Skater XL Review (PS4)

I’m not sure why I find it difficult to review Skater XL. I almost want to say simply because I don’t understand it, I mean surely a developer didn’t think that releasing a barebone skating game with only a handful of sealed off levels with nothing to do in it was a great idea?

Yet that is exactly what we get with Skater XL, what I could just effectively call a Tech Demo showing off a Skateboard game that borrows heavily from EA’s Skate series with it’s controls, and doesn’t provide much else.

So let’s break it down, starting with what Skater XL does right, which would be its controls. As you skate around your chosen arena, you control your skater in an unique fashion by using the thumbsticks. Those who played EA’s Skate series will get the concept right away, especially with Ollie and Nollies.

Tricks feel like they should be simple to pull off and with enough practice it is, as the game give a very forgiving trial and error approach to learning tricks. That being said, you’re going to learn bend your fingers in strange ways as you attempt to learn some of the more advanced tricks with grabs and turns.

The first little bit of my playtime with Skater XL was just playing around with the controls, trying to pull off a crazy trick for the video editor which comes with the game. While the levels were fun and have plenty of variety for those who enjoy street skating, they feel empty and lifeless with no NPC or hazards, leaving you to skate by yourself with nothing to really interact with.

This is the start of Skater XL’s major downfalls, as the game doesn’t give you much, if anything, to work with. There is a lackluster character creator which also features a few real world skaters, but there are no stats or changes to gameplay. There is also no story mode or collectible objects to find in the game, which makes the game dull after a short time of playing.

There is some missions to attempt, hidden away under the game’s menus, but it acts more of a tutorial showcasing what you can do with the controls as it doesn’t unlock new features or provide enough of a challenge to even be called a mission or goal.

While skating around on its own can be a lot of fun, the game feels empty in comparison to other greats in the genre. While the PC version has seen some mod support to help make it great, the console edition is lacking too much for its price tag for me to justify it.

Still, if you’re looking for a Skate game on current consoles that resembles anything like EA’s Skate series, or to keep your practise up for when Skate 4 finally comes out, Skater XL might be the game for you. However, if you’re looking for something more substantial, you might as well wait.