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Skate 2 Review - Xbox 360

Introduction

For many years skating games were completely dominated by the long-standing Tony Hawk series. That all changed a couple of years ago, when Black Box Studios really knuckled down to make the 'perfect' skating game for next-gen consoles. The result was impressive, and Skate received a lot of critical praise for it's more realistic physics and moves. They're back at it again with Skate 2, which offers a few more features, and attempts to show itself as the better skating title.

Gameplay

The game begins with a full live-motion introduction of you being released from prison (we imagine for skating related terror), and since you've been gone the city has received a good shake up, literally. It's a nice start, but after that the sequences revert to in-game ones. At the start of the game you are given your standard introductory lead in, learning the basic moves, and getting you familiar with how Skate plays out.

Like other recent skate titles, you are free to free-roam around as you wish, and when you are up for it, you can find challenges that are marked on the map with icons, or skaters that will introduce you to the challenge. These challenges can be scoring a certain number of points to 'own' an area, being photographed performing a particular trick for a skate mag, racing against other skaters, pulling off certain moves, or skating a particular object. Along the way, a continuing storyline also develops, although it's nothing too exciting.

One of the big changes in Skate 2 is that you can get off your board at any time, and move and rotate a lot of the smaller objects in the game to your liking. This allows you create your own specific area, or move things around to be able to pull off some super tricks. For the most part this is a great addition, although the game is a bit selective on where it places moveable objects.

With it's living and open feel, the game includes pedestrians that will also get in your way, or also act as a random audience. Cars also cruise down the main streets, and can easily clean you up. While they do add an extra element, you really have to ask what advantage they offer, other than just getting in your way and acting as another obstacle. It's also a bit haphazard as to where these appear. Some areas are scattered with many people and cars. Others have none at all.

Security in Skate 2 has also been beefed up significantly compared to the last game to protect the city from the 'evil' skateboarders. The entertaining Mongocorp makes life difficult for your poor boarded friends. This means in certain areas, such as shopping centres, they will be patrolled keenly by Mongocorp's security guards. While you can beat the law and skate in these areas, they'll attempt to run you down. If ...

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