With each iteration of the Skate franchise, the game becomes less “that other skating game” and more of a serious competitor with Activision’s Tony Hawk games. When Tony Hawk: Ride was release with its skateboard peripheral, it definitely raised some eyebrows. This gives the Skate series the opportunity to convert some fans who still want to play from the couch. Will Skate 3 deliver or fall and skin its knees?
The first two Skate games took place in San Vanelona, a city full of angry police who treated skaters like the plague. Skate 3 is ditching this bummer of a city for the more relaxed and skater friendly Port Carverton. Rather then rebelling against the man, Skate 3 is all about starting up your own board company. The career mode will be all about building your companies brand and selling some boards. The more challenges you complete the more your brand gets noticed and better your company does.
If you struggled in past Skate games, don’t worry. That has been addressed along with the grumpy San Vanelona. Not only are there three difficulty levels now, but Port Caverton has less litter for you to get hung up on. Additionally you have the ability to yell at people and get them out of your way. This should help prevent the frequent botched tricks as a result of running into people or hitting loose soda cans. A tutorial in the form of Skate School should also help out the uninitiated.
Playing online is a big part of Skate 3. It is actually possible to play your entire career online in coop mode with friends. After all, skating just isn’t as fun when you are by yourself. Additionally, any custom characters created by your friends will make their way into your game. You will occasionally see AI versions of your friends skating around town, which is a nice touch.
If Skate 3 has learned from its mistakes in the past, then this could be the best skating game this generation. My biggest concern is the serious lack of helmets. Those avatars are doing some crazy stunts and will probably be falling down a lot. They really need to protect their heads. Safety first!
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