[Review] Skate 3

[[MC]Ronin[MC]]

The po[CENSORED]r Skate series returns with its third installment, which promises even more gimmicks and challenges to experienced players and a fully updated online multiplayer component, allowing international teams to be created. Skate is provided for new players. School mode to help them refine their skills before joining their teammates. Advanced graphics, management and a new team-based multiplayer accent guarantee a new generation of skateboarding fun.

 

Team Up. Throw Down. - Cooperate with other players to overcome certain challenges or challenge them in individual events. With Skate Feed, players can follow the progress of their teammates and competitors at any time - the new game social network that allows teams and lists to be created with players from around the world.
New Town, Tricks and Skaters - Welcome to Say Port Carverton, where you will find different neighborhoods, squares, skate parks and incredible opportunities at every corner - a true skateboarding dream
Build a Brand, Become a Mogul - Form teams and become the true legend of the skate industry. Meet online challenges and gain po[CENSORED]rity with just about everything you do in the game.
Skate. Create and Share - Skate functionality. Reel and Skate. Graphics relatos are here, and the all-new Skate. Park will allow players to quickly and easily create their ultimate ramp, square or skate park and share their content online with other players.

 

Gameplay
Skate 3 is a skateboarding extreme sports game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective. The game takes place in the fictional city of Port Carverton, which embraces skateboarding, unlike the "skateboarding is a crime" mentality portrayed in the second game. Although the location is a more colorful and friendlier place than Skate 2's de-saturated, and grainy streets, the gameplay provides a similar feel to the first and second games.[3] Port Carverton is made up of three districts, Downtown, the University, and Industrial. Although the overall look of the city is very clean (except industrial) each district has its own unique designs and monuments. Downtown is full of slick rigid ledges and rails, while the University is full of banks and open areas. Industrial is the most unusual; it is home to a huge quarry that has bricks of stone.[4]

Several notable skateboarding professionals appear throughout the game, such as Danny Way, Darren Navarette, Terry Kennedy, Eric Koston, Chris Cole, Pat Duffy and Jason Lee.

In contrast with the original Skate, two new difficulty levels have been added: "Easy" and "Hardcore" modes. "Easy Mode" allows the player to perform tricks easier and provides greater control of the character. "Hardcore Mode" attempts a more realistic simulation of skateboarding and requires the player to perform tricks precisely. It adds a more realistic feel to the game unlike easy. It would also be recommended for players who have more experience. The game also features an introductory "Skate School", where Coach Frank (Jason Lee) teaches players the basics of skateboarding, such as grinding and performing ollies. This feature is optional and the area can also be visited for unrestricted skateboarding.

Similar to the Tony Hawk games, Skate features a "Skate.Park" mode that allows players to build custom skate parks.

EA introduced three new online game modes: "1-Up", "Domination", and "Own The Lot". In "1-Up", players compete in turns to beat the other team's last score in a given time period. In "Domination", teams compete to gain the most points on set spots in an area within a time limit. In "Own The Lot", two or more players try to complete tasks before their time limit ends.

Unlike the previous Skate games, Skate 3 has no offline multiplayer game modes on the disc.[5] Players must purchase the "San Van Party Pack" downloadable content in order to access the offline "Party Play" mode.[6]

Plot
Some time after Skate 2, the player character has proven that they are one of the best, and now goes by the alias "The Legend". They are attending the Port Carverton University. After a failed attempt to "Jump The Shark", a Thrasher challenge at the stadium, his next goal in life is to be the best skating mogul. By making a team composed of skaters like him, his goal is selling over 1 million boards while doing the same odd jobs around Port Carverton.

Development
In the developers diary, it was revealed that characters such as Joey Brezinski, Dan Drehobl, Benny Fairfax, Josh Kalis, Lizard King, Andrew Reynolds, Chris Haslam, Terry Kennedy, Chris Cole, Jason Dill, and Rob Dyrdek would be featured in the game.[citation needed] New tricks were introduced, like the darkslide, underflip, and dropping into a ramp or bowl.[citation needed]

The soundtrack contains 46 licensed tracks.[7]

John King of The Dust Brothers composed original score for the game. According to Mutato Muzika's website, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo and Del the Funky Homosapien were involved with Skate 3's soundtrack, with each composer providing music for a different area in Port Carverton. The game also features music by composer Dan Diaz, who continues his work with the franchise after writing for Skate 2 and Skate It. A notable song is "I'm Comin' Home" by Cheeseburger, which is played during the opening scene of the game.

 

Skate 3 received "generally favorable reviews" from critics on both platforms according to the review aggregator Metacritic.[8][9] In Japan, where the PlayStation 3 version was ported for release on December 16, 2010, followed by the Xbox 360 version a week later,[citation needed] Famitsu gave both console versions each a score of three sevens and one eight for a total of 29 out of 40.[12]

The A.V. Club gave the Xbox 360 version a B+ and said, "Online play isn't essential, but it would be a shame to continue skating in a vacuum."[27] 411Mania gave the same console version a score of eight out of ten and said it was "a great follow-up to Skate 2 but it might be a bit too close for comfort. The last thing we want is for Skate to start taking a page out of Tony Hawk's book with yearly iterations that bring nothing new to the table."[28] The Daily Telegraph gave the same console version eight out of ten and called it "a difficult, slow burning game that never strays far into the whimsical and overblown. Understanding the mechanics, let alone mastering them, is a slow, difficult, painful crawl from gnarly amateur to diamond champion."[25] Wired similarly gave it eight stars out of ten and said that it "doesn't take gamers anywhere as exotic or over-the-top. And that's its charm. The realistic setting and complex control scheme make for an engaging single-player experience, but it's the wide range of online multiplayer options that make Skate gleam the cube."[26] The Escapist gave the same console version four stars out of five and stated: "Fans of the series will find more to love in the third installment. For newcomers, this is the most accessible and fun skateboarding game there is."[29] Edge gave the PS3 version seven out of ten and said, "While refinement might be the best way to make a good game better, it certainly isn't the best way to justify the cost of a second sequel in as many years."[30]

The game has become a po[CENSORED]r staple of Let's Play channels, due to its humorous ragdoll physics and glitches, resulting in the game being a high-selling game as late as 2014, requiring EA to issue a reprinting of the title.[31] The game was also one of the most requested titles to be added to the Xbox One backwards compatibility feature, and was made backwards compatible on November 10, 2016.[32]

EA has shut down the game's servers by the end of 2016. However, just prior to the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 in June 2018, EA reactivated the servers, leading to speculation of either an announcement of a remaster for Skate 3 or a new title in the Skate series.[33]

 

Studio    Black Box
Genre    Simulation, Sports
Platforms    PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release Date    2010-09-13