Session: Skate Sim review – The most refined skateboarding sim on the market

S.Session: Skate Sim has some of the most detailed skateboards you’ll see in a video game today. The “sim” in the game’s title is just that. If you’re looking for the same arcade-focused experience titles like Skate or Tony Hawk’s Underground, you’re in the wrong place. This is the ultimate skateboard him simulator and gamers looking for an authentic skating experience will be happy with this purchase.

Session was first released in Steam Early Access in September 2019 following a successful two-year Kickstarter campaign. The initial reaction was largely positive. And for good reason. Because a small but active fan base appreciated the authenticity of the experience. After three years of updates, Montreal-based developer Crea-ture will release his 1.0 version for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows on September 22, 2022. I released the game.

I don’t pretend to have a lot of experience with skateboarding games, let alone skateboarding in the real world. In addition to his MTV celebrity 2000s exposure to his boarders and his X-Games, most of my skateboarding knowledge came from staying overnight at a friend’s house tinkering with Skate 3. I’m here. that. The game feels more subdued and subdued than its contemporaries due to its lo-fi soundtrack and noticeable lack of bright, flashy colors. Most of the time, it’s just you, your board, and the city that makes me feel like I belong. did. After spending several hours in a session, I was able to speak with confidence. However, taking a walk is another story.

Sessions are punishing when it comes to gameplay, but there are some good ideas when it comes to how to spend your time on the asphalt. , is characterized by a very steep learning curve. I’ve struggled more than I’d like to admit with the advanced maneuvers, but I’m happy with the basic progress I was able to make and appreciate the inclusion of a tutorial. One of the better systems is the session mechanic. This allows you to mark a spot on the ground and instantly teleport to that spot when you mess up a trick, fall off the board, or make a fresh start. For a beginner like myself, this was very useful and saved me a great deal of frustration. For beginners, Session is more than worth it, as spending time learning new and complex tricks can be time consuming and downright frustrating. can also prove to be a lot of work. There’s also an intuitive photo/video mode available that you can use to create some MTV transition-worthy clips.

There’s no shortage of skater jargon, streetwear, and graffiti to make even the most seasoned skater feel at home. Dozens of customization options and boards are at your disposal through a generous unlocking system for graphics, tracks, grip tape, and more. You can also create a character to your liking using the simple character creator with basic face and body presets to choose from. Another important part of skateboarding and skateboarding games is clothing, and Session is no exception. The Skate Shop in the game world lets you use in-game currency to choose from an impressive collection of original and real skate brands. The customization options fit the tone Session is aiming for and work well with the simulators Creature has created.

Plus, everything in your session feels real. There are no crosswalks or out-of-place ramps set on grind rails. This is common in similar games of this genre. Instead, each of his three locations in the session—New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco—feels grounded in reality and features several striking recreations of real-world landmarks ( I was particularly impressed with his version of the game at Philadelphia City Hall). Nevertheless, there are plenty of skateparks and wide streets where you can try out new tricks or simply cruise around. None of the places are big, but neither are they small. It feels like the right size for experimentation and exploration, and it’s refreshing for a simulator.

Calling the session’s narrative mission a “story” is liberal. From the little time I spent on the mission, I learned that the story served only as a way to introduce new techniques and tricks. Learn and reconnect with your previous crew. There are a handful of characters, all of whom display dialogue via their text boxes. The conversation was able to get some good laughs from me and served as a good way to explain skating terminology to someone unfamiliar with typical slang. , is just an excuse to learn new moves or explore the environment.

In terms of graphics and performance, Session is pretty much what you’d expect from the previous Early Access titles with the 1.0 release. Running on the Playstation 5, the game hits a solid 60 frames per second with very little noticeable performance hit, but nothing severe enough to negatively impact the overall experience. Lighting, shadows, textures and environments are all available. However, the visual fidelity of the game is a bit dated as it was built mostly in Early Access using the old tech of Unreal Engine 4. It’s a shame because a lot of my time in-game was spent looking at the character’s legs and how they interacted with the board. There are no facial animations that seem insignificant in the game, but when all characters (including your own protagonist) and NPCs sport consistent blank stares and goofy ragdoll physics, you’re in the realm of the uncanny valley. I got lost in ran to The UI is understated, with great customization options for gameplay and controls. The settings tab lets you change everything from grind friction and spin speed to board wear.

Ultimately, I enjoyed my time with Session: Skate Sim, but as a newbie to the genre, I don’t think it was a good starting point. You need the ability to stand up and keep trying. Any prior knowledge of real skateboarding would definitely help. Session satisfaction isn’t about getting high trick multipliers or high scores. Instead, it comes from mastering control schemes and trick sets along with an appreciation for skateboarding culture as a whole.