When the EA video game Skate originally came out in 2007 it changed the way a lot of gamers looked at skateboarding games. It offered a more realistic approach to skateboarding games that wasn’t available outside of the arcade.

Skate 2 however has built upon its predecessor and it appears that EA and the developers at Black Box have listened to the original games fans. In the new game there are some welcomed improvements on top of the innovative formula that made it so popular in the first place.

The game opens up with a awesome real-life movie sequence that shows your faceless character on their last day in a minimal security prison. It appears that the city of San Vanelona has changed a lot since Skate.

The City Council and Chamber of Commerce are trying to stamp out skateboarding skateboarders in their proud city – resulting in you spending some time in solitary confinement for trespassing. After the Council failed to maintain law and order from their skateboarding prohibition, the city of San Vanelona was in a worse state than ever from the rebellious urban uprising.

Enter Mongocorp, a mega-corporation who stepped in and bought out most of the CBD. Mongocorp introduced skateboarding proofed structures and are the salary keepers of some of the toughest security guards in town – employed to keep skateboarding punks like you off the streets.

What was once a skateboarding paradise is now a skateboarding war-zone with the crackdown causing the local skateboarding populace to find safe havens around the city. One of these is Slappy’s Skate Park where your character will get to run through a tutorial and learn the tricks of the trade.

Before you are able to hop on your skateboard, you get a chance to create your own skateboarder for the career mode. Unfortunately the complex customization levels that we’ve seen in previous games isn’t present in Skate 2 but it still possible to create an almost virtual you using the preset face and body shapes and then a limited array of tweaks to fine-tune your character. Somewhat like making your Mii.

The game does allow you to choose a male or female skater too, although you can tell that EA checked their target market as the female selection of customizations are severely limited when compared to the males. There is an impressive selection of branded clothing, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, jewelry and more. But the choice of skateboarding skateboard decks, trucks and wheels are really where the skaters will get excited as you can choose from all the leading brands including Mystery, Almost, Baker, Blind, Element, Girl, Flip and a bunch more. The clothing range of accessories and boards will keep you busy trying to earn some cash money out on the street for sure.

Despite New San Vanelona being run by youth-hating big business suits, the city is still packed full of perfect skateboarding areas if you know where to look. Many rails in the central areas have been capped or bracketed to prevent grinding but as you meet fellow skaters you will find some of these obstacles can be removed!

The security guards have increased in numbers, but are also a bit more intellectual now as well. Often signaling other security guards further up to try and block you and what not. Getting nailed by a guard results in an instant bail, sometimes some cash taken off you and possibly the area being skate-proofed.

Control-wise the game is instantly familiar to those who played the first Skate game. The left stick controls your movement and the right stick is used as a “flick” styled controller to signal tricks or special moves.

One of the most irritating things that any player of Skate will agree with was the fact that you couldn’t get off your skateboard – apart from being launched from it accidentally. Which meant that if you were stuck in front of some stairs or in a grassy area – you had to keep kicking out, trying to jump and would usually get nowhere.

Fortunately, the games developers have heard the cries and now in Skate 2 – you are free to get off your board and run around on two legs. Pressing Y allows your character to ascend stairs, drop your skateboard to move obstacles around for a better trick or to get past security without a possible scuffle.

Despite this feature being totally awesome, it still isn’t perfect. It almost seems that the off-skateboard action was a last minute add-on with the movement controls on two-feet being clumsy and awkward.
Especially when trying to move ramps or to line-up a trick before hopping on your skateboarding skateboard. To be fair though, you will spend most of your time skating anyway so possibly this control system was intentional to encourage onboard action.

Another welcomed addition is the camera angle setting. The original game had a stylish cinematic low-angled camera that rode next to your knees allowing you to truly get a sense of speed and to see your footwork.

Unfortunately, it meant that trying to see obstacles coming up almost impossible. Now you have the choice of either High or Low angled cameras and personally the High camera makes a dramatic difference.
EA Black Box has also kept the amazing replay editor intact too, allowing you to replay a killer Front side 360 Nollie trick, or just watch you face-plant into the pavement. The spills in Skate 2 are just as rewarding as nailing tricks thanks to the slow-motion replay and the Hall of Meat awards you for serious injuries.

On top of the Career mode (you trying to get famous and respected) you can partake in street races, trick contests, and a mode called Own the Spot where you prove your worth on a particular area with the best moves and heaps more.

Getting around the free-roaming city can be time-consuming but your on-screen radar lets you find your way around the skate map. You can even hitch a ride with cars by grabbing onto their bumpers but the rides are often short-lived and end painfully.

You also have the ability to place a marker anywhere on the skateboarding map that allows you to be teleported back to it at any stage in the game. Perfect for trying to land that seemingly impossible jump.

Skate 2 is pretty much that perfect skateboarding game that should keep both hardcore skateboarding fans and casual gamers entertained and passionate about the world of skateboarding. Sure, there is still room for improvement but overall Skate 2 by EA appears to be the final nail in Tony Hawks game series coffin.

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