EA's Skate might have Tim Robinson, but the skating game where I played a demon on a quest to eat the Moon is my most anticipated Tony Hawk-like this year

GamesActionSkate StoryEA’s Skate might have Tim Robinson, but the skating game where I played a demon on a quest to eat the Moon is my most anticipated Tony Hawk-like this yearWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Devolver)

Doing a kickflip in Skate Story.

The other is the one where you eat the Moon.

(Image credit: Devolver)

A chat with a giant, stone philosopher in Skate Story.

Skate Story, from developer Sam Eng, is a bizarre, lustrous thing: A mashup of the Tony Hawk games and The Divine Comedy (stay with me) that sees you—a polygonal, glass skater—chase the Moon down a series of strange, twisting levels, ollie-ing and kickflipping all the while.

After getting 30 minutes of playtime with it at this year’s Summer Game Fest, it’s easily one of my most-anticipated games from the show. Sure, sure, it’s stylistically incredible, but it’s just genuinely fun to actuallyskatein. I am building momentum, I am hopping over obstacles, I am popping ollies at the lip of the ramp in order to maximise the damage I do to the Moon. You know, skating game stuff, done with aplomb both aesthetically and mechanically.

Skateboarding: not a crime, maybe a sin

(Image credit: Devolver)

Standing in front of a building marked “Sins” in Skate Story.

Skate Story’s narrative is deliberately, gleefully abstract. My demo simply plonked me in the sneakers of a demonic skater, fed me a few lines about my stupendous lust for lunar flesh, and sent me on my way.

It feels good, like you’re an other-worldly Bam Margera when you pull it off, and like an absolute fool when you don’t

The dialogue is delirious, so I honestly can’t tell you too much about what’s happening in the game’s overarching plot. I can tell you about its vibe and moment-to-moment interactions, though. They’re exquisite, alternating between forebodingly prophetic and utterly daft. In particular, one of the areas—a hub that I arrived at in between the demo’s tutorial and its final boss—is beautifully silly.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

(Image credit: Devolver)

Facing down the Moon in Skate Story.

Doomed also to live with a thirst that only I can quench. On arriving in the philoso-zone, one of the heads informed me that I’d only be able to escape and continue my pursuit of the Moon if I could collect up two thinkpieces (the most godless currency of all). The whole area had the feeling of a hub zone, and I had various options to acquire my second text after the first somehow magically manifested in my inventory. I opted to buy a thirsty philosopher a can of Bile Tea from the local gift shop and, in return, was allowed to continue on my way.

Moon hunters

The demo concluded with a boss fight against the Moon. Although Skate Story has a trick system, it doesn’t have Tony Hawk-style scoring. Instead, your tricks come in handy to overcome challenges and, crucially, to do damage to bosses as they zip about the level. Annihilating the Moon was a matter of occupying a circular zone outlined beneath it and popping the best and hardest tricks I could.

(Image credit: Devolver)

Skating at speed in Skate Story.

Which, given that I’ve never really been much good at skating games, was mostly a matter of repeatedly kickflipping. There’s some nuance there, though: Your tricks do more damage the gnarlier they are. Performing them at speed or after making a great leap will take off a lot more boss health than squeaking out a few limp pop shove-its as you amble along. Tricks get old, too, and will do gradually less damage as you perform them over and over.

And then (spoilers ahead) I ate the Moon. Shrank it down to the size of a gobstopper and popped it right in my mouth, at which point the demo ended. What could this portend? What could it mean? Which celestial body would my skater-demon pursue next?

(Image credit: Devolver)

A ghostly rabbit in Skate Story. The subtitles read, “I know these portals, for as long as I’ve been dead."

I look forward to finding out when Skate Story releases later this year. For now, you can find its page over onSteam.

More about actionAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’LatestPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaSee more latest►

More about actionAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’

More about action

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’

Zenless Zone Zero codes - Miyabi and section four

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes

Image of Yasuke striking an enemy in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’

LatestPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaSee more latest►

Latest

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

Dreams on a Pillow concept art - Palestinian woman holding a pillow

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

See more latest►

Most Popular

2024 was the year updates for old games beat out all the new ones for me

Train like you game with this adventure-inspired workout

‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

6 games that could be bigger hits than you’re expecting in 2025

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Skateboarding: not a crime, maybe a sin#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Moon hunters#

Skateboarding: not a crime, maybe a sin

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Moon hunters