Skate 3

The Skate franchise burst onto the scene at a time when the Tony Hawk series was beginning to get a little too ambitious for its own good, and slowly losing its relevance. Skate's Flick-it system and a move back to realism captured the imagination of gamers, and by the time the second title hit shelves, it was the undisputed king of skateboarding games. Skate 3 is no different.

Following on 18 months after its predecessor, Skate 3's only competition comes in the form of Tony Hawk's Ride, which is poor competition indeed, but the series is getting close to the annual release cycle that sounded the death knell for the Hawk series. Naturally, such a short time between titles means that there are no major changes to the Skate formula, but rather a series of incremental refinements.

But let's face it, more Skate is no bad thing, and the addition of a new city to explore, new challenges, and an emphasis on teamplay means that this is sure to sate fans' interest, while making it the best game in the series for new-comers.

If you are indeed a new-comer, Skate 3 has gone out of its way to accommodate you, with a revised tutorial that features the hilarious Coach Frank (played by Jason Lee), and a raft of tools to help you master the sometimes fickle control scheme. Even series veterans would do well to go through a refresher course, or learn the new additions to the game, like underflips and darkslides.

Once again, the game starts off with a horrific accident that sees your character mauled, enabling a character creation section that doesn't mess with the narrative. Where Skate 2 was all about building your skater's profile as an up-and-coming name in the sport, Skate 3 sees him or her building a team and skateboard company. Success is measured in board sales, which is just a touch ironic, after the previous game's anti-corporation stance. Regardless, after the initial set-up, there is little or no enduring storyline, and, to be honest, the game doesn't really suffer for it.

After two visits to San Vanelona (three if you count the Wii game), the latest Skate game is located in the brand-new Port Caverton, which has clearly benefited from experience in terms of design, with skate lines feeling natural and offering a range of different ways to shred. The whole game-world also just feels cleaner than before, which could be attributed to fewer camera filters. In fact, the low camera angle and fisheye lens are no longer the default setting, with the game prompting you to choose camera hight, and the fisheye option buried in the menu.

It seems Black Box has taken cues from community criticism, and there is a noticeable drop in difficultly in Skate 3. Gone are the frustrating S-K-A-T-E games, and other challenges that might exceed your current skill level. Instead, all challenges come in two forms: Own It, or Kill It. Owning a challenge is significantly easier than in past iterations, while killing a challenge will require a particularly spectacular performance or a specific trick. Either way, getting stuck on a challenge is, thankfully, a rarity.

The Hall of Meat challenges make a welcome return, with even more options included for those horrific bails. Black Box has clearly identified Skate fans' more masochistic traits, and there is now an option to have the Hall of Meat permanently turned on, meaning each of your gnarly crashes is rated and scored.

Successfully completed challenges result in board sales, and board sales unlock more challenges. Get enough sales, and you can also add skaters to your team. Each team member is customisable, and there is an option to import your friends' created skaters if you feel that way inclined. A lot of the challenges in Skate 3 are team-oriented, but AI skaters are often more of a hindrance than help. But Skate 3's single-player experience all seems to lead up to the game's main innovation - online co-op play.

Online skate teams work much like clans, and those teams are able to take on challenges from the main game or take on other teams in a variety of multiplayer modes. The teamplay really comes into its own when dealing with particularly difficult challenges or in photo and video opportunities where multiple skaters fill the frame.

As usual, there is a focus on community input, with a photo and video editor and the option to upload your better (or worse) moments for all to see. The editing options are a little thin, but EA promises more tools to come in the form of downloadable content. The park creator, however, is intuitive and deep, meaning you can translate those dreams of a skater's paradise into reality.

Really, when it comes down to it, if you liked either of the previous Skate games, this is likely to be right up your alley. Conversely, if the other games didn't stick, this is unlikely to change your mind. There is a fear that the Skate series might follow the Tony Hawk franchise into obscurity with regular releases and the ever-present question of which direction to take in the future. As things stand, though, Skate 3 is easily at the pinnacle of skateboarding games, and thoroughly deserves the praise and support is seems to have maintained. So, limber up those thumbs, and get ready to shred with pros and friends alike.
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