A Skateboarding Game Quite Unlike Anything Else

Skate Story is one of those rare games that feels familiar and completely unhinged at the same time. It mixes tight, ground-level skateboarding with a surreal descent through the underworld, turning hell into a neon dreamscape where a demon on a board tries to eat the moon. It is stylish, strange, and surprisingly true to the essence of skateboarding.

Developed by Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital, Skate Story has launched on PS5, PC, and the Nintendo Switch 2 on December 8, and it very quickly proves why it stands out in a crowded wave of skateboarding games.

A Demon, A Deal, and A Very Strange Journey

The story begins with a demon made entirely of glass who is somehow hungry, tired, and ready to take an enormous bite out of the moon. This understandably angers the devil, who then demands a deal. If you can flip, grind, and manual your way through the underworld and eat the moon, you earn your freedom.

Along the way, you meet a cast of wonderfully odd characters, including a talking rabbit guide, a pigeon blogger, a frog barista, a cute bag of trash, and plenty of skeletons. The world constantly shifts between cryptic, quirky, and philosophical moments, creating a journey that feels like Dante’s Inferno crossed with a Thrasher photoshoot.

A Blend of Skateboarding and Adventure

Skate Story breaks its world into three types of levels. There are hub zones where you can skate freely while taking on tasks, like doing the devil’s laundry or hunting down a permit so you can take a nap. Most tasks ask you to land combos, chase characters, or collect items.

Other levels take you speeding down chaotic tracks as you race through portals and try not to crash. Then there are boss battles, where you take on eldritch creatures by chaining combos and stomping them down in marked zones. It mixes skateboarding and light adventure elements in a way that feels fresh and easy to pick up.

Skating That Feels Weighty and Reactive

While the trick system is different from modern sims like the Skate series, it keeps things intuitive. Tricks combine shoulder buttons or triggers with face buttons, and new moves unlock gradually throughout the story. This makes combos satisfying to pull off, even if the learning curve takes a moment for Tony Hawk veterans to adjust to.

Every mistake sends your glass body shattering across the pavement, but you restart instantly, which keeps the pace lively and encourages experimentation. Speed challenges, in particular, are highlights. Charging toward an ethereal exit door while the soundtrack surges in the background captures the pure rush of skating at full tilt.

Hell Has Never Looked This Good

Skate Story is easily one of the most visually arresting games of the decade. Its grainy, low-fi aesthetic blends neon lights with jagged spikes, surreal hellscapes, and warped slices of New York City. You might roll through areas that resemble bagel shops or subway tunnels, only reimagined through a haunted, neon-drenched lens.

Through this dreamy world skates your glass demon, refracting the environment as it moves. The tight, low-slung camera brings you close to the action and tumbles to the ground whenever you bail, making every run feel tense and alive.

The soundtrack, crafted by New Jersey band Blood Cultures, ties the experience together with experimental electro-pop tunes that shift in vibe depending on where you are in the underworld. It is atmospheric, catchy, and perfect for getting into a flow state.

A New Standout In a Strong Era for Skate Games

We’re living through an incredible period for skateboarding games, from the Tony Hawk remakes to indie favourites like OlliOlli World and Skate City. Even in such a strong field, Skate Story stands out because of how confidently it embraces its oddities. It understands skate culture, captures the feeling of skating with surprising clarity, and mixes it with a surreal adventure that is unlike anything else.

Not every mission hits the mark, and its replay value may be limited, but as a complete package, Skate Story is one of the most distinctive skateboarding games in recent memory. Hell might be full of pain, jagged edges, and glowing red skeletons, but somehow, it also makes for the perfect place to ride.

The post Skate Story Review: Hell Has Never Been a Cooler Place to Skate appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A stylish new indie adventure arrives for subscribers

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members are in for an early December treat, with Sony confirming that Sam Eng’s long-awaited Skate Story will launch day one in the PS Plus Game Catalog. Published by Devolver Digital, the cosmic skateboarding adventure drops on 8 December, joining the service the moment it hits PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The surprise announcement came through a new PlayStation Blog update, making Skate Story one of two day-one titles hitting the service next month.

A demon, a skateboard, and a surreal journey through the Underworld

Skate Story isn’t your usual skate sim. From its first reveal back in 2022, the game caught attention for its trippy aesthetic and unusual premise. You play as a demon crafted from glass and pain, skating through a shimmering Underworld on a mission given directly by the Devil himself.

According to the official description, the deal is simple. Skate to the Moon and swallow it, and earn your freedom. Along the way, players will grind through hellish landscapes, take down vicious demons, help a forgetful frog, and rescue tortured souls while growing from a fragile beginner into a hardened skater.

The developers describe the experience as one defined by humility, perseverance, and a disgustingly sweet backside tailslide.

PS Plus continues its trend of day-one catalog drops

Sony has spent much of the year adding major day-one titles to the PS Plus Game Catalog, and Skate Story now joins the likes of Abiotic Factor, FBC Firebreak, Blue Prince, and Lost Records Bloom & Rage as part of this expanding lineup.
Skate Story will be playable for all PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers from launch day. PS Plus Essential users won’t have access to the Game Catalog, though they can still purchase the game on the PlayStation Store once it releases.

As of now, preorders are not available, but players can already add the title to their wishlist.

More December PS Plus arrivals already confirmed

Skate Story is just one of the early December highlights. Sony has also confirmed that the native PS5 version of Red Dead Redemption will release on 10 December, with existing owners able to upgrade for free.

Premium members will receive an extra classic later in the month with Soulcalibur III, arriving for PS5 and PS4 on 16 December as part of the standard refresh. As expected, Bandai Namco’s PS2 port will not include trophies.

Sony has yet to reveal the full list of December Game Catalog additions or the PS Plus Essential monthly games. Those updates typically arrive closer to the end of the month.

A long-awaited indie finally rolls out

Skate Story has been in development for several years, earning early praise for its absorbing vibe, responsive controls, and eye-catching art direction. It was even featured at the 2024 Tribeca Festival. With its day-one PS Plus debut, subscribers will get to explore its glassy, dreamlike take on skateboarding without spending extra.

Skate Story launches 8 December for PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and will be available at no extra cost for PS Plus Extra and Premium users.

The post Skate Story Lands on PS Plus Game Catalog as a Day-One PS5 Release This December appeared first on Shane the Gamer.