Hello again, PlayStation community! I’m Sam Eng, the sole developer behind Skate Story – a game where you play as a glass-bodied demon, doomed to skate through the Underworld and devour the Moon to satisfy the devil’s contract. Today I’m proud to share that Skate Story is set to release on December 8 on PS5.
It’s been a while since the last PixelArena.io where we announced Skate Story coming to PS5, but I wanted to fill you all in on some new gameplay features, a peak behind the creation of an all-new original soundtrack from Blood Cultures, as well as how the PS5 DualSense Controller can help shape your experience of the game.
Skate Story or true story
Did you know? Skate Story is based on a true story. Yes, that’s right folks. Sure, it’s slightly dramatized for effect, but it’s all totally 100% true. Of course, names and places have been altered as well, for the privacy of those involved. For example, it was not originally a Frog who ran the bagel shop, and the Skater actually had to get a lawyer before signing the Devil’s Contract.
Sound (track) of the city
Blood Cultures breathed real New York City life into a brand-new 12 track original soundtrack. The way they captured the city’s heartbeat – the chaos, the beauty, the endless motion elevates the game into something richer and more alive.
Their music doesn’t just accompany the world, it defines it. I tapped Blood Cultures to guide the statement above.
“When I was working on the soundtrack, Sam gave me some insane instructions. He was like, “I dunno, maybe make it sound industrial… it’s the underworld, you know?” Industrial? So I decided to apply for a job at the local train depot. I was worried they wouldn’t like the bag I keep over my head, but I figured everyone would be wearing masks anyway! They were actually really nice, but they kept insisting I take off my jacket. I’m not doing that! So I didn’t get the job. The foreman said “don’t trip on the way out!” I should have heeded the warning because I tripped on several metal beams. What a tumble! It sounded glorious! Then I realized… I should sample New York itself!
So then I went around the city, with my little pocket field recorder and a variety of little objects: spoons, chopsticks, my grandmother’s father’s watch, and started recording myself hitting objects! I eventually realized that inanimate objects work pretty good, and I was able to get some really nice samples from that. I recorded so many sounds of the city. I sampled obscure pillars under the bridge, to classic sounds like the rare subway screech at the last stop.”
– Blood Cultures
Dynamic board wear + stickers, stickers, and stickers
The best thing about skateboarding is getting a new board. So what better to make you get a new board than to completely shred your current setup? In Skate Story, every trick, grind, slide, will wear away your deck. If you do more nose pops, then the nose will wear away. If you do more tailslides, the tail will show scrapes.
As you skate your way to the Moon, you’ll come across various gift shops. These are gifts created specifically for your soul. You can then trade collected portions of your leased soul for new decks, fresh trucks, and stylish wheels. Make your own setup and then bless it with some new stickers.
Stickers add style, customization, and will help keep your deck from falling apart. However, keep in mind you can only use a sticker once! Once you stick it, it’s stuck. Unhappy with where you stuck it? Grind it off!
As you skate, the stickers on your board will wear off. Enjoy the ephemeral nature of the many adhesive designs you’ll find.
The DualSense controller lights will dazzle you in the dark
Playing Skate Story on PlayStation 5 with the DualSense Controller is a multisensory experience. I designed the DualSense light bar effect in Skate Story to give a beautiful effect to ambiently dazzle the darkness. As you skate through the underworld, your tricks will beam out the DualSense. The light bar will reflect the Skater’s glass body, a lens to the gritty underworld lights in that eternal night.
STOMP your combo to deal damage
To take down the celestial beasts of the underworld, you’ll need to deal some massive damage with your skateboard.
Every trick you do will add to your skate combo. The combo will increase more if you perform different, stylish tricks. Performing tricks at speed, over objects, gaps, and catching air will increase your combo higher. If you repeat tricks or skate too slowly, it’ll still go up, but not as much.
Keep your line by switching it up and chaining tricks at a stylish pace. In the light of the Moon, you can STOMP your combo to end it in explosive fashion. Every trick you’ve done in that line will be expelled as damage around you. All of your tricks and your combo will reset, allowing you to start a new line. Keep pushing. Chain a beautiful skate line. Stomp the lunar projection. A tasty Moon awaits.
Well, I think that’s really all for now – it’s been quite the journey leading up to the final months of development, and I hope you all get to experience Skate Story on PS5 when it launches on December 8.