Session: Skate Sim Review (BeePeR)
TL;DR: I would recommend Session strongly, but only to the right kind of person. I say this because Session fills a void that has long existed in the skateboarding genre, but it's probably a niche one. The game isn't perfect and $40 feels a little steep considering the lack of polish in many areas. Even still, I have really enjoyed it.
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In previous popular franchises such as THPS & EA's Skate, I found myself straying from the playstyle that the developers intended. I'd ensure my character cruised meticulously slowly, would stifle my ollie's pop height, or I would land tricks 'sketchy' on purpose -- all with the intention of making clips that felt like REAL skateboarding. I would spend HOURS doing the same line over & over again, trying to produce a replay clip that felt as authentic as possible. I somewhat resented these earlier games for leaning too hard into the 'arcadey' feel. IMO, they tried too hard to appeal to casual fans, and failed to truly deliver a game for hardcore skateboarding fans.
If the above sentiment resonates with you at all, Session is the game you've been waiting for all these years, and I recommend it with some considerations.
* The game is DIFFICULT and slightly annoying for the first few hours of gameplay. To understand the hype of this game, you'll need to tough through the learning curve. In my experience, the game became explosively fun and addicting after the first 2-4 hours.
* The game is lacking polish for a 1.0 release. The animations can get glitchy at times, and I've experienced bugs with trick registration that have made certain missions frustrating to complete.
* Not a story or narrative driven game at all. There's a small, uninteresting 'storyline' that serves to encourage progression of your technical skill as a player, and help you uncover new features of the game.
If any of these things sound like a slight deal breaker, I'd wait for either more updates, or for the game to go on sale.
Session stays true to the process of trying over and over again to land a tough trick, and get it looking good. The mental payoff of progression feels just like it does when actually skateboarding, because it's tied directly to your mechanical skill and inputs. If you're like me, an hour will pass and you'll realize you haven't left the starting area... A ledge caught your eye and you've just been having too much fun trying to get the perfect clip on it.
I could go on to compliment the plentiful detailed maps, the replay editor system, cosmetics, historical challenges, settings customization, or the countless quests & missions, but these things are only accessory to an insanely satisfying core skating experience.