Skator Gator 3D demo playthrough (Next Fest June 2023)
2This is easily one of the stronger 3D platformer demos I've seen during any Next Fest.
The original Skator Gator was a 2D infinite-runner largely concentrated around the mechanic of grinding on and hopping between pipes. This sequel is 3D and provides full freedom of movement, while also frequently featuring the signature grinding mechanics from the first game.
Skator Gator 3D seems to do a pretty decent job at being visually accessible, while offering simple yet polished graphics. I very much appreciate the bold outlines around entities which make them stand out fairly well. Various callouts during grinding sections such as bounce and boost pads are high in contrast to make them recognizable even at high speed.
There are multiple facets to fully-completing levels beyond just finishing them, including collecting all pieces of trash, collecting all "GATOR" letters, finding a hidden jukebox, and finishing the level under a target time (you don't necessarily have to do all of these at once). These extra challenges can become particularly difficult; in the demo this is especially observable on the boss level.
While the gameplay already feels decent, I feel like maybe the mechanics could be dialed in a little bit. Sometimes I felt like my midair movements didn't quite land me where I expected them to, or my grinding inputs were either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. I didn't seem to be able to adjust the camera's zoom, and there were times where my view would get obstructed by scenery and there was seemingly nothing I could really do about it besides rotate.
This demo looks rather promising, and I guess development is decently far along: the game is currently slated to release sometime during Q3.