Skate 2

Developer – EA, Black Box
Publisher – EA, Black Box

4.5 out of 5

-Players: 1-6
-Online Co-op: No
-Content Download-Yes
-Leader-boards-Yes
-Online play

Skate 2 starts off were the game “Skate” left off more or less. Once again EA got the crew to put there heads together and come up with one of the best intro, cinematic that you will see in any video game, bringing together all the pros that will appear in the game from Danny Way to Terry Kennedy.  The intro shows you being released from prison, back into the outside world; this is the start of your new skate adventure.  Rolling out of prison and back into civilization you head for Slappy’s, new park, yes that’s right if you played the first game you know who I’m talking about, and now he’s got his own park, taking the Place of  the “Reg’s” Park. This thing is massive and laid out really well. If you have never played “Skate” your in for an adventure and a half.

At Slappy’s you will be able to familiarize yourself with the skate controls, if you’re not already. While some tricks are done differently and there have been a lot of tricks added to the list, like “hippie jumps” and “super dudes” You can get oriented with the stick controls, they are pretty simple even for a first time player. Nothing better to do than to practice those new found thumb flicking, finger crunching, button mashing skills, you just found, than to do it with some very basic challenges. After these challenges are completed, you’re free to roam the new “San Van,” as most people know it by. Here I encountered the first surprise, skate stopper’s, however I met Mike in the game and he will help you out with getting rid of all those pesky skate deterrents. 

Skate 2 harnesses a very different trick system, as I mentioned before.  Compared to other games like Tony Hawk, most call it the flick system, and because this trick system has you flick your thumb, as apposed to trying to remember that wild sting of buttons. This is basically how your controls are laid out, if you deiced to pick this game up you will understand them (controls) far better. Using your left stick to steer and do those crazy spins you all ways wanted to do but never could. The right stick is used to do you’re the majority of ticks, by flicking the right stick you will get those mad flip trick going. Use your fingers to crunch the triggers and get some insane Grabs, the buttons and will allow you to do tweaks to your tricks, and if you use your bumpers you can do inverts/ hand plants. Combining tricks that use the triggers, and sticks you can expand your trick list even further, doing tricks like “360flip 360’s,” “late heal-flip 180’s,” don’t be afraid to go big, even crash a little, the more bones you break the more likely you are to get an achievement for it.....

        ......there are  bonus challenges, go hit up Danny for some big drops and all most impossible gaps I say impossible but hey aren’t it may just take a few tries to kill it, he loves to have you drop from the top of building into super big bowls. Danny even has you dump off a dam and jump through a power line tower, don’t try go too hi through the tower or you will likely hit something.

Rob Dyrdek even has some bonus challenges; both in the main game and in the “Fantasy Factory” content, his challenges are far more technical, than Danny’s “Go-Big” challenges. While the Bonus Challenges that Rob Dyrdek has you do are far more technical, I like theses tech challenges because I feel like my ability to link tricks are push just to the edge of my limit. I have spent close to 30 min if not more on some of his challenges, and at least that on other in-game challenges.

In this Skate game you can choose different “paths” to complete the career mode by beating the Pro’s in Games of S.K.A.T.E and by doing big trick of even bigger jumps at local contests. You will unlock slightly different ways of completing the game. They all lead to the same place so I don’t tend to worry about doing all the “Pro throw down’s.” There are only so many games of skate I can play before I’m sick and tired of them. Even filming video clips will change what happens in the game, well at least if the bonus filming is done. The Career will be as easy or hard as you make it depending on what you do. All though getting on the cover of “Thrasher” and “Skate Board Magazine” are far easier in this game, than they were in the original “Skate.” the tasks you must complete are still very tricky to accomplish, many time I chose to do the challenges over because you can do a better trick or make that moves you used already, more technical or flairy by adding a spin, gesture, or a tweak, they are still so much fun. And lets not forget about the races, the races in this game are so gnarly it makes me scared watching my player fly down the hills and trying not to fly strait into the grill of a police car, but as I found its very good for the bank account.  With all that extra cash from winning races I was able to purchase the 2 properties in the game, one of which I had to do a skate demo in before they would let me have it.

Don’t forget the sponsors; the line up is super gnarly most all the major brands of cloths, boards, and parts are in the game. And certainly don’t forget that downloadable content, hooking yourself up with the “Fantasy Factory” is a very good idea other content is available too. Once again for those achievement hunters these extras will bring your more possible gamer points, and more almost endless fun. Also I found that the online game play is, I think better than it was before, I think the game loads faster and connects to other players faster than it was in the original skate.  While some times I feel like I play with people who have no life but that of the video game because no matter how hard I try I can not for the life of me beat them, I still try to have fun.

You can head over to http://skate.ea.com/home.action were you can view the “Skate. Real,” Make graphics to add to your characters shirt, hat, or deck, make it as fancy or as simple as you like, it’s your world. These will un-lock an achievement for all those achievement hunters out there. Also while your there cruz around the “EA-Nation” there is so much to see and do. Even if this game type is not your favorite, I would at least rent it, I love these Skate games because I feel they are more realistic than any other game, but I do look forward to any other “skate” games that may be made.

One of the few bad things I found out about this game is that it is far touchier than the previous game. On a few occasions I have tried to do a plain old Ollie and ended up doing a double kick-flip, not really what I wanted to do when playing a game of skate. But other than that I found this game to be Very solid and well balanced. Great challenges, this is one of those games I will never trade in. Also I love gamer points more than the next guy but I HATE those “secret” achievements.