Skateboarding roguelike Helskate shows off damage-buffing barrel rolls, and I'm stoked to shake off the rust

The protagonist of Phantom Coast's upcoming Helskate looks excitedly at his new board, while his vendor watches unimpressed from afar.

I used to love the Tony Hawk games—Underground's antagonist Eric Sparrow might still be the most punchable villain in gaming, and shredding the half pipes of Pro Skater 3's Warehouse level to Goldfinger's Superman was a formative experience.

But all good things must come to an end. I eventually betrayed my Pro Skater roots to EA's Skate games. It's been years since I've balanced on a grind rail of any description, and I'm sure that muscle memory has completely atrophied. It's going to get a workout soon though, because Phantom Coast's skateboarding action roguelike Helskate looks like it could bring me out of retirement.