Game review: Skate Story (PS5)

The release of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding (or THPS) in 1999 may not have been the first skateboarding game ever, but it did popularise extreme sports for kids like me. Since Tony Hawk's release, we've seen lots of other skateboarding franchises such as Skate, Skater XL, Session, and many more. 

The main thing all of these games have in common is that they're mostly sports games. Sure, some of the Tony Hawk games have wacky missions, but some quests are more traditional because they force players to compete in skating competitions. 

Well, 2025 is here, and a new type of skateboarding game has graced our laps. The new game we got to review is called Skate Story, and it's the most unique skateboarding game we have ever played to date. 

Before I begin talking about the game itself, there is one thing everyone needs to know about Skate Story that makes it so impressive. Skate Story is mainly impressive because it was made by only one person, named Sam Eng! There are not many games on this scale that have been made by a sole developer. 

The other unique thing about Skate Story is that it's unrealistic because it has a story set in the Underworld. You assume the role of an unnamed demon made of glass, and he literally lives in Hell because he cannot sleep. 

The main character makes a deal with the Devil to swallow the moon so he can sleep again. The main problem, though, is that there is more than one moon in the Underworld. Not to mention, his goal to eat all the moons in the Underworld isn't going to be easy because he faces lots of obstacles in his way. 

The reason skateboarding is tied into the game is that the skateboard is both a means of travel through the Underworld and is used as a weapon, too. In many levels of the game, the skater has to go through doors that give him access to other layers of the Underworld. Different layers offer many other moons for him to consume.

At the very start of the game, the skater's skills are very basic because he hasn't learnt any new moves yet. In the beginning, he can only perform an ollie, a kickflip, a heelflip, and a pop shove-it. 

If you have played Skate or THPS in the past, you will have to get used to the new control scheme offered in Skate Story. Instead of pressing X, you have to press the Circle button to do a simple ollie. Holding R2 or L2 and pressing Circle initiates either a kickflip or a heelflip. 

As you progress further into the game, even more moves are learnt by the glass skater. Other moves that get introduced include grinds, manuals, a stomp, reverts, rotations, treflips, and even laserflips.

I do have to admit, though, trying to perform advanced tricks like treflips and laserflips can be difficult sometimes because you have to press multiple button combinations. For example, a treflip is performed by holding R2, pressing circle, and then pressing L1 twice. This is much more complicated than the move set in a THPS game. 

One of the biggest differences in Skate Story is that this game includes enemies and even boss battles! I don't think I have ever played a skateboarding game with boss battles, but here we are. Some of the bosses include demons and even the moon itself. 

In order to damage enemies and bosses, you have to do as many tricks as possible to initiate a combo. The higher the score, the more damage you will do. To make sure damage is being done to an enemy, you have to go near them and finish a combo with a stomp by pressing Square. 

Some of the boss fights can be annoying because they like to run away all the time. Not to mention, some boss fights have a time limit, so you need to end them quickly before you see the game-over screen. 

Thankfully, the game has kind checkpoints, and dying isn't the end of the world. When you die and shatter into a million pieces, you just get back up and continue at the latest checkpoint. It's unlike an old school NES game where you have to start at the beginning of the level again!

Despite being made by one developer, Skate Story has a decent length. The game should take most players around five or six hours to complete the main story on their first playthrough. This number can increase to about 10 hours for those wanting to 100% the game. 

Overall, Skate Story is by far the most unique skateboarding game I have ever played. The only problem I had with the game is performing some of the tricks, but that's about it. For those wanting to play something different, Skate Story might be the game for you. 

Verdict: 8.0/10