Skate 3 Review

19 May 2010 at 17:47:38 by Andy Alderson
Systems used to review this title: (PS3)

With the new Skate comes a new setting and fans of the franchise will be glad to hear that Port Carverton – unlike Skate 2's San Vanelona - is a true skater's paradise. San Vanelona's hostile security and skater sabotage have made way for the cornucopia of ledges, rails, hubbas, ramps, parks and spots in Port Carverton. The result is the best Skate game to date. And, let's face it, Skate has always been THE skater's game, so that's some accolade. While Skate 3 isn't exactly problem-free, it's clear Black Box has paid close attention to its community when crafting the game.   

Like in previous games, you play an anonymous skater tasked with building up his reputation in the city, only this time it's not just your reputation you have to worry about. In Skate 3, the focus is on team skating and so you're tasked with forming your very own squad of skaters. As such, you can  create your own gang of supercool skater kids or, if you're like me, a neon gaggle of superfreaks with names like Jonny Thundertits. Boards act as a kind of currency in the game and, the more you sell, the more the game will reward you with unlocks.

But you can't expect to become an icon in the skating world without becoming a pretty skilled skater first. Like in the previous games, the left stick controls your direction while the right stick takes care of your tricks. For example, a simple down-up flick of the right stick will perform an ollie, while a down-diagonally up movement will activate a flip trick.  You can grab the board with the triggers and move in the air/on a rail with the left stick. X and Circle are used to push while Triangle allows you to ditch the board and wander about on foot. If, like me, you thought the off-board controls in Skate 2 were about as responsive as a coma patient, you'll be glad to know they've been tightened up this time around. Running around is now much more intuitive and barely ever results in your skater crumpling into a ball of fucked-up physics  for no reason.

And, on a very basic level, that is the game's control scheme. However, Black Box has managed to squeeze so many tricks into the game that we've really only scratched the surface. There are a ludicrous amount of tricks to string together in Skate 3 and you'll be glad Black Box included a Trick Guide to help you pull off some of the more advanced manoeuvres. Which you'll need to progress through the game's many, many challenges.  

Whether you're skating for photos, filming or taking part in street contests, tranny contests (not quite what I was expecting), death races and own the spot, there is always something to keep you occupied in Skate 3. The game offers a huge amount of variety and one of its strongest features is the ability to jack in whatever you're doing, warp to somewhere else in the city and start a new challenge. Following on from the progress made in its predecessor, Skate 3's challenges are very-well conceived and Black Box deserves credit for crafting a solid difficulty curve.

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