Review: Skate 2 (360)

First impressions of Skate 2 are good. Once again, there’s a rather splendid live action film to kick off proceedings, which introduces the huge list of pro-skaters who feature in the game, and frames the plot, such as it is. After a spot of the American equivalent of a holiday at Her Majesty’s Pleasure, you’re back on the streets of San Vanelona, trying to rebuild your reputation as the best skater in town. The first few minutes of the game introduce us to the two major additions to the mechanics of the game: the ability to get off your skateboard and move objects about. From thereon in, we’re back to the gameplay we know and love, travelling around the city and undertaking all manner of skating related challenges, from capturing the best picture possible to out-skating the pros.

Indeed, if there’s one complaint that could be levelled at Skate 2, it’s that the single player career is far too similar to the first game in terms of both activities undertaken and progression. Once again, the ultimate goal is to make it to the cover of both the Skateboard Mag and Thrasher, dethroning the same pros as in the last game en route. Yet somehow this repetition doesn’t matter, and Skate 2 never suffers for it. In part, this is because of the changes made to San Vanelona itself. Not exactly small to begin with, and arguably the most important character in the first game, the city is now even bigger and better than before. New San Vanelona; rebuilt, the game tells us, because of an Earthquake; certainly contains location that fans of the first game will recognise, but has been changed enough to offer a significantly different experience. As with the last game though, very rarely are the best lines and spots obvious. Of course, there are dedicated skate parks, but the real satisfaction is in avoiding the obvious and finding fun off the beaten track. In addition, parts of the city have now seen anti-skate measures put in place, meaning that a swift call to your urban-guerilla colleague is required to make the area skateable again. But, be seen skating where you shouldn’t be by security and you’ll find that on your next visit even more anti-skate measures have been installed.

Also preventing the gameplay from becoming trite is that the developers have slipped in a whole new trick set. The clever ‘flickit’ system that underpinned the last game remains. Veterans will soon find themselves popping out hardflips with ease, although newcomers to the game will find that ‘flickit’ remains as difficult to master as ever, but provides huge satisfaction to do so. Now included are hand and footplants, together with one foots and hippy jumps. Initially the new moves feel difficult to get to grips with, and just too fiddly. Yet, with perseverance, they soon become an important part of your trick armoury, with hand and footplants in particular adding a new dimension to the way you tackle the game. No longer are the choices limited to jumping over or grinding along something, but also planting it.         

Skate 2 looks even better than the original Skate. The soundtrack is top notch (ever if there is a little bit too much rock music for Gamestyle’s tastes) although the slating you receive from your cameraman and the pros should you repeatedly fail a task can get old, quickly. The accident physics have been beefed up and are even more wince-inducing that those in the first game. With the addition of the Hall of Meat challenges, hurting yourself has become a part of the game almost as enjoyable as the skating itself. Sadly, getting off your skateboard feels awkward and clumsy, although this undoubtedly adds to the game (climbing to the roof of a building to jump into the drained swimming pool below is awesome) it seems a little jarring that your turning circle seems bigger on foot. Moving objects is far better implemented, however. Position dumpsters and benches to create your own spots adds a whole level of depth to the game. Coupled with the online create a spot feature, whereby you can upload your own spots for other players to download, and it becomes a competition in its own right to make the best.

The online portion of the game is far better implemented than last time. In addition to the previously mentioned create a spot, the game to website interactivity, whilst not totally fixed, is greatly improved. More players are allowed in a lobby, lag has been more or less eradicated and earning the bragging rights by winning a spot battle remains as fun as ever. The addition of a feature whereby you can vote for your favourite line, even if it isn’t the highest scoring is a nice touch. Sadly, it seems that ranked matches are becoming the domain of glitchers and cheats and are perhaps better avoided in favour of games with friends. Photos and videos can be tagged with descriptions prior to being uploaded, which makes finding what you want from the community easier.   

The problem facing this game is that, despite the weight of expectation placed upon it, without anything as different or evolutionary as the ‘flickit’ system which made the first game, Skate 2 was always going to struggle to make the same impression. What Skate 2 does offer is a more refined experience with a much better online engine. Although it feels a little too much like a retread of the first game at times, there’s enough new content to keep things fresh and the game offers more than enough challenge to keep you hooked. Once again, the developers have provided an excellent game, thoroughly deserving of your time and attention.

Rating: 8 / 10

Words by Andy Lucas