The last week has been a pretty incredible one for video game fans. Though PlayStation’s showcase was a bit of a letdown for some, Geoff Keighley’s E3-replacement Summer Game Fest really knocked it out of the park in a pretty surprising way. Then straight after,Double Fine’s Day of the Devsshowcase took center stage, giving a spotlight to a bunch of new and exciting Indie games, including the impressiveHelskate.
The very first game from indie studio Phantom Coast,Helskateappeared about 20 minutes into the Day of the Devs showcase, after huge hits likeHyper Light BreakerandViewfinder, and somehow managed to stand out from the crowd. Equal partsHadesandTony Hawk’s Pro Skater,Helskateis a game that no one even knew they wanted, and it isn’t too far away.
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Helskate Looks Like the Perfect Blend of Tony Hawk and Hades
Skateboarding games are having a bit of a resurgence right now. In the absence of a newTony HawkorSkate, the indie game scene has taken it upon itself to fill the big gap in the market in recent years, and for the most part, it’s been pretty great. The side-scrollingOlliOlliWorldis a beautifully vibrant and fluid arcade skateboarding title, whileSession: Skate Simwas a solid attempt at a more realistic skateboarding game. And even though it centered around rollerblades and not a skateboard,last year’sRollerdromewas a surprisingly great sport/shooter hybrid.
But the market still has room for at least a few more innovativeskateboarding indie games, andHelskatedeserves a place on the line-up. Taking more afterRollerdromethanSession,Helskateis another action/sport hybrid game, this time based around killing magical darkness monsters. The general gameplay loop sees players skateboard through a mission while swinging a sword and oncoming enemies and dodging their energy-based attacks. Mechanics-wise,Helskatelooks prettyTony Hawk Pro Skater-like, with the ability to perform score-based tricks factoring into the game’s combo system. But that isn’t the only point of inspiration forHelskate.
Over the course of its brief reveal trailer,Helskate’sHadesinfluence only becomes increasingly more apparent. For a start,Helskate’s art style is very reminiscent ofHades' cel-shaded look, even if both games do adopt completely different camera perspectives. One of the biggest similarities inHelskateandHades' art stylecan be found when the game’s main character is engaging in dialogue with an NPC, which brings up a hand-drawn portrait of their character, and a stylized speech bubble at the bottom of the screen.Helskateis also a roguelite, requiring players to complete an entire level again upon just one death.
It seems like players will also be able to unlock new skateboards, which seem to grant the player new melee weapons and potentially some new abilities. Players will also be able to unlock tattoos forHelskate’s character, granting them special bonuses such as extra dashes. There’s also a moment inHelskate’s reveal trailer where the player character runs into a glowing marker on the ground, and gets three potential upgrades to choose from, which seems very similar toHades' Boon system.
And to top it all off,Helskate’s story seems prettyHades-adjacent, with the main character seemingly being a demon that’s been cast aside by his mentor figure, who also seems to be some kind of demon ruler. Of course, this dynamic appears to be very reminiscent ofHades' core relationship betweenZagreus and his father, Hadeshimself.
