Since its release in 2022, Session Skate Sim has jumped onto all major platforms, including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series machines with a sadly, heavily compromised Switch version coming later. Of more importance is that developer Crea-ture Studios has continued to improve the game along with adding new DLC and maps for you to live your skater-boy fantasies on.
It’s these improvements, however, that have helped to make a significant difference in Session Skate Sim, particularly the new opening tutorial which does a far better job of explaining skateboarding methodology while putting you through basic and advanced practices. The game also controls better now though I feel there’s still a long way to go before it feels more comfortable and second nature. Session still has a long way to go with feature additions and bug fixes as well.
That said, Session Skate Sim’s aim is still about providing a sim experience rather than an arcade one so how much you get out of the game, and its DLC, including this latest map, is dependent on what you’re willing to put into it. Of course, if you’re taking a look at this review or the DLC, then you already know whether or not this is for you.
Session Skate Sims’ latest DLC map is heaven for skateboarders in the form of an abandoned mall plus thirty-eight more items for the object dropper. Or much rather, a small abandoned mall. The latest map isn’t very large but it has been well designed to give skateboarders plenty of surfaces and zones to skate and trick across. Whether you’re looking to grind escalator handrails or kick-flip over a spiral staircase of ollie from the second floor to the first, the abandoned mall has you covered.
Just about every inch of the map is a prime estate for some trick or the other, whether it heel flipping over a hole in the second-floor walkway or ollie-ing off a ramp to land a grind on a planter, there’s plenty for you to do here. The flow of the map, from one trick to the next is well realised, so much so that the map feels more like it was designed with arcade skaters’ lines and physics in mind.
If you’ve been playing skateboarding games for ages, you’ll be able to visualise these lines, such as grinding down a long handrail and ollie-ing off onto a ledge or even perhaps into a manual before flipping out. What you can put together is up to you and, yes, your skills in this game.
Because, ultimately, that’s what separates Session Skate Simfrom just about every other skater out there. The skills a sim demands. Yes, there are still some of the usual bugs and map design annoyances, like easily tripping over small environmental details, but the onus is on you to set up your lines and practice, practice, practice.
If there’s one issue with the new map it would be its size. Instead of feeling like a full-on mall, it feels more like a smaller strip mall. It’s a large enough environment to have fun in, but not nearly as large as it should be. This size issue means that a lot of things are on top of one another with very little space to prep a run or get completely up to speed in certain areas. It’s a little too compact for its own good.
Visually the abandoned mall map is also quite gorgeous. The material usage and design are quite stellar, with plenty of graffiti scrawling the walls and some stunning lighting and shadow details. For me, this is Session Skate Sim’s best map and not just because it’s a grind enthusiast’s fantasy.
With all of its rails and curbs, stairs escalators and ramps, the abandoned mall is a tricking fantasy. Whether or not you should pick it up depends on how much you’re invested in Session Skate Sim and continuing your skating journey. For my money, it’s an area I’ll be spending a lot of time in.
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