The skateboarding genre is alive and kickflipping again, with titles coming in thick and fast, and all with various stances. From the re-release-slash-remastered Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, to the recently-released uber-stylish OlliOlli World, we haven't seen the world of giant-wheeled emery boards so readily represented in the digital space.

And this momentum isn't slowing down, with Nacon and creā-ture Studios' Session currently doing the community rounds in both Early Access on Steam and Xbox Preview on Microsoft's console, ahead of its full release sometime this year.


And while the game is yet to hit the broader wild, those who've been beating its testing pavement are quickly building a solid community base, and in the world of skateboarding, often those communities centre around tricks and style, with Session being no exception to this, as the above embedded video can attest to.

The video itself is made up of winners from a video submissions comp the devs and publisher put together, in part to highlight the game's realism, but also to showcase its video editing tools as well.

Here's a little something more, however, from the devs on where Session is in the grand scheme of things:

Following a month-long competition open to the entire community, NACON and Crea-ture Studio selected 7 of the most impressive videos, in which each participant performed and recorded perfect skateboard tricks. The in-game tool, which is unique in the genre, lets the player film stunts, add filters, add a fisheye effect and edit directly in the game. And as the playing area in Session is incredibly vast and realistic, skaters have a great time. The skater catchphrase, "If it’s not on tape, then it doesn’t exist” is illustrated to a T in Session.

Session invites players to dive into the genuine 1990s skateboarding way of life, when each stretch of pavement and each stairway was a great location for your favourite stunt. The game's ultra-realistic physics bring the sensations of skateboarding to life, and the studio has even integrated ground-breaking gameplay, a first in a skateboarding game: the "True Stance Stick", where each foot is independently managed using the two sticks. With a learning curve that is just as demanding as in real life, players have to practice how to control their board and pull off all the different tricks available in the game, from the simplest to the most complicated. The integrated editing tool lets each player immortalize their greatest achievements on video.

Now players can find the following in the game:

• All the genuine skateboarding sensations: Realism, immersion and difficulty just like when you first learn to skate... enough to delight skateboard fans.
  
• Innovative gameplay: With the dual stick controls, each stick represents one of your feet. You have to think about each movement so you can manage and transfer your weight just like in real life.
  
• Official content that will continue to be extended: Currently, 4 pro skaters are available, and the game integrates iconic clothing and skateboard brands that are genuine references for all skateboarders
  
• Legendary locations selected by the game's creators: Black Hubbas (New York), Brooklyn Banks (New York), at a 1:1 scale.
  
• An ultra-comprehensive video tool: because you need video to prove you've pulled off a perfect stunt, the game has an integrated video editor that includes different filters, several types of cameras, and lots more options that you can explore in-game.

More content and details surrounding the game will be revealed this month, and ahead of that we've secured ourselves access to the current build of the game, so stay tuned for our own expert thoughts on just where Session sits among the current crop of skating titles.