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dont forget to vote yes/no whether this helped or not ^_^so rarely do we see a sequel so true to the original yet better in every way. Skate 2 takes the basic mechanics of the original and creates what is possibly the best skateboarding game ever, but to be fair to the times, the early years of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater are legendary.
Graphically theres little to complain about, great character models, great lighting effects, and generally great use of textures, aside from most foliage and some lackluster water effects everything looks solid. the bruising/body damage from bails is nicely implemented as well.
the game controls just like the original with that fantastic analog control. if you havent played it, the let stick controls the skater, and the right trick controls the board for ollies, manuals, flip tricks, ect. similar to the ideas behind NHL 08/09 and Fight Night Round 3. and dont forget the replay editor. gameplay can be paused at any time to edit your replays. you can change camera angles/styles and the speed at which each clip in the video plays. any of your replays can be uploaded for all to see.
Create a Spot you can now, at any time, pause gameplay and create a box to designate the trick area, set the score on given ramp/gap/rail/ect, and upload it for all to see and compete for the high score.
challenges/activities abound from tournaments and races to individual spot contests, competing for the best trick. they even added online for this one, all the styles of activities available in career can be chosen for online competition, as well as online freeskate with your friends. unfortunately all online modes are limited to certain areas, so you can forget traversing the whole city with your friends GTA IV style. a small complaint. actually my only real complaint about the whole game.
the soundtrack is great too, varying from oldschool rap to modern rap, classic rock to modern metal.
on top of all that Skate 2 features one of the most advanced physics engines in any game except maybe GTA IV (why didnt that have a replay editor?!) every bail is unique to the situation. everything moves as it should whether you're nailing a grab over a staircase or slamming into a knee high steel gate.
all in all its slated to be one of the best sports games of 2009, right up there with Fight Night Round 4 in terms of respective quality. it could be one of the best games all year period.
Best Deals for Skate 2: Platinum Hits Edition
I'm going to compare this game a good bit to Stoked a snowboarding game. The reason for this comparison is that they both came out at nearly the same time, they both have received similar reviews and scores, and they both use similar control schemes. Lastly, there are some things in common between snowboarding and skateboarding.I purchased Stoked and ultimately Skate 2 because I was looking for something different. I was tired of driving games, shooting games, and there were no good RPG's on the horizon. I needed a change.
I bought Stoked because it was $10 cheaper. Bad mistake. I rented Skate 2, and ended up trading in Stoked (and a few other games) to purchase Skate 2.
The controls between both games are similar. Left stick "steers," right stick controls jumps and pivots and tricks. Of course in Skate you can push yourself around, in Stoked well, you're just sliding down a mountain.
Skate 2 wins the comparo for a bunch of reasons. San Vanelona is a living town with pedestrians, traffic, security, and other skateboarders. Stoked takes place on a relatively-lifeless mountain, with some stationary onlookers at various "trick spots." Skate 2 is a "sandbox" oriented, whereas Stoked though certainly not linear, still only lets you slide down the mountain, restart, and slide down the mountain again. If you miss a trick in Skate, you simply push yourself (or walk a welcomed addition to the game no matter how awkward the controls) back up the hill and try again. You can even set a "waypoint" at the start of a hill, railing, obstacle, etc and with the press of two buttons, return to the waypoint to try again. If you miss a trick in Stoked, you have to restart at the top of the hill, FIND the area you were in, and try again.
The control schemes seem a little easier in Skate at least until you scan through the trick guide. Stoked is all about holding a button and moving the right stick in a certain direction. It basically requires memorizing a lot of button combos, or pausing frequently to check the instruction book. Skate 2 relies on a similar structure, but most of your stunts are done by moving the right stick in a specific pattern. The good news is that you'll often do A trick. It may not be what you WANTED to do, but you'll get points at least. I have not yet run into challenges were a very specific trick was required, though I have read that this may occur later. Skate 2 seems a bit easier to play as you can "fudge" your way through the challenges a bit easier, being creative as opposed to just checking off a list of required stunts.
