Home > Reviews > Xbox 360 > #976

Screenshots (21) | Reviews Archive

Skate Review - Xbox 360

Introduction

When talking about skateboarding games, the discussion inevitably turns to the Tony Hawk series. It has dominated the genre for some time now – combining a pumping soundtrack with well-known locations and over the top tricks. A few have tried to topple the Birdman, but very few have even come close. EA are now entering the ring for a shot at the title, and with the next Tony Hawk game just released, can we finally have an alternative that is actually good?

Gameplay

Right of the bat you’ll realise that Skate is a very different beast to the Tony Hawk games. In fact, it’s probably best termed as a skating simulator. No ridiculous feats of air here – the majority of the tricks and skills are all extremely realistic. Set in the fictional San Vanelona – clearly based on San Francisco, Vancouver and Barcelona – your main objective is to skate your way around the city learning new tricks and creating some notoriety. This can be judged by the number of covers you get on the local skate rags. There are two different magazines in production and each has a distinct skill set demographic – one is for tricks and jumps, the other for races and challenges. Earning some spotlight attracts the sponsors and there’s plenty of genuine skate gear to kit yourself and your board out in. What you wear also affects the environment – I had some punk give me shit for wearing a wristband!

The city itself is quite big and diverse, lending itself to some excellent skate opportunities as well as a healthy dose of variety. One minute you will be flying in between traffic down steep hills, the next you’ll be grinding and sliding your way over burnt out cars and gravel in the projects. The inhabitants of the city all go about their day-to-day business –pedestrians, cars and security guards are just some of the obstacles you’ll have to navigate.

Other skaters in the area can be kept track of by way of a handy mini map. These skaters are telltale signs (along with a soundtrack hint) that a hidden skate hotspot may be near. Exploration is therefore encouraged – the hotspots don’t drive the story – but really do flesh out the experience. Progressing through the story mode is a matter of heading to a certain location and completing a challenge. Early on, it revolves around learning the basic tricks. These are usually taught to by the numerous real pro skaters in the game – Danny Way, Mike Carroll, P-Rod and Chris Haslam, to name but a few.

The real surprise of Skate is the Flickit control system. It almost solely relies on the right thumbstick. At first it can be quite frustrating, but as you move up through the skill sets, and practice, it becomes second nature. In fact, Skate has an almost perfect learning curve that creates a real sense of achievement (continued next page)