All posts tagged ‘Skate 2’

By the time Tony Hawk released his third skateboarding game in 2001, we’d ollied into volcanoes, jammed with aliens in Roswell and donned Spider-Man’s costume to bust a Spidey Flip in a Mexican bullring.

Electronic Arts’ Skate 3, released this week for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (reviewed), doesn’t take gamers anywhere as exotic or over-the-top. And that’s its charm. The realistic setting and complex control scheme make for an engaging single-player experience, but it’s the wide range of online multiplayer options that make Skate gleam the cube.

Since the Skate series debuted in 2007, it has approached the nuts and bolts of skateboarding from a simulation perspective. Tony Hawk players might be able to pull off a 50-50 grind with the push of a single button, but Skate players must carefully line up, time and execute each trick with the tilt and flick of the controller’s two analog sticks. At first, this complex system can feel punishing. But once you get the hang of it, the game’s controls become a foundation that each player can use to develop their own virtual skateboarding style.

Skate 3 adds a handful of new moves like darkside flips and underflips. But the big news in this outing is the change of scenery. One big complaint of Skate players was that the first two games felt samey because they were both set in the fictional city of San Vanelona, California. Skate 3 puts down roots in an entirely new fake burg. Port Carverton is a sprawling urban haven that is home to a handsome, concrete-heavy university campus, a cluttered-but-line-filled seaside dock and more skate parks than you can shake your deck at.

Continue Reading “Review: Skate 3 Shreds With Slick Online Features” »