PS4 Review Code Provided by Easy Day Studios
When it comes to skateboarding games, there are quite a few options out there to choose from. Each title or series introduces its own unique control system and collectively this process of new control schemes has brought Easy Day Studios to implement the controls for Skater XL the way that they are. Overall, the game is a lot of fun and easily becomes an entertaining way to kill some time, but I can’t say that it is flawless either. Let’s break down the way the game plays.
Gameplay
This game is purely a sandbox game with no missions nor story to work with, so it is all about doing whatever you want on a skateboard. There are four regular maps to choose from and a fifth map called “The Big Ramp” which is different from the other maps as it is simply a giant skateboarding haven with a half-pipes, big rails, and, of course, the big ramp.
I loved that this game doesn’t really use a UI system and instead when it loads up you are on the main level used in the game and that is the Easy Day High School. Here you can get the hang out the controls with plenty of open areas and plenty of objects to do tricks off of. You can press start to get a quick menu option though that will have everything you need from map selection, challenge’s list, character customization, and more.
The first thing I did was use the character customization menu to get my own build going. You will find they have a few professional skaters in the game for you to use or you can customize your own character if you want. The options when it comes to customizing your characters come from a list of original pieces by the developers and actual name-brand items. This was a good list to choose from because even though it wasn’t big, I got to pick from my favorite brands.
After you are set up with a character of your choosing, the first thing you should start doing are the challenges in this first map. These challenges act as a sort of tutorial and control teaching. Using a visual controller on the left of the screen, you can watch a ghost character perform the action of each challenge along with the controls needed to perform these actions before they hand it off to you to complete the challenge yourself. By the time you finish all of these challenges, you will be well versed in how to play.
To break down the controls, basically, the left analog stick is your left foot and the right analog stick is your right foot. To do an Ollie, you simply pull back with your right foot and release it. To do a Nollie, you simply pull forward with your left foot and release it. To get higher jumps you use both sticks. To do tricks, you use the non-jumping foot to flip the board like you would with a real board. For example, a kickflip is performed by pulling back with your right foot and right after releasing it you push left with your left foot to flip the board, then you simply release the left foot so you can land. Grabs are done by using the R1 and L1 buttons, grindings are performed by landing on the rail or edge, and you always have board control with your feet for options like power slides, turning the board for different grinds, and manuals. You can use the analog sticks to steer the board as well, but my advice is to get used to using R2 and L2 to turn your character as you will need that habit built in to do add spins to your tricks in the air as well.
Each map does have its own set of challenges, some are as easy as the high school and some are much harder than what you would get from the high school. This is a good touch to add more variety to both beginner lessons and getting the hang of more complex tricks. I managed to complete two and a half levels worth of challenges already and now can easily pull of basic amounts of combo’s; my favorite being a tre flip into a grind out to a hardflip into a manual out to a kickflip - and yes, that is still something I would only consider about an intermediate level of skill and you can see a clip of it here. I still have plenty more to practice and get the hang of as well as challenges I haven’t been able to pull off.
Visuals
I would say that here is where there seems to be a bit of lacking. The animations can become wonky really easily and I hate that they seem to use a stiffened ragdoll for bails. Part of what makes sandbox games entertaining is watching as our failures result in humorous flails of the character model. Sure, the graphics around the character are pretty well done, but the character model itself seems somewhat basic and the animations themselves could use some work.
Sounds
Having a soundtrack that is more like a mixtape to listen to while skateboarding around is an awesome touch. Instead of hearing original music that would end up being a hit-or-miss soundtrack, we got a bunch of songs from artists we all know and enjoy already. Plus, the sound effects used for tricks and general skateboard noises are all pretty accurate as well.
Replayability
It’s a sandbox skateboarding game, so yes there is plenty of replayability. The game is all about doing whatever you want and just having fun trying to pull off whatever tricks you want to. Plus, all of the challenges are able to be done over and over if there is anything specific you are trying to work on. Not to mention a video clip editor that lets you save clips from your coolest moments to show off.
What Could Be Better
My issues are all a bunch of small things that would improve the game if the developers decide to update them. These issues include not having a way to skip songs on the soundtrack, missing tricks such as Impossible, Body Flips, when you even touch a rail or edge of a ledge it goes into a grind even if you are trying to go over the ledge, using half pipes or other vertical lifts to give your character air isn’t always straight up and down so sometimes when you land you go into a grind which is just silly, the stiff ragdoll should be replaced with just regular ragdoll physics for more comedic bails, and the video clip editor is a bit rough to use as I couldn’t figure out how to cut the beginning of a clip and could only cut the end of the clip which is where I pulled off the stunt I wanted to save leaving my options to keep the whole clip for only the last 10 seconds or delete the whole thing. All of these aspects are things that can be fixed and updated on the game so I hope the developers will take these into consideration.
Conclusion
Skater XL is an easy way to enjoy losing track of time! Each time I played this game and started working on a trick I really wanted to land, I would end up looking at the time and being surprised at how long I had been playing. Even with some of the issues the game has, it is really entertaining and a title I will more than likely visit often. The controls make you feel like you are really pulling off these tricks and is something anybody can enjoy even if they aren’t very skilled themselves.
