Rolling into refinement.
Skate 2 is a sequel nobody asked for. The original Skate played competently, looked fantastic, and finally usurped the Tony Hawk series’ off its throne. Frankly, any problems with Skate could’ve been rectified with a patch or downloadable content. I could hardly fathom the need for a sequel, yet the developers managed to squeeze enough creative juice to justify another entry. The result can be perceived as a polished upgrade, but Skate 2 goes much deeper than its predecessor does.
As a nameless, faceless convict, the “protagonist” of Skate 2 is released from prison only to find the city of San Vanelona (now New San Vanelona) has fallen under the authority of Mongocorp, a security company whose existence is fueled by a hatred for skateboarders. Caps have been placed on rails, swimming pools actually have water in them, and non-skating areas have increased security detail. The skater’s paradise of years past is now long gone; at least, that’s what the developers imply.
Since Skate 2 takes place in a revised version of the same city, it was easy for me to blow past all the story elements and find the best skating spots. Most major structures and landmarks are similar, with very few new areas and even less alterations. This could be perceived as lazy design, but veterans of the first game will feel a sense of homecoming and newcomers to the series will undoubtedly be blown away; but finding a good skate spot is only part of the fun.
The original Skate’s robust trick system returns, now with finger flips, hand plants and foot plants (just to name a few) added to the mix. Flip tricks are mapped to the right analog stick and grabs are restricted to two shoulder buttons. The controls are an elegant way to compress an entire encyclopedia of tricks, but pulling off specific sequences can get difficult. However, in-game tutorials and a handy trick guide do an excellent job of easing user experience.
Speaking of easy user experience, the game’s various challenges are now much simpler. For example, instead of asking for a varial heelflip into a 50-50 grind, the game will simply ask for any flip trick into any grind. I still had to retry certain challenges over and over again, but the simpler tasks and clearer directions lowered my frustrations. The developers undoubtedly had community criticisms in mind.
Also undergoing refinement are the various online features. Anyone connected to the internet can upload replays and photos to ea.skate.com from within the game. Additionally, anyone with an EA Nation profile can go to the aforementioned website to create in-game designs for t-shirts, hats and skateboard decks with a graphics editor. The editor doesn’t sport the ability to upload fonts and images, but a little hard work can result in some awesome results.
Online multiplayer is easy to drop into and, for the most part, transitions are seamless. Freeskate Mode is a relaxing take on online play, and other modes such as Spot Battle, S.K.A.T.E., and Deathrace provide a competitive edge. All the events were fun, and seeing other skaters pull off their best tricks was just as amazing as if I had done them myself.
Other revisions include new replay editor cameras, female character creation, the ability to get off the skateboard, and the ability to move various objects in the environment. Graphics have also improved; textures and lighting are more detailed, and the animations were still wonderful to look at. As far as the interface is concerned, the display is much cleaner and the menus are easier to navigate through. Loading times are minimal and sometimes nonexistent when resetting position, a huge improvement over the last game, which brought up a loading screen each time a challenge was restarted.
Anything negative about the game is severely outweighed by the positive aspects I mentioned. The frame rate often drops below the standard 60 frames per second, but not enough to detract from the experience. I also found the off-board movement quite unwieldy, but again, it didn’t stop me from having a good time. Any flaw in game did not strike my nerves of criticism; it’s very easy to let go of Skate 2’s shortcomings since they’re so small.
I suppose that, in the end, I like Skate 2 because it epitomizes the mentality that most skateboarding games tend to forget: Skateboarding isn’t about pulling off the best trick or grinding the longest rail, it’s all about the freedom of moving when and wherever a skater desires to. Skate 2 may not have wacky, high-flying nonsense, but it does offer a great time no matter what the circumstances.
Skate 2 was developed by EA Black Box and was released on January 22, 2009 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The version used for this review was for PlayStation 3. Single player campaign was played to near completion and all aspects of online modes were tested. Total playtime at review publication: 15 hours and five minutes.
