6 reviews

Skate

$60.00 Released September, 2007

The Pros:Controls really ARE revolutionary. Session marker makes it easy to continually practice the same line. Can view replays and clips from the web. Share with anyone.

The Cons:Low camera angle can make it difficult to play. Controls make playing very difficult for beginners. Can't mix multiple clips into one montage in the game itself.

Skate is the first skateboarding game released for next-gen consoles that is not part of the Tony Hawk franchise. EA's developers saw the success of Tony Hawk and felt they could do a better job, or at least appeal to a different segment of the market.

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Skate takes a simulation approach to skateboarding featuring a brand new kind of control scheme that EA markets as "revolutionary". Look at the Flick-It diagram to see the moves available.

Similar to other extreme sports games such as Tony Hawk, and Amped, Skate sees you hanging around various environments accomplishing challenges and tasks: hit a line, perform a certain combo, etc. Along the way you unlock new items and areas, though in a dramatic departure from Tony Hawk your skater doesn't have attributes that are upgraded. Instead it is your own skills with the controls that improves to allow you to handle bigger and harder challenges.

Similar to Tony Hawk, customization plays a big role in the game with all sorts of modifications available in changing the appearance of the rider and board. The softness/hardness of the wheels and stiffness of the board's trucks can also be changed to suit your riding style.

Controls

The controls are divided along logical lines which maps many skills to a few buttons. The left analog stick controls your body, meaning where you're facing while pushing along on the ground, and spinning when you're airborne. The right analog stick is responsible for your feet and is the crux of Skate's "revolutionary" controls. Unlike Tony Hawk where you simply press "up" to get your character to move forward, Skate has dedicated "push" buttons that must be pressed to propel your skater forward.

FlickIt is the marketing name that EA is plastering on top of its right analog control scheme. The name captures the motion that you perform to pull off an ollie, you first move the stick down and then flick it up. The longer you hold down/faster you flick up, the higher you ollie. Every flip and shove-it trick, and combination of both is a variation on this central mechanism seeing you flicking the right thumbstick in a variety of directions.

Each flick sequence makes logical sense. Flick diagonally to the right or left and pull off a kick/heel flip respectively. Swoop the stick and you'll pull off a pop shove-it. Now swoop a little bit and then move the stick diagonally and you'll perform a kick-flip pop shove-it.

Performing a manual is done by simply easing back or forward on the analog stick to lean in the proper direction. Grinds are triggered by landing on an appropriate edge or rail with no explicit button press required. The angle and orientation of your board when the grind lands, adjusted by the right thumbstick, determines what kind of grind you'll hit.

Skate.Reel

EA is incorporating a photo and video sharing portion to the game. At any time players can bring up a replay editor that lets you slow and stop time, along with changing camera angles. You can then take that cut movie and upload it to EA's server that stores it as a flash movie accessible and viewable on the web.

Differences with PS3 and Xbox 360 versions

There are no known differences between the two next-gen versions of the game other than the inclusion of achievements and rumble in the 360 version. A demo is available for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

User Reviews (6)

Add Pros & Cons

ProScore

Pros

6

Controls really ARE revolutionary
5

Session marker makes it easy to continually practice the same line
5

Can view replays and clips from the web. Share with anyone
5

Authentic board and wheel sound effects
4

Presentation captures skateboarding vibe extremely well
4

Great audio design with music picking up during intense moments
3

Graphics are amazing
3

Grinding is very satisfying

Cons

4

Low camera angle can make it difficult to play
4

Controls make playing very difficult for beginners
4

Can't mix multiple clips into one montage in the game itself
4

No lip tricks (hand plants, etc)
-1

Video sharing website is totally broken
-1

Supports only one uploaded clip at a time

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Omar: #skate I'm still playing the demo almost every single day, and as my skills increase I'm obviously enjoying myself even more. I just can't wait for the darn thing to finally release so I'm not stuck in the tiny demo area anymore! Actually, the biggest limitation of the demo is the lack of ability to save replays. There are a bunch of cool moments that I do but they're lost forever into nothingness. And I don't feel like uploading every single one of my replays to the net, saving the flash file, etc etc.

I figured out WHY this game is so captivating. It lets you recreate all those awesome skateboarding movies we all know and love. This is an important point that extends far beyond the replay editor. The game FEELS real, and it LOOKS fantastic. So I end up trying cool lines that I'd love to be able to do in real life, but obviously can't. But when I'm do a kickflip over a gap from one manual to another manual, that's something I've always wanted to do in real life, and now I'm doing it in the game - it feels good - and I can make a movie out of it.

It just all comes together so well. It's not just the control scheme. It's the animation system, the physics, the sound. It's a true "next-gen" experience. Sep 13, 07

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Omar: #skate I just played the demo and I just have to say one thing: this is by far the best skateboarding control ever. Period. I'm actually tempted to say that this is one of the best CONTROL schemes ever. For ANY game.

It's just amazing how good it feels. However, it is hard, and it's hard for 2 reasons. The game recreates the feel of skateboarding so well, that you actually need to have an idea on how to skateboard to play. So you're actually learning two skills at once. Learning to play the game, and learning how to skate.

Whereas in Tony Hawk the game was its own thing with very little relation to real skateboarding, so you just had to learn the game. At the same time, if you already know how to skateboard and understand the basics and all of that, then the game is extremely intuitive and just works.

I think that's also why there's such a strong polarization in opinions on this game. If you get the controls it's going to be one of the best sport games ever. If you don't get them, then you're going to met with frustration at every turn, and absolutely hate it. Does that make a good game for the market? I hope so, because I'd love to see this title do well.

I was always curious about their control scheme during all the previews and how it would actually feel when it was my hands. And i have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised. It really is a major step forward in controls. Not just for skate games, or even sports games, but all games. Big kudos to those guys. Aug 22, 07

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