Thoughts on Skate 3…

May 30th, 2010

Full-fledge reviews of Skate 3 can certainly be had elsewhere but precisely because it is iterative, let’s nitpick, shall we?

Things to like:

• Crowd Control: Fewer cars, less annoying pedestrians, and no more guards hassling you. Because there’s enough to worry about when you’re trying to gap a set of thirty stairs.
• An Inviting City: The map is overall more inviting a more skate-friendly than ever; breaking the map up into distinct sections also allows the designers to kill the “dead zones” connecting otherwise interesting areas.
• Darkslides: Cool mechanic (and a pretty trick) that is suitably difficult to pull off.
• Own The Park: A fantastic new mode that’s reminiscent of the two-minute level challenges that were the hallmarks of Ye Old Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1-3.
• 1-Up: This replaces Skate 2′s “skate” game, but it’s much more forgiving– you don’t have to replicate every flick-it trick, which is a highly welcome change.
• Rise And Walk: Off-board controls now with 100% more realistic walking!

For all of this, there are some things yet to bemoan…

• “What” Ain’t No Country I’ve Ever Heard Of: I have this nitpick with ATMs, as well. You know it’s me, why do have to ask me what language I want to use every single time? Especially for a game that has relatively little text. Annoying.
• And Away We… There Already?: With all of the competitions beat and several other challenges bested, over thirty challenges still remain. Yet, I reached the million-boards sold milestone some time ago. If there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that people love to unlock shit, so give us more to unlock.
• This Park Again?: The Maloof Money Cup was paid DLC for Skate 2. Here it’s part of the core game. It’s a cool park and all, but it smacks of laziness (like reusing the Matrix Plaza from 1 to 2 did).
• Paying For A Filmer Pack: Again, EA? Really? This is setting a bad precedent. Edit: As of today, I no longer see the filmer pack listed in the DLC, and all camera options appear to be available. Thank god.
• A Wrench In My Pocket: Trucks and wheels make a big difference and given the variety of challenges you encounter, you should be able to change this up more easily, ideally without having to quit your current challenge.

Overall I do love the game, and it’s got vast improvements over Skate 2. Here’s hoping we get a little more depth and user-friendliness in the next iteration.

Entry Filed under: Video Crack