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While the sport of skateboarding has always been synonymous with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, gamers were given an unexpected surprise when EA Black Box delivered Skate in the Fall of 2007; a fresh take on the extreme sport with a touch of realism and an innovative control scheme. Now with their follow-up title of Skate 2, the developers over at Black Box are looking to improve on their original formula with a number additions and increased content that's sure to keep players entertained.
Skate 2 improves on its predecessor in a number of ways. The original Skate was a sensation largely in-part to its Fight Night inspired control scheme. Using the right analog stick to pull off most of the game's moves and tricks, players were able to execute stunts and impressive maneuvers with ease. Black Box has retained the same control scheme with Skate 2 but with a few additions to help keep things interesting. Hand plants, foot plants, and hippy jumps can now be integrated into your tricks and can be pulled off quite easily. It is an incredibly rewarding experience to see some of the sport's most signature moves finally being implemented into the Skate franchise.
But as the controls have been improved to make use of these news maneuvers, it cannot compare with Skate 2's biggest addition: the ability to dismount your board and explore the San Van on foot. Leaving your board for a more traditional means of getting around will offer the player with several new options. With the ability to climb stairs to gain ground and momentarily stop to consider your next move can be of great use, players will also be able to manipulate objects and set-up tricks while on foot. Even though larger objects such as cars cannot be pushed or pulled, players will find tons of creative freedom when moving around tables, ramps, and trash bins to create interesting obstacles to complete certain challenges. It adds to the level of customization and makes the player feel more in control of what's going on. The only thing which really mars this whole experience is the on-foot controls. To put it simply, the on-foot controls aren't the best in the world and for as much entertainment can be had by moving around objects and exploring otherwise inaccessible areas, the controls feel like an afterthought. It also doesn't help matters that the camera tends to work against your favor whenever you decide to take to the streets on foot.
Players will immediately notice how smooth the gameplay is as Black Box has upped the frame rate from 30fps to 60fps. It makes the execution of moves so much more enjoyable as players will become completely immersed in their tricks and perfectly calculated maneuvers. It is even more impressive considering that environments in Skate 2 are simply astounding, both in size and in detail. There is so much to see and so much to explore that covering every inch of San Van is a challenge onto itself.
As with the original Skate, players will able to skate to their heart's content and tackle the story elements and goals as they see fit. It such a blast to just explore the environments and discover all of the hidden areas, that players may very well forget that there is a narrative force behind this title. Skate 2 improves on the story-telling aspect by providing many goals to undertake and tasks to complete. There are so many paths to take that even the most difficult of challenges can be set aside without hindering one's progress.
Like its predecessor, Skate 2 allows players to directly warp to any challenge by simply selecting it from the map. This is a great feature since it allows players to go right into the action whenever they choose. And while many would think that this significantly tones down the level of exploration, players will realize that they will explore when they want to explore, without being forced to mindlessly skate from one objective to another. It's all about playing the game as you see fit and Black Box has made Skate 2 as accessible as possible.
The replay/film editor makes a return now with additional cameras to capture all the skater action for players to share with the gaming community. The additional cameras, one which stays close behind your skater and another which maintains a centered focus on the skateboarding action, help players better record their best and trickiest moves. The film effects from the original Skate however will come at a price this time around in the form of downloadable content. Paying a little extra to make your videos a tad flashier is all a matter of preference but one can't help but wonder why EA decided that players should pay for something which was free the first time around.
The multiplayer aspect of Skate 2 has been greatly improved since its last outing. With an enormous selection of location-specific goals and cooperative challenges, players will find that the online component is even more fun and than its single player counterpart. Players looking to show off their skills against others skaters will not be disappointed as Spot Battles and competitive options from the first Skate title make a return.
Skate 2 not only lives up to the innovation and insane fun of Skate, it surpasses it in ways that fans of the series and newcomers will be undoubtedly impressed by. The gameplay is by no means perfect, but players willing to look passed its minor shortcomings have a great gaming experience to look forward to. Never before have I been so taken with a skateboarding title and gamers of all kinds will find themselves engrossed by this title for many hours to come.
Fun Factor: Skateboarding at its best, Skate 2 is a clever mix of extreme sports fun and exploration.
Game Length: The single player can be finished in 6-8 hours.
Difficulty: Some of the challenges can be downright frustrating but other than that, the gameplay is quite forgiving.
On the Negative Side: On-foot controls are far from perfect.
Bang for your Buck: With an enormous number of challenges and a fantastic online component, Skate 2 will keep players coming back for more.
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