Session is successfully filling the Skate-shaped hole in my life

(Image credit: Creature Studios)

I really miss Skate. EA abandoned its flagship skateboarding series for some reason, despite passionate cries from fans to revive it. When I first heard about Session, an attempt to capture Skate's magic, I was sceptical. But after reading this preview by fellow skating enthusiast James, I decided to give it a go. And so far, after about six hours of play and too many bails to count, I'm enormously impressed. It's not quite Skate yet, but it's close. Damn close.

I mean, I suck at it. By the developer's own admission, this is a difficult game with a tricky control system. But this means that, when you finally do nail a grind or a 360 flip, you've really earned it. The game also comes with a replay editor, so I decided to cut together a little skate video using some of the footage I recorded as I played. I should also note that I did the actual editing in Premiere: I only used the in-game editor to move the camera around.

See more

Surprisingly solid for an Early Access game, right? Even in this super early pre-alpha build Session is immensely playable, which has me excited about what shape the game will be in when it's finally released. There aren't any objectives or anything in the current release, but honestly, it doesn't need any. Seeing a rail, some steps, or a weird modern art sculpture and dreaming up creative ways to skate on it is where the heart of the game lies for me. And thanks to mods you can even skate in classic levels from the Tony Hawk series.

Andy Kelly

If it’s set in space, Andy will probably write about it. He loves sci-fi, adventure games, taking screenshots, Twin Peaks, weird sims, Alien: Isolation, and anything with a good story.