At first look, Helskate looks to scratch both the Hades and Tony Hawk Pro-Skater itch. A combo I didn’t know I needed until Helskate was revealed at this year’s Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition. A skateboarding roguelike, Helskate released a brand new trailer showcasing its core gameplay loop and wide range of abilities one can use to shred through the Underworld. The Phantom Coast team will be presenting a demo for the time to press behind closed doors this week at Gamescom.
In Helskate, players will grind, perform tricks, and chain combos to power up their attacks and slay the monsters of Vertheim. But the most intriguing part of the video for me? Skating your way through Vertheim. Players will traverse Vertheim as you grind, wall ride, and manual your way through this hellscape with classic arcade-style skating.
Embracing the roguelike, you’ll combine different weapons, gear, and tapes to create powerful and unique builds for each run as you enter, renter, and keep entering an array of dungeons that are different every time. Plus, you’ll get inked up with sick tattoos to permanently upgrade your abilities for a much-needed edge against enemies and to your look.
While those two elements are recognizable, the uniqueness of the gameplay trailer can be seen in how you fight with, well, you’re skating prowess. Players chain huge combos, do ollies, kickflips, and other tricks to power up your attacks and gain unique abilities and buffs to slay the monsters that await. And if that wasn’t enough, you’re not the only skater in the mix. In Helskate, you’ll also take on the Gods of Skating as you use everything in your arsenal to battle. Take on the God of Vert Ramps’ score challenge and grind up the Ancient God of Skating to strike at his weak points.
With a rocking aesthetic and a clear love arcade skaters, Helskate is looks set to bring a unique edge to roguelikes.
Helskate will be available soon on PC and launch in Early Access. For more information on Helskate, visit the website here.