The most realistic skateboarding game to date. Like its name suggests, Session is part simulator, part game. Unlike other skating games, some basic technical knowledge of skating (or at least a willingness to learn) is preferred here if you want to progress through all the missions.

The controls and difficulty are likely to turn off many players. Turning is done with the triggers, not a joystick. Those who have the patience for it will be rewarded over time, as the game feels great once you get the hang of it. There are also a lot of settings that can be tweaked to make it easier if preferred.

Along with controls, the revelation in Session is the cities. No skating game has ever had maps that look and feel this realistic. The day/night cycle and cloud coverage also add a lot to the atmosphere.

Despite looking like a triple-A game, Session was made by a small team, and it shows at times. There is some jank and bugginess, as well as experimental features that the team is still working on. I imagine some of this stuff will be cleaned up eventually, but it's hard to say how much the game will improve going forward. It's also worth noting vert skating is absent from the game.

For skateboarders or people who have more than a passing interest in skateboarding, there is a lot to like here, and I'm excited to see what updates the game brings in the future.