by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… an inventive, visually distinct and highly original wrinkle to the skate genre.
Another day, another skating game. We’ve had quite a few recently. There have been the various remasters of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games, we’ve the fiddly Skater XL, Session: Skate Sim and, of course, Skate – the disappointing live service enshittification of the once proud Skate series (RIP to a real one). However, in all these many titles – good and bad – you’ve never seen a skateboarding game quite like Skate Story. And while it doesn’t always work, the sheer uniqueness of the concept and the jaw-dropping surreality of the storytelling make this one that’s worth your attention.
Skate Story is the tale of, wait for it, a demon made of glass and pain who has made a deal with the devil. That deal? Skate to the moon and eat the bloody thing! If you manage this bizarre feat? You will be free of the dark clutches of evil. Probably. This deliriously bizarre premise is backed up by similarly surreal gameplay, as you, the nameless skate demon, learn tricks, pull off sweet moves and grind your way through an original looking hellscape, desperate to mung on those celestial bodies.
Gameplay-wise, Skate Story is a mixed bag. The actual skating sequences are quite effective, fast-paced, visually inventive and require quick reflexes. They’re not as nuanced as the Skate games, but they’re definitely a highlight. On the slightly less exciting side are the puzzle sequences and storytelling sections. The former feels like a pacing device to stop players from rushing through the game (and fair enough, it’s only 5-7 hours long), but they’re never much chop and the latter are very stop/start and only succeeds in bogging down the proceedings just when things start rolling along nicely.
To be clear, the game is mostly a good time and when it’s firing on all cylinders, it’s great, but it keeps putting on the brakes and halting momentum, which is a nasty habit for a skateboarding demon made of glass. Also, the soundtrack from Blood Cultures and John Fio is absolutely superb. Almost worth the price of admission on its own, just quietly.
Ultimately, Skate Story is an inventive, visually distinct and highly original wrinkle to the skate genre. It’s bold and unlikely and not at all what you’re expecting. It has some rough edges, and a few decisions that don’t quite land, but overall, it makes the concept of “skate or die” blisteringly literal and utterly compelling.
Besides, those moons aren’t going to eat themselves.
