landing a bunch of cool skate tricks while traveling at high velocity; however, playing recklessly often results in The Skater shattering and being sent back to a checkpoint. I felt this distracted from the otherwise very immersive gameplay sequences. Overall, I would recommend Skate Story, though it is an experience that may be a bit unfulfilling for fans of deep gameplay mechanics. At times, Skate Story was almost too dreamlike, resulting in me nearly nodding off while playing. For players looking for a relaxing game to just vibe out to great music with, there is a lot to like about Skate Story, as it reminds us that with a bit of effort, not all hopes wind up shattered.

If you're looking for a score-chasing skatefest à la Tony Hawks, then move on. What we have here is a beautifully-presented, utterly bonkers story-led journey with some fluid and enjoyable skate mechanics. Oh, and the soundtrack is an absolute belter!