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Skate 2 Preview

Scheduled release date:
January 21, 2009
Publisher:
EA
Developer:
EA
Number Of Players:
1-2 (Online 16)
Genre:
Extreme Sports


By now you should be well aware of SKATE. It is the franchise directly responsible for the break the Tony Hawk series had to take for 2008, making it the first missed year the series has since its inception. The impact EA had on Activision's skater was momentous, and now EA is looking to expand on their success with SKATE by delivering us an even bigger and better game; SKATE 2.

Taking place five years after the original, SKATE 2 shows you an abandoned San Vanelona that's dramatically changed. Following your unexplained disappearance from the scene, the city was the victim of "the disaster-too-gnarly-to-be-named." This disaster prompted a mass evacuation, and thus the abandonment of the city. A mega corporation, aptly, simply, and amusingly titled Mongocorp, wins the bid to rebuild the city. In the process, Mongocorp employs a series of security measures to get rid of the flourishing skate scene in the abandoned city, but you'll have to fight them every step of the way, showing that you're not willing to leave.

The goal of the game's career will be to rebuild the San Van skate scene, and you'll be given a few new features to do that with. First, you can now get off the board and walk around. This will also allow your skater to push and move objects around, giving you the ability to create your own custom lines. Next, a new set of tricks have been added to the mix, as your skater now has double the amount over the first game, such as one-foots, handplants, hippy jumps, and more.

Rebuilding the skate scene will require you to perform a variety of different tasks, which include unlocking more and more areas with skating potential, for example, like draining a swimming pool to use as a skate bowl. Furthermore, local crews will provide you with assistance, such as security of your own, helping you to keep your hair clean of rent-a-cops and any other potential obstacles.

Taking a cue from the Burnout page, SKATE 2 has a feature called the Hall of Meat, where you'll be encouraged to attempt the most bone crushing bail you can pull off. So feel free to plummet from as far up as possible while trying to land a trick, because these Slam Challenges will require a plethora of broken bones to complete. And hey, you'll even be able to customize your bails too. Sounds like fun to us!

With your new-found ability to move objects around and create your own skate spots, you'll be allowed to take these spots and upload them online for others to use. Likewise, you can download created spots, as well, and vote on the ones you like best. Of course, online options will include proper online gameplay, which you can seamlessly enter from the single-player campaign. Online modes haven't been detailed, but you can be sure to expect some great stuff. And when you're online, you'll be able to show the SKATE community the work you put together using the game's Graphics Creator, where you can customize the art on your hats, hoodies, and decks.

SKATE 2 is scheduled for a release January 21st. Fans of the original will not want to miss out.

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www
www
16 years ago

Good Lord! We don't have any news on the next DEF JAM,NBA street or SSX but some annoying Skate game.
I have Skate on 360,realism is okay but that doesn't mean it should overshadow SSX. SSX beats Skate hands down TO ME!

Arnold, WTF happened to those 3 franchises i mentioned above??????

CH1N00K
CH1N00K
16 years ago

Seriously? SSX better then Skate? It wasn't even close to being as realistic as skate was. Sure it was a fun game but too Arcade-ish. I think EA made some good coin on the last Skate (and Knocked Tony Hawk off it's throne) And they're going to do it again. The other series are getting played out. Basketball games are getting old and they're running out of new ideas,

SSX is an old tired series, After Amped/Coolboarders, Snowboard/ski games started winding down. Sure there is the new Shaun White, but it's just a slightly tweaked Amped with his name on it to sell.

I never played Def Jam, so I can't judge.

Skate is new and still has lots of development room so they're going to keep pushing the envelope until the popularity wears off. It's not just a button mashing skateboard game. You actually have to develop skills to play. I think EA is making the right choice of pushing Skate, especially after the few disappointment's they've released lately (I'm looking at you Need for Speed Series)

Daedusian
Daedusian
16 years ago

Yeah sry but Skate. is SO much better!

www
www
16 years ago

Skate was damn good for at least a week but started getting too damn repetitive.
Am surprised some of you really like it dearly so.

FallenClyro
FallenClyro
16 years ago

Nice preview, this is one of the game's that I'm looking forward to most for this year. I loved the first game and can't wait for this one!

Zorigo
Zorigo
16 years ago

is skate good?

caliblue15
caliblue15
16 years ago

I love skate with a passion, even though I am not a big skateboarding fan, its just fun, and does everything you would expect in real life.

Daedusian
Daedusian
16 years ago

Yeah man, you got to at least give it a rent. Don't bother with Skate1 tho, Skate2 is going to be much better!


Last edited by Daedusian on 1/2/2009 2:26:34 PM

Daedusian
Daedusian
16 years ago

That last paragraph just gave me goose-bumps!

opsdaddy
opsdaddy
16 years ago

@Caliblue15: Agreed. I liked Skate for its newfound injection of realism. Had a hell of a time learning the controls, though, after so many years of playing THPS (insert version here). Looking forward to this one mainly because the Tony Hawk series just lost its way over the years. The quality dropped dramatically after TPHS4, and so did its emphasis on skating. Here's hoping that Skate 2 can resurrect the genre. Gotta say the Hall of Meat idea sounds hilarious.