frankthetank's Profile

The Good: The game is very, very good. The mechanics, physics, and animations match so perfectly real skateboarding. The city is huge and there are so many nooks, crannies, and hidden spots it would take a lifetime to find all the lines to skate. The sense of speed you get when bombing a hill is phenomenal. The developers even went as far as adding speed wobbles which shows the level of intricacy. The trick system is great and, once you get the hang of it, not as impossible as people make it seem. It is so fun to just cruise and hit a huge rail. You get a sense of accomplishment from doing normal tricks (i.e. a kickflip backside lipslide actually takes some thinking). The video editor is a nice addition and is really fun to play around with if you just had a sweet run or stunt. The ragdoll physics are fun and if you, like me, skate, you'll appreciate all the finer details of this game.

The Bad: First of all, the idea of this camera guy following you is cool, but the camera angle can be troublesome. Most the time it's not a huge deal, but when trying to land on a narrower pathway or rail it can be hard to line it up. The load times are long and frequent, but with a city so massive and living, can you blame them? Pedestrians and other skaters only get in the way a few times, but when they do (like during contests) it is annoying. People complain that the game is too hard. Yes, the game is a little hard in some spots, but definitely not impossible. The biggest gripe I have is the fact that you cannot leave your board. When I see a nice handrail that I am dying to hit, in real life, I would be able to get off my board and walk to the top of the stairs. In SKATE, however, you are forced to skate around the building in search of the rail. It does help that you can set a "start" location and return there with the push of a couple buttons, but it gets really annoying not being able to get off your board and climb some stairs, jump up onto a ledge, etc.

Overall: SKATE is a great looking and feeling game. Fans of the Tony Hawk series will enjoy the change in scenery and gameplay, especially if they’ve spent a good deal of time on a real skateboard. There are some minor gameplay issues that are frustrating, but not game-killers in any regards. SKATE offers skateboarders and gamers a chance to live out all their true-world skating fantasies. The city is huge and alive and the spots are endless. And trust me, I’ve been skating for five years and SKATE (in its animations, physics, and mechanics) is so close to the real thing it is amazing. Fans of skateboarding and “alternative sports” games will get a lot out of SKATE.