Skate

"EA is back and better than ever"

Introduction ---
Okay, for those of you who remember, EA came out with a few good skateboarding games like Street Sk8er, and its sequel. while they were good games they were no match for the Tony Hawk games. Now, EA is back in the game with Skate. Skate has something the Tony Hawk games never had: realism. In Skate, you aren't able to mash some buttons and get a good score, you actually have to know what you are doing.

Story --- 6/10
There's really no story to the game. You are a somewhat-known skateboarder who thought he could take on a bus. Well, guess who won. After some surgery you have to work your way back up the ranks and get noticed by pros and magazines. Eventually making your way to the cover of two magazines. You will also meet various pro skaters like Rob Dyrdek. Pat Duffy, Mike Carroll, and more and have to complete challenges for them. Along the way you have to do challenges, get sponsored, win the X-Games, etc..

Graphics --- 9/10
The graphics in this game are simply amazing. San Vanelona, the made-up city you skate in, is probably the biggest city I've seen in gaming so far. It takes at least fifteen minutes, if not more, to skate from one end to another. And that's going downhill. EA took the time to make sure all of the buildings and trees and citizens looked great. The only problem were some weird graphical glitches and the lack of clothing color options. That, and the fact that it is day all the time, no night skating.

Sound --- 10/10
Another thing about Skate is the sound. The skateboard sounds different when your skating over different surfaces, which adds even more realism. Also, you can hear people shouting out things if you bump into the like "Watch out" or "Hey, watch it". Your camera man also adds his own commentary. For example, if you run into a jock, he'll say something like "My man's junior varsity now". The soundtrack is also great, featuring music for everyone. The genres range from rap to rock to even funk. Some artists include: Rick Ross, The Doors, Rick James, Motorhead, and even Booker T & The M.G.'s. That's right, you can skate to Green Onions. Oh, and if you don't like a genre of music, you can disable songs from playing, or you could just listen to music from your Xbox 360.

Gameplay --- 9/10
This game isn't easy to play, but it ain't hard either. The new Flick-It control system takes some getting used to, I'd say at least a half-hour. Instead of holding a direction and pressing a button in the air, like in Tony Hawk, you start all your tricks from the ground. You move the right analog stick to a position, then you flick over and up (or down if you're doing a nollie). To extend your trick from say, a kickflip to a double kickflip, you'd just hold the stick in it's final position longer than normal.

Another great thing about this game is the bails. Yes, you heard me right, bails. You'll soon find that bailing can sometimes be more fun than landing tricks. When you bail, your character turns into a ragdoll. This produces humorous outcomes. Also, if you can find a high enough spot to bail from you can hear the crunch of his bones as they break.

The goals in the game range from following someone to a certain place, to clearing a gap for a magazine photo. Most of them are fairly easy to complete, but later on they get rather difficult. Never the less, they are doable, and most of the time fun to complete.

The camera isn't perfect, but it works. It is almost always behind you and low to the ground. This makes it a bit harder to see obstacles in front of you, but it does move when you get going. Hopefully EA can fix this in the next game.

Replayability --- 9/10
Unlike the Tony Hawk games, Skate has a lot of replayability. Mainly because of Flick-It control. I find it more fun to do sick, realistic lines that you'd see in an actual skate film, rather than grinding phone lines across a whole stage. Plus, you'll spend a lot of time finding different spots to own. long with that, there are a handful of achievements that will take a good amount of time to achieve.

Final Recommendation ---
This game is definitely a buy. Even if you can only find it used, get it. The only reason you won't like it id if you're a chronic Tony Hawk fan. There are plenty of things to do and places to discover.

Pros & Cons ---
+ Huge, detailed city
+ Innovative and realistic gameplay
+ Great soundtrack for all
+ Hilarious bails

- Difficult to get used to
- Lack of clothing options

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/12/07

Game Release: Skate (US, 09/14/07)