Impressions of Skate. From a Skateboarder

Being a gamer and a skateboarder doesn’t allow for me to criticize to many games without getting a little backlash because hell, I don’t know shit about sports games and I really don’t care. However I do know skateboarding, I eat and breathe this shit. So any chance I get to make fun of or point out all the problems with a skateboarding game I take it.

With that said, skate. is an amazing game that is finally taking the scene in the right direction. For years I have watched the Tony Hawk series destroy what it had started with the 2nd and 3rd Tony Hawk games (I saw those two because they were the best). Tony Hawk put to much focus on over the top fantasy skateboarding and forgot about the core group of individuals who allowed for the series to really take off; the real skateboarders.

EA on the other hand has it right in more ways than I can even describe, giving all the power to your thumbs is simply brilliant and I wouldn’t have it any other way. For those of you that have not had the chance to play the demo yet I highly suggest you do because it truly is an enjoyable experience as both a veteran Tony Hawk gamer and skateboarder.

This game is set to truly represent skateboarding in the most accurate way I have seen to date. With that said, this game is not easy by any means, while I have only played the demo a few times I would have to say the ease of picking up the controller and getting into the game was more difficult that I anticipated and thats well actually not a problem to me. Skateboarding is hard, really hard, and it takes a long time to get good at it, so why should the games be so damn easy? X, Square, Left and you got yourself a kickflip or heelflip; thats not skateboarding, thats more like streetfighter combo skateboarding.

The Introduction of the flickit technology is really incredible and just makes the game feel so good and so real. If you miss the pop in the game you miss the pop you don’t get that late weird feeling like Tony Hawk games, if you approach a rail from a 90 degree angle your not going to magically start griding it in the right direction your going to fall flat on your face. Not only that but the game even makes you push, that means theres not magically force throwing you up hills and down stairs, it’s actually you moving your character in every possible way. Lastly the game utilizes the triggers as the skaters hands for grabbing the board, you can then use the board stick (the right thumbstick), to tweak the board and your grab.

While I admit the 30ish minute session the game allows you is just a scratch off the surface I see this game as being one of the best skateboarding games to date and will finally correct all the errors that the Tony Hawk series has committed.  If your a skateboarder your going to want this game, if your a gamer with the desire to challenege yourself and maybe finally feel what a skateboarder feels even on such a small level then I highly recommend it.

One last think, flipping into a manual in this game is just as rewarding as manually like… all the time just to give you guys and idea of how good I felt landing a manual in the game hahaha.