Skate 2

[poloplayr]

In previous posts I have expressed how much I have been looking forward to the new installment in EA's amazingly fun Skate series. After downloading the demo 2 days ago off PSN, I wanted to check in to see who else have tried it out - and what your views are.

First of all, I noticed a few things in the PS3 version.

1. It runs much much smoother than Skate 1. No annoying slowdowns/frame issues

2. Seems more difficult to bail - but this might be me getting better at the game :)

3. The ability to jump off the board to access new spots and re-arrange items to create killerspots is awesome!

[jcalder8]

I didn't know that the demo was out. But since it is I'll have to d/l it today and I'll post my impressions of it.

I hope they haven't made it easier to land tricks because that was one thing I really liked about the first one. From watching the trailer I thought that it looked like it was easier.

[rolligame]

Does anyone know if there is a demo on Xbox Live yet? You've perked my interest...

[Hitman Tyler]

I didn't know that the demo was out. But since it is I'll have to d/l it today and I'll post my impressions of it.
Same goes for me. :)
UPDATE: Forget it, I found it.

:)

[Hitman Tyler]

Does anyone know if there is a demo on Xbox Live yet? You've perked my interest...
According to their website it's been out since the 8th on Xbox Live Marketplace.

[DKTheArcadeRat]

Yep. Its up on XBL and it is at least 1.5 GB in size.

[poloplayr]

Been playing the demo some more today for an hour or so.... and really can feel how they have improved on the smooth feel to the gameplay. However, the on-foot gameplay feels a bit clunky and difficult to control. i pray this has been smoothed out in the final... doubt it though. only hope is that the demo build was finalised some time ago... we'll see on the 23rd.

[Half Japanese]

I honestly don't mean to threadshit, but having tried the demos for both the first Skate and the new one, I can't see what the hype is about. I realize a lot of my apprehension is due to the shock of a completely revamped control scheme from the once-stellar Tony Hawk franchise, but I can't recall a single time in a skating game where I've enjoyed the off-board segments. It just feels really awkward. That, and the surrounding (and entirely unnecessary) storylines and "bro" atmosphere kind of scare me away, too.

[Neil Koch]

Well, the storyline and cutscenes are a little more tolerable than the ones in Tony Hawk IMO. I'm sure the voice acting in both games was influenced somewhat by suits saying the game needs to be more "XTREEME".

As for the gameplay, it does take some getting used to in switching from the Tony Hawk style. Once you do, it has a really nice flow to it that I haven't experienced since THPS3 (the last good Tony Hawk game IMO).

[poloplayr]

For me, Skate is the game I dreamed about as a skater back in the day. I almost went pro but had to "grow up" and move on.

What blows me away how they have nailed the feel of skating. Pulling off a trick and landing something perfectly gives me almost exactly the same satisfaction as it did when I was younger and was out skating with my friends. To me, that is sooo amazingly cool.

As for the off-the-board moments I think they are very cool but only as a way of setting up new spots and moving around objects. That is also another dream come true.

[SegaAges]

What I love about the skate series is that there have been times where I was travelling in between 2 missions, and would go to do a trick on something. I would miss, and then spend 30 minutes just trying to hit that trick. Now, it is not some over the top 50 million point trick, it is just kick flipping over something, or jumping something and landing in a grind or something.

I am only missing a couple tony hawk's and have played through every single one that I own, and I never once got any moment ever like that in any tony hawk game.

as for story in skating games, by far I will take THUG above all. It was cool. You went from nothing to a pro skater, but had a nice way of the story unfolding for it. I like that story most.

Skate 2. I don't know what tricks you were doing, but I was falling left and right. I was going for the trick where you jump in the air while your board was still moving and then land on it again.

One move that I wanted to try, but have to go to work in a couple minutes, was something I have seen in demo videos, and that is where they would ollie, plant a hand on something to boost their jump further. Very cool

[poloplayr]

WOOOOHOOO!!!

I went around to check out a couple of used/retro game shops here in London today and found Skate 2 already out on the shelf! Picked it up and JUST got home.... Will post more impressions later.

[poloplayr]

Have now spent a couple of hours with the game and I absolutely love it.

The new city is SO huge and there are tons of amazing spots and have already landed a few trophies.

Went back and tried Skate 1 just to compare and boy, I am sticking with the sequel. SO much smoother game play.

/off to play some more

[Hitman Tyler]

I like all the new features. Such as moving ramps for skating, smoother game controls,etc.

[Hitman Tyler]

Yep. Its up on XBL and it is at least 1.5 GB in size.

same for XMB.

[poloplayr]

Still no one else who have tried this out?

[CelticJobber]

I really hated the first Skate, played it for hours and just couldn't get the hang of it. As someone who played the hell out of the Tony Hawk series, it just felt un-natural.

I skated as a kid/teenager, and it honestly seemed harder to get the hang of Skate's control scheme than actually learning how to skate in real life.

[SegaAges]

Bump since this is pretty much all I play right now.

I will say about this game though, the one thing I really love is when I go to restart a chllenge (which every single person that plays this game will do).

In Skate 1, the entire thing had to completely reload, so in between restarting it took a good 10-30 seconds, and now it loads incredibly fast, which is super stellar.

[poloplayr]

hey, add me if you're playing on ps3. my psn nick: SloaneRangerSW1

would be cool to go skating for a few sessions

[SegaAges]

Sorry bro, I am playing it on 360.

I will say one thing about this game. The challenges are not very clear cut on how to do them (well the thrasher ones).

A little sad, since in Sakte 1, I knew what I was supposed to be doing, even if it was very difficult. Now I am just sorta guessing as to how to do this stuff