Following in the footsteps of EA's Skate series, Skater XL has been turning a lot of heads since it was released on Steam's early access back at the end of 2018. Since then, the skateboarding game has become one of the biggest new attempts at revolutionizing the skating genre, utilizing real physics and unparalleled control to offer an incredibly authentic experience.
With Skater XL officially releasing on July 28, it seems the developers behind the title, Easy Day Studios, wanted to discuss the new skateboarding title while also debuting one of its newest areas. Releasing the Easy Day High School trailer as part of the Future Games Show, the team used the newest look at the game to really sell what makes its take on the popular genre so uniquely special.
The footage begins with director Dain Hedgpeth highlighting the school-based map, showing off how it combines a number of iconic skating spots and newly designed areas that are heavily influenced by the "California school environment." According to Hedgpeth, it was important to add an environment like this to Skater XL due to its importance in skating culture, with the level supposedly looking to capitalize on that same aesthetic. It features a number of interesting spots for players to take advantage of, including numerous railings, benches, and more. According to the developer, there's "probably about 25 real skate spots," with the areas coming from "real highschools [and] real elementary schools."
The game's director then goes on to discuss how the game differs from most skateboarding titles, claiming "the unique thing about Skater XL is it really starts with the controls. The joysticks, the analog sticks, and the gamepad are mapped directly to the feet, so you have independent control of each foot." Continuing, Hedgpeth claims "everything is completely physics-based and generated in the moment," showing how the player can achieve different tricks based entirely on how they maneuver the board rather than inputting a certain button prompt. This leads to an almost limitlessly freeing skateboarding title that rewards the player's control of the board rather than their ability to remember certain button combinations.
According to Hedgpeth, " we didn't even program tricks into the game, we programmed movement," making for an entirely new skating experience that looks to provide a greater sense of realism. Overall, the trailer shows off exactly what makes Skater XL a wholly different skating game, and it seems fans won't have that long to wait before they can grab themselves a copy.
Skater XL officially releases on July 28 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.