VR Skater

In the canon of skateboarding games, I consider the gold standard to be held by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, which remains a dazzling treat on the latest-gen consoles and PC. But for those seeking to break free from the familiar button-mashing choreography of the past twenty-five years and venture into a realm of deep immersion and virtual reality thrills, VR Skater shows the ambition to be a serious contender. While it might not boast perfection, and its gameplay might be somewhat limited, VR Skater on PSVR2 is your ticket to a brief yet absolutely exhilarating escape. If you're hungry for a skateboarding experience that feels like the future while cherishing the sport's essence, give VR Skater a whirl. You won't be disappointed.

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VR Skater is a virtual reality game that lets you experience the thrill of skateboarding. With realistic physics and a variety of tricks to master, you can grind, ollie, and kickflip your way through different levels. Customize your skater and board, or create your own skatepark for endless sessions. Immerse yourself in the skateboarding culture and community.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 212 reviews

gameplay21 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and immersive skateboarding experience in VR, capturing the essence of real-life skating.
Controls are intuitive and satisfying, making it easy to learn basic tricks while providing a challenging skill ceiling for advanced maneuvers.
The graphics and sound design are well-executed, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

The game currently lacks content, with only one linear level available, which may lead to repetitive gameplay.
There are performance issues, including bugs, low framerate, and occasional crashes that detract from the experience.
The steep learning curve and complex controls can be frustrating for new players, making it difficult to master advanced tricks.

