Skate 2 – 360 – Review

For nearly a decade, Activision’s
Tony Hawk franchise was, for better or worse, the de facto champion of the
console skateboarding genre. The series certainly had a huge following and
garnered respectable ratings from critics, but all of that changed in 2007 when
EA threw their hat into the ring with the release of Skate, their realistic take
on the skateboarding genre. Skate had some shortcomings, but stood out from the
competition by offering innovative thumbstick-based controls and a great physics
engine, making for one of the most realistic portrayals of skateboarding in
video games.

Now, EA has launched the sequel,
Skate 2, for the Xbox 360. The game isn’t quite the revolution that its
predecessor was, instead opting to clean up the mechanics a bit, add a few new
features and moves, and update the online play. While it doesn’t address all of
the problems of the first game and there are some very glaring AI issues, it’s
still a solid addition to the series and one that fans of the original will want
to check out.

Skate 2 begins with you getting out
of prison and once again hitting the streets of San Vanelona. However, things
have changed a ton since you’ve been in the joint and San Vanelona is
practically a whole new city. It has also grown a substantial amount, filled
with new buildings and areas, and full of people, both drivers and pedestrians.
Getting from one place to another can be a daunting task, but luckily you now
have a skitching ability that lets you hitch a ride on the back of a car to get
to new areas. Of course, as in the first Skate title, there are areas that
you’ll only be able to get to by using a little brain power and skill to
figuring out how to get there. Additionally, you can transport your character to
specific goals instantly by using the map, saving you from having to go back and
forth through the city.

For the most part, Skate 2 plays a
lot like its predecessor. The basic Flick-it controls popularized by Skate are
just as they were in the first game, although there have been a few moves added
to your skater’s repertoire. You’ll now be able handplants, footplants, and
hippy jumps. While these vary in usefulness and application, they’re pretty nice
to have around. These also have applications in the air, as you can do things
like one-footed grabs thanks to the added base moves.

One of the biggest new features in
Skate 2 is the off-the-board mechanic. Your skater can now step off of the board
in order to walk around and explore the environment or gain access to otherwise
unreachable areas. However, the biggest element of the off-the-board mechanic is
the ability to grab certain objects in the environment and create your own
skating spot by positioning objects at your will. You can even save your created
spots and share them on Xbox LIVE with your friends. This adds a great new open
element to the game and helps create an even more non-linear atmosphere than in
the first Skate.

However, this new feature isn’t
without its downside. Controlling your character off the board is not nearly as
intuitive as controlling them on it, as your character handles like a tank when
simply walking around. This mechanic feels cumbersome, and after a while grows
pretty annoying.

The game continues to have camera
issues, just like its predecessor. While on your board, the camera will shoot
you from below the waist, almost at your feet. This can make it pretty difficult
to see objects almost directly in front of you, and can be especially
problematic when trying to do things like line up a grind. Additionally, it has
a very nasty habit of positioning itself in front of you at times, which is a
huge pain since you can’t see where you’re going at all.

The AI is also a sore spot in the
game. While it’s respectable that there are so many people in the world, they
all seem hell-bent on stumbling into your skater. Be they just random people or
other skaters. I even had one incident of a person making their way into the
bottom of a drained pool and walking around in circles for absolutely no reason.

However, aside from these issues,
Skate 2 is still a pretty solid entry to the franchise. The popular video editor
feature from the last game has returned, albeit with a few new changes. While
there are some new elements like camera angles added in, they come at the
expense of film effects, which are strangely absent.

The game also has some solid
multiplayer features, including online freeskate and co-op play. The online
co-op has you and some friends at a certain spot on the map trying to attain a
common goal, like a certain amount of points or tricks, and can be pretty fun
with a good group of players. There were even some challenges where each player
in the group had to grind the same rail at the same time, which is pretty tough
when you’ve got six player bumping into each other.

Graphically, Skate 2 is a step up
from the original game, with detailed textures and a framerate bump (the
original game ran at about 30 frames per second). However, there are some weird
graphical glitches throughout the environment, and the framerate does get
somewhat inconsistent at times.

The original Skate was no slouch in
the sound department, and the sequel does a fine job of sticking with the trend.
The board sounds are fantastic and accurate once again, and the diverse
soundtrack is solid and diverse.

Skate 2 makes modest improvements
over the original title, but isn’t nearly as groundbreaking as its predecessor.
Still, if you’re a skateboarding fan looking for something new or you enjoyed
the first Skate, then you should check the sequel out.

Gameplay: 8.0
The gameplay isn’t too far removed from the original, making more subtle
improvements and moves over the first game than revolutionary changes. The city
is huge, sprawling, and an absolute blast to explore. Unfortunately, there are a
few problems with the gameplay, namely AI issues, glaring camera problems and
unwieldy on-the-board controls.

Graphics: 8.0
The game looks pretty solid, with great animations and a huge world to
explore. Unfortunately, there are some weird glitches that stand out in the
otherwise impressive world. The framerate has received a bit of a boost, but
still stutter at times.

Sound: 9.0
The on-board sound effects are great, just as in the first game, and the
soundtrack is diverse and sounds good in the game.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
The game opts to go the subtle route in its improvements over its
predecessor. The story elements should have been fleshed out a lot more.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Multiplayer got a big boost this year, courtesty of online freeskate and
diverse co-op modes.

Overall: 8.0
Skate 2 is a solid, albeit incremental, improvement over the first Skate.