To see a small studio like Easy Day Studios create something that is not only reminiscent of the games that clearly influenced them, but overall improves on what its predecessors did, is heartening. Sure, it has its fair share of flaws, but none of them take away from how much fun I’ve had. Skater XL has successfully brought back the skateboarding genre, and I am eager to see how Easy Day Studios supports the game moving forward.

I definitely think Skater XL is worth checking out, more so on the PC for the mod side of things than the console version at the moment. But if you’re not opposed to challenging yourself and seeking out your own fun with a responsive, unique physics-based control system, then I think you’ll still get some enjoyment with the current release of the game. Ideally, future updates will flesh out the experience even more, and based on the early access process prior to release, it does seem as if developer Easy Day Studios is committed to Skater XL for the long haul.

While there will be a core audience that enjoys mastering the footwork needed to pull off the different tricks, for most people that will not be enough to keep them playing for long.

Skater XL has a great foundation to build upon, but right now that’s all that it is. While we expect further updates to bring more content to the game, we can only recommend it to those who need a new skateboarding now and cannot wait.

Skater XL is a good attempt to recover this genre, but this is it, an attempt. It tries to put some realism in the gameplay, but isn't enough. The lack of content and game modes, the insufficient graphic quality, play against it. Maybe, for these people who wants something now, could be enough, but it's far from being a game that these people deserve.

To say that Skater XL's finish leaves something to be desired is an understatement.

There is a solid fundament in Skater XL, and there is a hit of a potentially formidable skating sand box. But there is a heavy layer of polish that needs to be applied before the game is noteworthy.