Firstly, with next generation sport gaming demanding the use of the right analog stick for complete control it’s opened up a whole new level of user interaction. And Skate 2 is no different. Instead of using face buttons for different tricks, stringing them together like it was a Mortal Kombat finisher, Skate 2 makes the player use the right stick, flicked in different motions, to simulate a skater kicking his/her board into the air and flipping it around. So, for example, every flip trick in skateboarding begins with an ollie, the standard jump technique, and this same principal carries through to Skate 2’s controls. Pull back on the right analog stick to make your skater bend his knees, and flick the stick up to make him jump and bring the board with him. You then complicate this motion by performing another analog stick motion for another trick. It takes some getting use to but really makes the player feel as though they are actually skating instead of just button mashing and makes the whole experience of Skate 2 much more engrossing.
Another thing Skate 2 does that caught me by surprise is that you’re actually able to get off your board and walk around. When I first found this out I was shocked, or is stoked better fitting? Granted this could have been in the first Skate game, but I never played it so I wouldn’t know. But allowing the player to dismount from his board and move around opens up a number of cool possibilities for creating some cool trick combos. For example, you could grab a jump and shift it in front of a railing allowing the player to hit the jump, perform a trick, grind on the railing, and perform one last trick on the dismount. Granted, a lot of Skating games allow you to perform a basic string of tricks like the one I just listed, but not in the exact fashion of your liking. Skate 2 does. It’s just a really cool feature that is utilized well enough here in Skate 2 where it’s an enhancement instead of a hindrance.
The graphics of Skate 2 are also something worth noting. While this is no Gears of War, Skate 2 does boast some rather fine looking visuals. Skate parks look dirty and player models move realistically both on and off a board. Crashes even look painful with the “Meat Truck” feature, allowing players to see what bones they broke and score some extra points for it because, ya know, skaters are hardcore. Visual damage is also shown with scrapes, cuts, bruises, and dirt cosmetically added to the player model.
With online play, and a story mode that will eat up hours, I’m confident to say Skate 2 will be a worthwhile purchase for those jonesin’ for some new skateboarding action. It might be the first skateboarding game I buy in ages and with me entering my 24th year of life I might need a reminder of what being a teenager was like.