As someone who is entirely new to the Skate series, and skateboarding games in general, I found Skate 2 very easy to get started in and enjoy. Moving around is very easy and intuitive. Learning the basics like ollies and grinds was very easy, and let me get a decent way into the game before I had to broaden my horizons. I also like how advancing through the game opens up "contacts" which allow you to do things like draining pools, removing "traps" that inhibit skating, and even requesting a little "muscle" to help with security. The various missions and "spot" challenges can be pretty fun, and though often times they require multiple attempts to succeed, somehow it never becomes very frustrating. I'm not a big fan of doing things over and over again, but maybe because it all happens pretty quickly, you can run the same challenge many times in a single minute especially with the "waypoint" system mentioned above. I cannot tell you how easy that makes Skate 2 to play.
As fun as the challenges and missions and side-jobs can be, simply zipping around San Van is a lot of fun in itself. It's really a welcome changed in a sandbox game to be able to entertain yourself without shooting people or worrying about health or a "wanted level." Many times I'll find a railing that I want to practice grinding on, or a ramp that I want to practice jumping from. Drained swimming pools are incredible fun for flipping, grabbing ledges, grinding, etc. Skate 2 also gives you an awesome feel for your height, your speed, and your frequent-impending doom when you realize halfway to the ground that "this one isn't going to go so well..." But even the wrecks pay off though with the "Thrasher Hall of Meat," which adds a hilarious and even profitable twist onto bone-snapping crashes and accidents. Wiping out in Skate 2 makes me laugh over and over again. Never before has failure been so much fun.
Skate 2 is a great game that encourages creativity and is packed with lots of different things to do. It's entry-level access is great for new players and old fans alike. The controls could be a little tighter, the walking technique could be greatly improved, but most of the nuisances become pretty insignificant when you catch that air and nail the landing.
Honest reviews on Skate 2: Platinum Hits Edition
I love this game, the story offers many paths from doing danny way 100 foot gaps to draining pools and uncapping rails. I love the graphics and physics of this game, also the swing stick trick ability is wonderful. The online modes whether they're ranked or freeskate offer flexibility and fun to anyone who enjoys pulling backflips and quad-heelflips. I bought this game knowing nothing about the skate series, and it will never leave my game room, absolutely amazing game, 5/5.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Skate 2: Platinum Hits Edition
The first SKATE never really stuck with me I got 1/2 way through and found that the environment and mechanics got stale. Now it might be that I never truly got the hang of the controls the first time around (partially true), whatever the case I just didn't find myself coming back time and again as I expected. The new SKATE game feels entirely the opposite, the layout of SV is an addictive blast, the easier to use PLACE a MARKER feature is an essential for the forgiving restart event system that has you trying every challenge one more time until you check it off. The controls are finely tuned and really the heart of the game, truck adjustments really make a difference if you are turning too loosely or vice versa. And the flick system opens up simply and then just keeps getting better as you perfect the usual set of fliptricks,grabs etc.. and really feels good as things like manuals,footplants,hippy jumps,caveman drops,skitching fall into place naturally within the control system. Most satisfying of all is the double handed tuck down steep runs. The thrasher hall of meat is back and wrecks are a twisted affair as you can send your skater flailing on purpose into all sorts of gory mayhem. The challenges feel like older skating titles at times but offer the right amount of reward and challenge level for the most part as well as a nice amount of variety, street races etc. The details are all top notch with a soundtrack that almost feels played rather than old school, SFX and voice over work are above average though. I am not a big fan of the SECURITY GUARDS that police parts of the game and the collision system with them can be buggy, (it is the only place I have had the game freeze on me).The character builder also really makes a pretty goofy looking face no matter what you do. But with controls like this who cares, just kicking around this game for awhile can be an ultra addictive experience This one is so good I wish I could try the online offerings out but as it is the single player is more than worth it.
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