There have been a lot of great skateboarding games over the years, but definitely one of the most promising has been Skater XL. Developed by Easy Day Studios, this skating sim features hyper-realistic details that have certainly caught on with many skating fans in the gaming community.
For the longest time, it has been in Early Access receiving update after update. The reviews have been nothing but stellar thus far, which can be attributed to how realistic the controls are. Performing even simple tricks takes patience, timing, and the right navigation of controls.
And now, Skater XL is officially out on the Xbox One, PS4, and Steam. It has been a long time coming, but the wait was certainly worth it. Those on Steam have had the pleasure of getting their hands on the action early and now it’s time for everyone else.
Skater XL stands apart from most of its peers in this skateboarding space thanks to its independent foot control system. It requires a lot of patience and some time with the system to get down, but once you do, skating in a video game has never felt this good. It’s what you expect skating to actually be like.
There are all sorts of variables that come into play, such as where you put your feet, when to jump, how to flick the board, and the way your body is balanced. All of these advanced elements are emulated perfectly in Skater XL and these mechanics alone should help it sell really well out of the gate.
In addition to the realistic controls and graphics, there are plenty of legendary skate spots to enjoy and popular skaters to play as. Although many will probably end up creating their own skater and decking out their clothes as they see fit, like what was possible with the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series.
It’s amazing to see how far the skating genre in gaming has come. Skate was one of the most popular series for the longest time, which was also praised for it authentic mechanics. It seems like it has some stiff competition as fans are experiencing Skater XL for the very first time on consoles.
The remastered versions of the first two games in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series are underway, as well as a new Skate game. For now, though, it seems like Skater XL will take a lot of the spotlight and rightfully so.
