Pre-E3 2007: Skate - Three Hours Deep

Jun 26, 2007

The battle lines have been drawn and an epic conflict will soon grip skate fans. EA's Skate will take on Tony Hawk's Proving Ground to see who will rule the virtual skate park. But it doesn't have to be an either/or decision. In fact, these two games are so different you could probably enjoy both without feeling a touch of dżjż vu. If Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is the foosball of action sports titles, then skate is the air hockey table on the other side of the room. Both have their strengths and will attract a similar type of gamer, but they are two completely different experiences.

While it's easy to doubt that EA could pull off a completely unique and refreshing take on skating, that's exactly what developer Black Box has done. After riding around San Vanelona for a few hours, it's clear that Skate is not to be taken lightly. This is as real a skating experience as you can get on a console.

It begins with character creation. Who you choose to be makes a big difference in Skate, because you don't want to end up looking like a poseur (it's just embarrassing). Though a lot of the options aren't yet in the most recent build of Skate, by the time the game ships in September, you'll be able to choose from a variety of hairstyles, face and body types for your character. Then you can outfit him with dozens upon dozens of name-brand accessories. It should be noted that Skate is lacking any options for top hats. I guess they're saving that for the sequel.

You'll also choose from one of several character personality types. This affects your overall attitude towards life and opens up different taunts and celebrations. Pull off your first 360 Kickflip (no easy task) and then tap a direction on the d-pad to give a double-fisted thumbs up or similar exuberant expression. You can also taunt your opponents during S-K-A-T-E challenges or competitions if you're not interested in earning sportsmanship awards.

Because Skate has a very unique control scheme - one that's difficult to get the hang of, having spent the past nine years playing that other skating game - you will have to complete a few basic tutorials before being set loose on the fictional city of San Vanelona. This initial rudimentary tutorial will get your doing a few simple tricks, but little else. There are some pros that can show you a few new tricks throughout San Vanelona, but you are mostly on your own for discovering the subtleties of Skate. When I say subtleties, I really mean it. In the early goings, I was pushing the analogue stick to the extreme every time I grabbed air. But there are tricks for almost every motion - both to the full extent of the analogue stick and to the slightest touches. To manual, for example, you need to find the sweet spot roughly halfway towards the top or bottom of the thumbstick's radius. Getting this right while skating on the ground isn't too tough, but if you want to manual after gaining some air, it's quite a challenge. Tricks are also found in just about every area of the analogue's radius. For a 360 kickflip, you need to pull the right thumbstick slightly down and diagonal, but only about two-thirds of the way to the edge, then flick it quickly straight across. This is no easy task for a Skate newcomer.

The learning curve in Skate seems ridiculous at first. I'll admit that after my first hour with the game, I was beginning to wonder how anyone could possible pull off cool tricks without eating asphalt (or the bumper of an oncoming car). Part of the trouble is learning a new control system, but most of the difficulty comes in trying to excise the Tony Hawk training of the past decade. Slowly, but surely, something clicks and suddenly the wondrous world of Skate opens wide. From that moment, it becomes a long series of trials, as you attempt to teach yourself new tricks. Nothing needs to be unlocked - you just have to experiment and find out how to use your arsenal.

Aside from the standard air tricks and grinds, you will also have the chance to bomb hills. When skating down the heavily trafficked rolling hills of San Vanelona, the camera pulls in close to the board for an effect similar to Gears of War's Roadie Run. You aren't going to be pulling off an excessive number of tricks when speeding down a hill, so the change in camera angle won't cramp your style. In fact, it builds the sense of speed as you weave through traffic, pulling back for quick powerslides to avoid taking the bite out of someone's fender.

You can use your feet to gain some speed on these runs or you can figure out another subtle technique hidden in Skate. Pumping is a trick that allows you to gain speed without taking your feet off your board and can be useful in half-pipes or just about anywhere in Skate. Like the manual, this is a maneuver that requires a delicate touch to pull off. Your Right Trigger acts as a grab. And you can grab your board even if not in the air. Pull the trigger all the way down and your skater squats and takes hold of his board. But if you pull the trigger only a shade, your skater will bend his knees for just a second before popping back up. That's a pump. Like most things in Skate, it takes some time to nail down.

Throughout San Vanelona (which is a considerably large city) you'll find pros to challenge and spots to own. When you find a spot, you'll be given a point target. Pull off a trick on that spot that matches or beats the target and you own that spot. To make this game of trial and error a little more manageable you have the ability to create reset points. With the press of two buttons, you can set a marker. You can then skate, bail, or wander off to another area of San Vanelona. Press another set of buttons and you instantly return to your marker. This can be particularly helpful when you reach the X Games. There's a mega ramp in the X Games arena that I found myself flying down again and again and again, just to try and pull crazier tricks.

Skate is the kind of game that you can easily get lost in for a few hours. During my long playtest, I could have given a crap about finding challenges or earning points (which can unlock better boards and new clothes). It became a very Zen experience, as I explored the city, finding a few decent lines and trying to discover new tricks. In many ways, the early hours of Skate remind me a lot of Test Drive Unlimited - which is the rare racing game that manages to perfectly capture the peacefulness of a leisurely drive. There are plenty of objectives for those who need a bit more of a linear progression to their games, but I'm most looking forward to late night sessions where I just go where my wheels take me.

At some point, you'll probably want to pursue some of the challenges set about San Vanelona. Similar to Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, the challenges you accept and how you choose to skate will ultimately determine the type of skater you are. But where Proving Ground is a more structured system with skills and a definitive storyline, Skate is far more organic. That's pretty much the comparison that could be made between most aspects of these two titles. While there is a loose structure to the single-player campaign in Skate, it's very lax in comparison to Tony Hawk's more tried-and-true approach. Again, these appear to be two very different experiences that both happen to feature skateboards.

No matter what type of skater you become, your path will eventually lead to an invite from Danny Way to visit his new compound in Hawaii. This is the Everest of skate parks. It starts with the completely insane Megaramp, which shoots you high into the air and lands you in front of a quarterpipe, which can be used to pull some reality-defying stunts. Land clean out of the quarterpipe and you should have enough speed to power through the loop-the-loop, which shoots you off to another quarter pipe and over a massive gap and finally into a deep pool where you can continue to grab crazy air. It's an awesome way to spend an hour.

Though I've only had the opportunity to fool around with Skate for a short while, I'm already considerably impressed. Though visually Skate isn't going to win any prizes (except maybe second place in a beauty contest), it runs beautifully and is a joy to play. Vert skating is a lot easier to get a handle on, at least in the early goings. Finding lines and hitting tricks in the street is far more difficult. But part of the fun is embracing the challenge - especially with the knowledge that the only thing keeping you from succeeding is your own skill.

Skate is expected to arrive on PS3 and 360 in September. Lace up your Chuck's, there's only three months to go.