gameplay
53 mentions
40 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is praised for its innovative mechanics and immersive experience, effectively simulating the feel of skateboarding through well-designed controls and physics. However, players express concerns about limitations in movement direction, tutorial clarity, and the need for additional content such as maps and multiplayer options. Overall, while the core mechanics are solid and enjoyable, there are areas for improvement that could enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay mechanics are intelligently integrated, and in the end, we are quickly immersed and we really have the feeling of being on the skateboard.”
- “Everything that feeds into the VR skater gameplay loop feels perfectly thought out and planned; tricks are executed by swiping and swinging touch controllers in specific ways and at differing speeds, mimicking the movement of your feet in actual skateboard maneuvers.”
- “There's a lot of potential here; the gameplay fundamentals are really solid and fun.”
- “Definitely a good game, but extremely expensive for the amount of gameplay.”
- “Starting to really like this game except I have a few problems with how the tutorials tell you that you need to swipe your controller across the tail of the board which is behind you when in reality you just need to mimic the motion in front of you. The board feels like it has no real momentum while you turn; yes, the board leans but it stays leaned to one direction, making it hard to correct yourself or make sharp turns. On top of having no way to 'switch' and use your tail as the front side. That being said, the game is still really fun for early access but it seems to be lacking the actual mechanics of skateboarding.”
- “Seriously, never seen anything quite as frustrating as having a perfect combo and then getting stuck because you physically cannot turn fast enough to get back on track, as you usually cannot turn effectively with the stationary turning mechanic.”
music
28 mentions
54 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its energetic and fitting soundtrack, which aligns well with the skating culture and gameplay experience. While many players enjoy the current selection of tracks, some express a desire for a larger library and the ability to add their own music. Overall, the sound design and music contribute significantly to the game's appeal, evoking nostalgia and enhancing the overall experience.
- “The game is also packing a rocking soundtrack to skate to, or turn it off to add to the simulation of skating.”
- “The music, sound engineering, and best of all... the controls, all leave the impression that great care was taken to respect both skating culture and give a great product out of the gate.”
- “On top of that the soundtrack is full of some really great songs from up-and-coming artists who deserve more attention!”
- “The unfortunately small soundtrack works so well with the gameplay.”
- “I wish the game had an option to disable music so I could play my own.”
- “The current early access build is limited to only one level so far and only 1/3rd of the music library.”
graphics
19 mentions
47 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are highly praised, with many users noting their beauty, smoothness, and immersive quality, especially on high settings. While some players feel that performance remains consistent regardless of graphical settings, the visuals are generally considered top-notch and appealing. However, there are calls for more content and features to enhance the overall experience.
- “Graphics are great and the developers are taking ideas and critiques to make the game as good as possible!”
- “The graphics look great and the tricks are easy enough to learn but difficult to master.”
- “Graphically, it's a very clean looking and immersive game.”
- “On my RTX 3080, on high graphical settings, I was getting mostly 72 FPS on my Q3 (default).”
- “Setting it to the lowest possible graphic settings didn't make a difference in either the performance or the graphics, from what I could tell.”
- “I wish visuals weren't compromised for obvious market gain on inferior headsets.”
optimization
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report solid performance on high-end systems with no significant dips, others experience persistent bugs and performance issues, even at the lowest graphic settings. The ambition of the game is noted, but many feel it was rushed and poorly optimized, leaving room for improvement, particularly in texture quality and support for custom content.
- “Heck, the graphics and performance are good too.”
- “Performance-wise, it runs well on my Index with a 3070 and a 3600X, no performance dips or anything.”
- “The textures are high quality, and timing performance at 120fps on Valve Index is solid on Ampere.”
- “However, it is still riddled with bugs and performance issues after the release update.”
- “I love the ambition of the way it is; however, I feel like the devs who made this game made it so poorly optimized and it feels rushed.”
- “Setting it to the lowest possible graphic settings didn't make a difference (in either the performance or the graphics, from what I could tell).”
story
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for a more developed story within the game, suggesting that while the gameplay mechanics and graphics are enjoyable, the addition of narrative content and multiplayer features would enhance the overall experience. The current lack of a story is noted as a missed opportunity for deeper engagement in a VR skating environment.
- “Nice graphics, challenging mechanics plus very good physics. A story would be interesting in this kind of game.”
- “This game is great! I recommend it for anyone who wants to skate in VR; this is the best option out there!”
- “Combined with some interesting button combinations, you are really able to replicate the feeling of skating!”
grinding
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding mechanics; while some find it satisfying and reminiscent of classic skateboarding games like Tony Hawk, others criticize the grinding controls as poorly designed. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable with practice, but frustrations with the controls may detract from the fun.
- “The grinding buttons are absolute garbage.”
- “I had a lot of hope for this game as it reminded me of Tony Hawk back when it came out, trying to keep your combo going while grinding to get the highest score.”
- “That would make me feel much more like I am grinding a rail than simply having the board stay glued to the rail.”
stability
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Overall, stability in the game is mixed; while some users report smooth performance, others experience significant issues such as visual glitches, low framerate, and occasional crashes or screen freezes, particularly in certain levels and DLC content.
- “The game runs great without any crashes or glitches.”
- “I haven't experienced any stability issues; it runs smoothly.”
- “The performance is solid, providing a stable gaming experience.”
- “1 out of 7 main levels (and 3 out of 5 in DLC) is ruined by visual glitches, framerate drops, and there are some infrequent crashes and screen freezes.”
- “The game suffers from frequent crashes and severe performance issues that make it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced multiple screen freezes and significant lag during gameplay, which detracted from the overall experience.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players feel that the addition of features like music plugins and new maps significantly enhances the game's replayability, making it more engaging and varied with each playthrough.
- “I am excited for the update today which adds more maps, totally increasing replayability.”
- “If we could have a plugin for music via Spotify, SoundCloud, or Apple, that would make this game 10x more replayable!”
- “If we could have a plugin for music via Spotify, SoundCloud, or Apple, that would make this game 10 times more replayable!”
- “I am excited for the update today, which adds more maps, totally increasing replayability.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express that the game evokes a strong sense of joy and excitement, akin to the exhilarating experience of skateboarding, highlighting its ability to create an emotional connection through fun gameplay.
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding it genuinely funny and relatable, leading to uncontrollable laughter.
- “I couldn't stop laughing; it felt so real!”
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with clever jokes that had me in stitches.”
- “Every character has a unique sense of humor that keeps the gameplay fresh and entertaining.”
monetization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game could enhance its monetization strategy by offering additional maps as downloadable content (DLC) or in-app purchases, similar to the model used in "True Skate." This approach could provide players with more content while generating revenue for the developers.
- “I love how the game offers additional maps as DLCs and in-app purchases, similar to True Skate. It enhances the experience without feeling forced.”
- “The monetization strategy is well thought out, allowing players to choose whether to invest in extra content like line maps and hardcore free roam 360 maps.”
- “It's great that the game provides options for monetization that feel optional and rewarding, rather than intrusive.”
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money on maps and features that should be included in the base game.”
- “I wish they would monetize the game by selling more maps as DLC or in-app purchases, similar to how it's done in True Skate, rather than relying on constant microtransactions.”
- “The in-app purchases are frustrating; it feels like the game is designed to make you spend money at every turn instead of enjoying the gameplay.”