Skate 2

Skate 2 allows gamers to participate in some third-person skateboarding action without the broken bones and bruised ego. Set in a generic US city the objective is to rise from low level wannabe to superstar. For this review we tested the Playstation 3 (PS3) version. After a quick bit of character customisation it’s time to hit the streets. In true sandbox style there is an entire city to skate around freely but to progress through the game set objectives must be completed in order. Almost all missions involve travelling across the city to a skating location. Then performing set tricks exactly as instructed without deviation. The slightest mistake means having to start from the beginning of the challenge again. Considering that almost all tricks are selected via a single analogue stick on a console controller mistakes will happen easily which causes massive frustration.  Once tracks are being performed the visuals are impressive, as is the character modelling when it comes to movement. The world is certainly big enough so once a couple of tricks have been learned there is enough here to keep even the most dedicated gamer occupied for a week. It’s not GTA IV in size but more a town in comparison. Once the single player campaign is completed there are multiplayer party modes rewarding high scoring tracks and impressive crashes adding longevity.   Overall State 2 is a nice attempt. They key problem comes from the control system. Needing to press five buttons at once to perform a trick is common, then there is the single analogue stick selection. The reason it’s such a problem is on a round button pressing up accurately means one trick while 10 degrees to the right means something different. Considering the player has all the other buttons to focus on in addition it’s not exactly notice friendly. So you may become more than a little annoyed with that controller frequently.  There is a feeling that Skate 2 is a half measure between releases. Everything is here but not tweaked enough to be considered a real rival to Tony Hawk and his franchise of massively popular titles. Still, since it’s all down to how many purchase the title we may see a new winner of the war between franchises, so long as publicity and not quality is the defining factor. Overall once the controls are eventually mastered the game is fun but a lot of gamers may run out of patience before then.