Session: Skate Sim is a challenging skateboarding simulator that will test the skill of even the most practiced skaters. Journey across America as an unsponsored skater getting back into the skate world after injury and meeting many big names and faces in the community. Players will build street cred and earn money by completing missions and contests. The controls may feel foreign, especially compared to past skateboard simulators, but with practice, anyone can feel like a pro.
Of course, not everyone has to throw themselves into the skate pit (get it?) without some preparation. There are quite a few things to consider that will ease players in the simulation game so that getting started can be as smooth as possible. Here are 9 pro tips for Session: Skate Sim.
9 Don't Forget the Settings
This varies from person to person, but skaters may find features they would like to be more or less sensitive to. Almost every aspect of gameplay is adjustable through advanced settings. Advanced settings are located in the option's menu under gameplay settings. From there, players can edit things like gravity, turn rate, push force, and more.
For example, if banking feels too slow, increase the sensitivity to allow for tighter turns. Players should note that there are options to edit banking while standing or crouching; both can be changed independently. If things get too complicated after changing the advanced settings, players can reset them back to default.
8 Equipment Size Matters
One of the first things players can do to start on the right track is to customize their board. The setup of the skateboard will affect gameplay, so equipping the right wheel, board, and truck size can make all the difference. Depending on the mission goal or what trick has to be done, what's better can vary.
For example, bigger wheels are better for moving over rough terrain and pushing faster. On the other hand, smaller wheels are better for slides and make the board flip more quickly. If players catch themselves running into the same problem repeatedly, they can experiment with the equipment until it's just right. Luckily, changing it out regularly just requires a trip to the skate shop or their apartment.
7 Stay On Top of Objectives
Many story missions will come as challenges from famous skaters or names in the skateboarding world. As the game progresses, objectives will include more complex tricks and combos. So it can take a lot of work to keep track of everything that is going on.
Objectives can be viewed from the Skater Logs in the pause menu, but opening and closing it repeatedly can be tedious. Luckily there is a quick one-click method to view all the objectives and challenges that is somewhat glossed over in the tutorial. To see all the objects, click on the left analog stick, which will immediately pull up the list.
6 Utilize Frontside and Backside View
Another reason certain tricks are more difficult than others is the perspective. When getting ready to throw a trick, keep in mind the line of sight that players can view their character. This can be referred to as Frontside and Backside View in skating and refers to the position of an obstacle in relation to the direction that the skater is approaching it.
So, in the simplest terms, if approaching an obstacle to the front of the skater, players should be in Frontside view or vice versa for the back, ensuring the best angle to see the ledge, rail, bench, etc., that players are targeting. This camera setting can be changed by clicking left or right on the D-pad.
5 Master Manual Reverts
Some challenges will have skaters do manuals, but what might not be known is that they can also revert during them. Reverts will turn the player 180 degrees very quickly and adds some flare or sets up a good trick transition. It is also essential for changing stance.
Remember - move the stick up or down when reverting during a manual to shift the skater's weight forward or back. For example, if doing a manual in regular stance, double click either of the bumpers to revert, then immediately shift the right stick from down to up to transition into a "fakie" manual.
4 Pop From the Pocket
Skaters will recognize the phrase "pop from the pocket," but for those who may not be as familiar with the jargon, it just means to pop from the left or right of the skateboard, so the board moves in that direction while performing a trick. Whenever skating obstacles, this will come in handy. To pop from the pocket, push the corresponding analog stick slightly in the direction of the approaching obstacle and then complete the trick as usual.
This is useful in several situations. For example, players can approach a rail or ledge parallel, pop from the pocket relevant to the direction of the ledge, and the skateboard will effortlessly pop onto the obstacle. Alternatively, if players are trying to get over an obstacle from an odd angle and can't quite get over it, popping from the pocket should help bring more distance in the direction they lean the analog stick.
3 Get More Height Out of Tricks
While doing some challenges, there will be obstacles, including cones, barriers, rails, etc., that skaters will need to move over or on to finish the mission. Tricks that require decent air, like ollies, flip tricks, or grinds on tall obstacles, are where height will come into play. Sometimes it can be hard to reach these places without the proper technique.
Get more out of ollies and other tricks by pushing the back/pop foot forward following the front/ flick foot forward. This will make the skater pull their back leg up and tweak the board forward. Not to mention it makes for a stylish-looking ollie. Timing is crucial with this method, so ensure not to move the pop foot too fast or slow and hit it one right after the other.
2 Win the Contests
Within the story challenges and missions, players can compete in skate contests. However, these should not be taken lightly and require some finesse to earn the highest points. There are a few different things to keep in mind when it comes to winning contests.
The more complex tricks thrown and landed will earn the most points. Some reliable options include switch and nollie tricks, 360 shuv flip trick variations, or combo flip trick grinds. The most important part is consistency. If not prepared to land a bunch of complicated tricks back to back, pad the run with simple ones to keep momentum.
1 Earn Extra Credit
Skaters can complete daily, weekly, and Historical challenges for extra XP and Cash. Turn on "auto track new challenges" to keep track of progress in these from the Challenge Tracker. Some examples of daily and weekly challenges include tasks like "completing x amount of tricks" in the set amount of time. These are simple to knock out and quick ways to get practice and earn rewards.
On the other hand, Historical challenges are a bit more involved and consist of replicating famous tricks from iconic spots hidden around NYC, Philly, and SFC. If players need help with what they include, we recommend watching famous trick montages online and researching specific skate spots around the US, as the game doesn't give any hints on completing the challenges.
Session: Skate Sim is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S