For Whom The Skates Tolls – Helskate

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I never expected to witness the merging of two genres as distinct as Skate and Roguelike; however, it’s undeniable that together they can offer a unique blend of action and adrenaline unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Helskate emerges as a fusion between Tony Hawk and Hades, where the primary objective is to utilize a full arsenal of combos to clear each level infestation by demons and Skate Gods, summoned by Garland, in the peculiar realm of Vertheim. Anton Falcon, the protagonist, dreams of venturing beyond the horizons of hell, specifically onto a “beach,” envisioned as a paradise for his maneuvers. Anton loves his skateboard, yet demons despise skaters. Thus, it falls upon the player to apply all their skills honed in Tony Hawk and challenge the various types of enemies, expanding their horizons beyond the scorching lands where they dwell.

While the story isn’t the central focus of this adventure, it’s intriguing to note that each character plays a significant role in the protagonist’s evolution. Ginny, the skate shop owner, endeavors to help Anton discover his powers. Each skateboard brings with it a different attack. In this sense, there’s no acquisition of new weapons, but rather skateboards. Layla, on the other hand, is responsible for tattooing the player’s skin, and applying upgrades to their powers. It’s still an early-stage title, with all the flaws that such a state may entail. Without dwelling too much on this point, one can expect the presence of floating enemies, moments where the character gets stuck in walls, among other issues that may lead to frustration. The game demands constant attention to everything moving and surrounding Anton. It becomes imperative to master the skill of dodging to evade enemy attacks, though predicting their moves can be tricky as many lack attack indicators. Even with indicators, avoiding damage while focusing on skate maneuvers to boost the final score of the run proves quite challenging. Maneuvers aren’t merely score multipliers; they’re also crucial in combat against enemies. Among the various unlockable attack variations are examples like lightning strikes during specific kickflips or even igniting the weapon itself to apply a fire attack that burns the enemy over time.

The skate aspect is a delight, evoking almost the same sensation as titles like Tony Hawk Pro Skater. The challenge lies in distinguishing between the different moments of the game, each with its distinct mechanics. Most of the time, I found myself trying to take advantage of the entire repertoire of maneuvers while enduring enemy damage. It took some time to understand the best approach to attacking different enemies while maintaining a combo of maneuvers.

Regarding gameplay, there’s a certain disconnect. On one hand, there’s combat against enemies; on the other, map exploration. Besides the main objective of eliminating all enemies to open the portal to the next level, there’s a significant emphasis on map exploration. Scattered across the map are letters, crow cameras to be destroyed, and even extra challenges that somewhat seem disconnected. Combat and exploration moments are quite spaced out. One could spend a minute entirely focused on facing enemies and the following minutes exploring the map and performing maneuvers. Undoubtedly, there’s much potential in Helskate. With time to refine all the negatives, I believe it could become something truly remarkable. Nevertheless, its present condition falls short of expectations.