Skater XL Reviews
As a whole, Skater XL does feature good gameplay but it will take you a long time in order to get good at it. If you are a casual gamer, you'll struggle to play the game. The main thing holding the game down is a lack of content available at launch. If you're interested in the game, it's best to wait until it's on sale before you buy it.
Skateboarding in the time of COVID has been easier than ever due to so many public places being devoid of people, but having a digital analog to an artform that is often best experienced with others has made this time all the more easier. Skater XL is one of the rare "find your own fun" games that trusts players to do just that. So, hop on your board and see where the wheels take you.
Skater XL pushes off strong, noticing some wheel wobble as you speed through, until you realise there’s little substance and the game completely wipes out face-first halfway down the vert ramp.
In its current state, Skater XL is nothing more than an elaborate tech demo to show its gameplay potential. What's actually missing is the game itself.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Either way, it's a tough sell, but the reward for effort and perseverance is a good one, the bigger question: how committed are you?.
Skater XL at its core is decent fun, but its lack of worthwhile objectives and lacklustre performance sees it fail to stick the landing
We may be unsure about what the future holds for skateboarding video games, but I think I can say with the utmost confidence that Skater XL is here to stay.
Despite a legitimately innovative and satisfying control and trick system, Skater XL just feels incomplete.
There's a lot going right with Skater XL, and some more work on it could have led to a much more impressive game.
Despite its shortcomings, SkaterXL is rewarding in a way that no other skating game has been yet and I’m looking forward to playing more.
Skater XL is undoubtedly a very robust experience in terms of gameplay and probably the most sophisticated of its kind. However, it suffers from the lack of content, objectives and certain elements, in addition to having serious level design problems in the few available scenarios, still having a very raw collision system and a below average audiovisual construction, even for an independent production.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Skater XL feels incomplete. There's not a lot of content, and the game is lacking a personality, a vibe to engage the player. In a year that has Skate coming to mobile, the Pro Skater games being re-released (again), and Session also working its way through Early Access, you should hold off on Skater XL.
Skater XL is doing a great job trying to simulate real skateboarding as close as possible, but lack of content, modes and overall polish makes this game hard to stick to.
Review in Russian | Read full review
In sum, Skater XL tries to fill a void in the world of skateboarding video games by offering a valiant blend of the familiar and innovative. The music and aesthetic are warm and welcoming to build a carefree experience for the player. The settings are bright, crisp, and appealing, but the controls and game layout that Easy Day Studios decided to embrace seems misguided. The freedom to explore and create your own lines may be liberating for some, but the lack of direction can leave players cold. Most sandbox games offer something tangible to work toward, to build, to interact with, etc. This same sort of goal isn't in Skater XL, which makes the experience feel blasé. While the game's website touts that there are no specific inputs for tricks as a selling point, this sort of freedom is a nasty combination of overwhelming and undefined. Games generally work when the player is either presented with goals to reach or a world to explore, but Skater XL doesn't provide enough of either to be a fulfilling experience.
It's more of a dream machine for those kids in empty parking lots, but it's not really a video game. Would I recommend Skater XL to most folks? Probably not, just like I wouldn't recommend my own mother to step on a skateboard. As a sandbox for skaters to hone their skills, however, it's second to none, with some Switch concessions, of course.
If you can stick with it, learn the controls and dedicate enough time to understand skateboarding you'll find out Skater XL is the ultimate skating videogame.
Skater XL is a unique take on a market that certainly isn’t saturated.
Skater XL doesn’t have to be for you. It’s a simulator with innovative physics-based mechanics in a genre that has long been built around arcade-style unrealistic tricks, racking up points, and nailing huge combos. If you’re looking for that classic experience, you’re best waiting for Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2. But, if you’re somebody who loves customizing and living your best-simulated life with no need for objectives to complete, this is absolutely the game for you.
Sure, there aren’t many that exist right now, and Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater may give both Skater XL and Sessions a run for their money this upcoming generation, but as it stands, Skater XL forgoes the Fakie and Pop’s a sweet Ollie above the rest. I’m excited by its potential, and the surprises Easy Day have in-store for this title. Now, get out there and grind.
If you are looking for a pure skateboarding sim and can handle the controls, you'll have your fun with Skater XL. Everybody else should stick with Skate and Tony Hawk because of the lack of content, graphics and some bugs.
Review in German | Read full review