First released on July 28 in 2020, SkaterXL is a skateboarding video game built for PC, Xbox, and Playstation with an eventual porting to Nintendo Switch sometime in 2021. It was developed by Easy Day Studios to give players an immersive exploration of the skateboarding world where creativity, style, and free reign to perform and learn all kinds of tricks.

Taking a close look at Skater XL, it is clear to see that Easy Day Studios put a ton of work into making sure that the game does not stick to the typical cheezy arcade game feel that many skateboarding video games seem to possess. SkaterXL’s control system has been designed in a light almost analog format with a seemingly simple two-stick system. Upon playing this game and keeping in mind its lack of pre-programmed tricks, players might find it daunting trying to understand the control system enough to perfectly execute any tricks. SkaterXL is a faithful enough rendition of what it would be like to skate in real life. Performing tricks on a skateboard in real life is hardly a function of clicking on pre-programmed buttons, hence why the game’s imitation is respectable.

Hit The Pavement In Style! 

SkaterXL is clearly a community-driven game that will quickly take its place in the hearts of true skateboarders. The most admirable feature of the game is the hard-to-ignore absence of any cheesy skate stories that are found in previously existing skate games. Players are allowed to play as either professional skateboarders Tom Asta, Tiago Lemos, Brandon Westgate, and Evan Smith.

SKATER XL also prides itself on giving players as much freedom and individuality as is possible. For any true skater looking to break free from the arcade-like themes found in other games, this incentive will be highly appreciated and welcome. With little to no tutorials and pre-programmed tricks for the characters to execute, players can trust that their experience in this excellently crafted world is entirely up to them.

Players and Their Characters

Seeing as SkaterXL is focused on giving players free play, the skateboarder characters are allowed to explore the maps and perform as many tricks they want to perform however they want to perform, be it deciding to work on nailing a line or skating free form. This easily translates into giving players the golden opportunity to better their skills both in-game and otherwise. This unique format provides players with an avenue to practice, try out new tricks, and understand the sport as a whole minus the scrapes, broken ankles, and bruised skin associated with skating in real life.

The feature that acts as the delicious icing on the cake is the built-in video editor that allows players to replay gaming scenes and save clips of their favorite tricks either to share on other platforms or for future references. The chance to customize characters, boards, and outfits also make SkaterXL stand out in a way that not many other skater video games can manage. The ever bubbling and thriving online community is also a hero in a time of need with the constant creation of online ‘zines, maps, video parts, fake skate brands, and several hundreds of mods.

A Plethora of Locations To Enjoy

SkaterXL also provides players with well over 60 real skating locations, many of them popular for this exact purpose. These locations are all realistically connected by several interwoven blocks of pools, buildings, parking lots, corridors, and even plazas and schools.

Modes To Keep You Hooked

SkaterXL was clearly built to give players an immersive environment to intensively learn, perform, and discover new tricks in the most faithful renditions of some real-life locations. As such, players will not encounter any NPC skaters around the maps. There are also no moving vehicles found in or around any of the skating locations. There is no multiplayer mode available, hence it is just you and your skateboard exploring the great vast free open locations. This single-player mode is characterized by clean and bright visuals with certain specks of great detail put into the most mundane features. 

The ultimate goal of this game is not tied to anything else and no other cheesy “higher” purpose than simply skating. This could prove to be the best approach to a skateboarding game for skaters who simply want to noodle around, perform tricks, and explore just how well the video editor works. For skaters who have more exposure and experience with skating games, SkaterXL may present as a game that may quickly lose its spark. The maps also come with a list of challenges that players can complete but eventually, this feature may deviate from the enticing free reign promised by SkaterXL’s creators.

Finally 

At first, SkaterXL can prove to be a little complex. This is because the game does not offer the typical simple button-push away found in many other skating games. In SkaterXL, the player is given a nuanced and slightly complex two-stick control system, with each thumbstick representing the skater’s corresponding foot. This two-stick control system gives the console version looking a little lighter than other games would typically start out with.