Last year, developer Full Circle and publisher Electronic Arts did what many believed impossible; they finally released a new entry in their beloved skateboarding video game franchise, Skate. Stylized as “skate,” this brings back the flick-it control scheme to the brand-new fictional city of San Vansterdam. Despite some hiccups from its initial release, it feels like Full Circle is on the cusp of making a solid free-to-play version of Skate, but some aspects are a bit sketchy.
The one facet that Full Circle got mostly right from the jump was Skate’s gameplay. Its gameplay is near perfect. Rolling around has never been more fun, as most of the tricks from previous entries are back and work as expected. The addition of slappys and impossibles has been a welcome addition, as it helps diversify any given line.
At launch, there were some tricks that were absent from Skate that were in the original games, or just didn’t feel great to execute. That includes darkslides, handplants, and bonelesses. However, after multiple seasonal updates, those tricks have been added or worked on, and feel as smooth as can be. There really isn’t another skateboarding game that makes “simulation” skateboarding feel as fun as Skate.
I put simulation in quotes because, obviously, Skate gives players the freedom to play how they want. Do you want to just session a ledge for an hour to film the perfect line? You can do that. Do you want to skydive, drop into the side of a building, and christ air through a church window? You can do that too. The sandbox nature of the series’ gameplay is still present here, giving players tons of options to skate and create. The gameplay is the reason I’ve poured over 100 hours into this game.
And while those 100 hours don’t necessarily feel wasted, I do sometimes question why I’ve put so much time into Skate. Its gameplay may be incredibly solid, but many of the features surrounding it are not.
Of all the problems, though, Skate’s biggest miss is not putting a bigger spotlight on skateboarding culture. No, I’m not talking about the game’s “Fortnite” art style; I think that is the laziest excuse to hate this game. It’s the lack of partnerships with pro skaters and brands.
Related: How Skater XL and Session Got Me Back on a Skateboard
That isn’t to say that Skate isn’t taking steps in the right direction. The Dime and Nike SB limited-time events are positive signs. But I hope we see events like this more often in the future.
For example, Dylan Jaeb recently released his pro part for Quasi. If you haven’t watched it, please do. It is very good. But what if Skate timed a Quasi spotlight with Jaeb’s part, offering Quasi boards and apparel in its shop? Also, similar to Fortnite, what if you were able to watch that part in-game? It definitely takes some planning, but it would be awesome to see Skate actually be more in-tune with the actual industry in-game to some capacity.
Another piece of that puzzle is the brands currently present in the game. Yes, Nike, Vans, Adidas, and Santa Cruz are incredibly popular brands in general. It makes sense why those are present. But it is definitely missing a broader range of brands more closely tied to the skateboard industry.
The closest the game has gotten to this is with Sci-Fi Fantasy, which is a solid addition. It would be great to see brands that are more well-known in the skateboarding world on that level, like the previously mentioned Quasi. Also bringing in classic brands like Baker, Deathwish, or Real would be solid additions to the brand lineup.
I also miss seeing the real pro skaters skating around the city, like in the old games. Again, adding stylized versions of pros and making their kits available would be a cool way to bring in more enticing content and gear to the shop. I don’t know if he would want to be added, but imagine accepting a challenge from Jamie Foy asking you to front crook some big ass rail. Then, when you complete it, you are rewarded with some Dickies pants or some shit. Something is needed to bring people back beyond the daily, weekly, and monthly seasonal challenges currently in place.
Again, I think Full Circle and EA are trending in the right direction with stuff like this. I just hope it doesn’t become “too little, too late.
Beyond that, my gripes with Skate are what my gripes are with most free-to-play early access games. The store doesn’t have enough exciting gear to convince me to spend too many actual dollars on it. That gear is also incredibly expensive, with some Nike shoes costing nearly $10. Beyond some of the Half Cabs and Sci-Fi Fantasy gear, there haven’t been too many cosmetics I’ve had a desire to pick up.
This same sentiment is somewhat shared with its Season Pass content. Season 3 was definitely a step up from the previous Seasons, with items I actually am excited to get, like the purple Thrasher hoodie and the Vans Eras. I do think it can still add some more enticing content, which will hopefully happen as the game progresses. I have faith that it will, considering how much it has improved between Season 1 and 3, but I will remain cautiously optimistic until that improvement finally drops in.
Despite all those gripes, they don’t really outweigh my positivity towards Skate. I play this game nearly every day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes. This is the perfect example of “gameplay is king.” I really enjoy skating around San Vansterdam, and will continue to enjoy it as long as this game is around. I just Skate will have its own redemption arc, and not end up like many of the live service games before it.
Bantam Banter 