15 Years Later, Skate 2 Is Still the Best Blueprint for the Skate Franchise

The Skate franchise is set to make a comeback in the form of Skate, which will hopefully either meet or exceed the peak game of the series: Skate 2. It's been fifteen years since the second entry in the Skate trilogy was released, but it still manages to hold up against modern skating games like Session: Skate Sim. As EA's Full Circle works on Skate, one can only hope that it takes some inspiration from Skate 2, whose personality, perfectly balanced gameplay, and world design all combine to create a truly special gaming experience.

Released in 2009, Skate 2 arrived during a period of fierce competition in the game industry. It launched in the middle of the seventh console generation, during a year which saw the release of games like Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and many more. It says a lot, then, that Skate 2 managed to carve out a space for itself among its competitors, landing with casual players and skating enthusiasts alike. It was quickly considered one of the best skateboarding games ever released, iterating on the sim-style skating mechanics of its predecessor and continuing to provide a more grounded alternative to the behemoth Tony Hawk franchise. Though Skate 3 would make many objective improvements and introduce some interesting new ideas, Skate 2 still represents the pinnacle of the franchise, and Skate should use it as a blueprint.

Related

Cross-Progression Makes Perfect Sense for New Skate Game

Skate will feature cross-progression, which is a perfect feature for a game that will be available on multiple platforms, including mobile.

Posts

By  Smangaliso Simelane

Skate 2 Is 15 Years Old, But It Feels Brand New

Skate 2's Physics Strike a Perfect Balance

Other skateboarding games of Skate's era were built around an over-the-top philosophy, with the central focus being to land and chain together as many tricks as possible, with little concern for realism. There's nothing wrong with this, but the Skate games pride themselves on their grounded, thoughtful movement and trick systems. Indeed, physics are a major focus of the Skate games, and Skate 2 does it best.

The first Skate game was, arguably, focused on realism to a fault. The game was more focused on the street level, and while street skating (as opposed to park and stadium skating) is a major focus of the series, the slower, more deliberate movement of the game lacked variety and excitement. Conversely, Skate 3 turned the dial until it broke, allowing the player to reach breakneck speeds and perform highly improbable maneuvers, like riding completely upside-down on a flat ceiling or magnetizing to sheer surfaces. This can make Skate 3 feel more like a Tony Hawk game, lacking the weight and consequences of its two predecessors.

Skate 2 splits the difference perfectly. It cranks up the intensity and speed from the first game, but contextualizes it within its level design and never breaks immersion; Skate 2 still feels connected to its skating-simulation roots, encouraging deliberate play through its physics. This can make Skate 2 both slower and more challenging than Skate 3, but ultimately much more rewarding, as players can focus more on pulling off technical tricks and movements within the perfectly tuned confines of the game's mechanics.

San Vanelona Is the Best Map in the Skate Series

Conjured as an amalgamation of Vancouver, Barcelona, and San Francisco, San Vanelona combines many of the most iconic elements from these three world-famous skating cities. While Skate 3's Port Carverton features some interesting areas, it ultimately fails to recreate the sense of cohesion and believability offered by San Vanelona. Skate 2's map, thanks to its clever, varied design and memorable locations, manages to be one of the most exciting and interesting sandbox open-worlds of its time.

San Vanelona's design is another area where Skate 2 shows its ability to balance its style and design to achieve great success over the other two entries. Unforgettable areas like the sprawling Mega Complex are just over-the-top enough to be a worthwhile escalation of the first Skate's map, while still being believable within the game's grounded setting. Just like its treatment of physics, Skate 3 goes a bit too far with its overworld, offering a map that is occasionally too exaggerated, with a greater emphasis on massive skateparks rather than interesting, street-level spots. At the same time, Port Carverton is a bit more bland than San Vanelona, not doing enough to compete with the latter's textured, gritty atmosphere and style.

How the New Skate Should Learn from Skate 2

While it's already clear that Skate will be different from Skate 2 in a number of key ways, it would still benefit from adapting certain vital elements from the series' middle entry. For one thing, its map design should be inspired by the San Vanelona of the second game, even if it does take a few more minor notes from Port Carverton along the way. Additionally, Skate should stick to the franchise's roots as a grounded, skate-simulation game, eschewing the less believable elements present in the third game. Other, smaller elements of Skate 2 that Skate should build on include:

• Local multiplayer
• Object manipulation/impromptu spot construction
• Offboard movement
• A lighthearted, no-frills single-player campaign

With modern, Skate-inspired skateboarding simulators like Session: Skate Sim on the market, Skate is going to have a lot more competition than its predecessors. Because of this, it will have to stand out while reminding players why Skate is such a seminal franchise, and following the lessons set by Skate 2 is the best way to do that.