Skate 2 Preview

Flying through the air with nothing but a board between you and the world below; is there really anything more thrilling? Well if pulling off ollies, grinds, flips and drops get your blood running, then you'll be excited to hear the Skate 2 is officially coming out—even if it doesn't currently have a release date. For you die hard skate fans, you probably remember San Vanelona. What started out as a skater's paradise was quickly, and brutally, destroyed in the first game. In keeping with the timeline, the world in Skate 2 is still pretty banged up and those parts that have been restored have done so without any skaters in mind. In fact the MongoCorp has pretty much turned the entire city into a no skate zone. But since when has a few skate stoppers and some loosely enforced rules stopped skaters from doing what they want?

In this new world you will have to get creative in order to pull off some of the sickest tricks around. And with the new addition of a "world grab" button, you can really immerse yourself in the stunts. Just like before, the two joysticks act as your feet but now you have the RB button to act as your hands. When you catch some major air, a quick tap of the RB button can have you grab the board and send yourself into a major flip. Just make sure you really do get up high enough or the fall could be a bit more than painful.

Another new feature the game offers is movable objects. Say you want to grind down a rail, onto a table then after you land, jump off your board and over a bench only to land back on the grip tape for a resounding finish. Well feel free my friend and just make sure your timing is spot on or it may be the last trick you pull. With these new additions, the amount of tricks in the game has doubled. Now you can ollie with one foot, do awesome footplants and if you get good enough, even try your hand at some fingerflips.

The only option that seems to have fans nervous is the ability to get off your board. While this may seem like a small detail, previous games of this genre have been put under scrutiny for such a small choice. But the developers at Black Box have assured gamers that this is merely for convenience. Rather than forcing yourself to ollie up a flight of stairs or better yet attempt to defy gravity and physics by clearing them with a massive jump, why not just walk?

Although some of these tweaks have great benefits to them, many gamers are worried that the purity of the Skate franchise may be in jeopardy. Where the first game felt real and simple, the newest game has some worried it may be over complicated and frustrating. Even with EA's reassurance that all the changes really are for the better and won't take away from what made Skate fans love the original, gamers will just have to decide for themselves when the game comes out. But we will say this about the game so far, it looks beautiful and like it will be a real treat to try out.