Skateboarding games have seen a slight resurgence lately, with the release of games likeSessionandSkater XLbringing back a long-dormant subgenre of games. In the wake of these games gaining some serious traction, now the big boys of skateboarding games have made their presences known. Last year was all aboutTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Remasteredcollection, and perhaps 2021 will give us more info onSkate 4, or whatever the nextSkategame will be. Announced last summer without a trailer or sliver of gameplay, it’s clear development is very early on, but a newSkategame is sorely missed by fans of the previous games and theSkatecommunity.
While theTony Hawk’s Pro Skaterremasters were an inherent return to form for the series,Skateshould take a similar approach with its sequel. It’s clear a lot of the engaging community aspects ofSkate 3will be enhanced and expanded for the next game, but the game also needs to nail the basics down as well. While other games likeSessionandSkater XLare diving deeper into the simulatory aspect of skateboarding games,Skatenever extended that far. EA’s skateboarding franchise always rode an interesting middle ground between an arcade-like gameplay experience that still felt grounded in realism, which will hopefully remain true for this next entry.
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Retaining the Mechanical Middle Ground of Original Skate Games
As a skateboarding game, theSkateseries was always praised by fans and media alike for being a wholly unique skateboarding experience.While theTony Hawk’sgameswere all about high-flying, death-defying tricks that were purposefully outlandish,Skatewas the game that took a more realistic approach. However, that never sacrificed the quality of the gameplay experience; through the new “Flick-it” gameplay system, compared to face buttons inTony Hawk,Skate’s trick mechanics added elements of precision without sacrificing it’s arcade-like gameplay experience.
Several independentgames likeSessionandSkater XLplay very much like aSkategame, but both are expanding the simulation-style gameplay controls even further with new control schemes. As an example,Sessionutilizes a twin stick method for ollieing, similar to the motions used by real skaters' feet. While the simulation-style gameplay approach certainly gets points for authenticity, it’s far less intuitive compared toSkate’s one-stick flick motion. The control scheme from previousSkategames has aged very well when it comes to balancing authenticity with skill requirement. The nextSkategame needs to retain this feeling compared to its spiritual successors.
Don’t Let Multiplayer Be the Sole Gameplay Experience in Skate 4
One thing that’s been a big deal sinceSkate 3was the content creation, co-op play, and social features that the community came to love. Players could share tricks, exploits, and general accomplishments to theSkatecommunity with a range of skateboarding-style flair. Players could employ all manner of cinematography and filters on their favorite clips, among the various cooperative challenges and trials in the game that could be beaten with their entire skate crew. Much of thecommunity aspects and online capability helped reigniteSkate’s popularityto the peak that it’s achieved today. While all of those aspects are important, that shouldn’t be the sole focus ofSkate 4.
PreviousSkategames also had many ways for solo players to enjoy the game just as much as online players could. Online capability and community shouldn’t be the sole method of enjoyment forSkate, unlike many other live-service games under EA that have done fairly well. While in the past EA hasn’t had the greatest success with bringing singleplayer modes back to recent games (see:Star Wars: Battlefront 2),Skateis one of those games that would seem lacking without one. Players will remember the firstSkategame’s silly intro and campaign chock full of pro skaters like Rob Dyrdeck and Danny Way. The nextSkateshould recapture that skater aesthetic.
It may be a while before players will get their hands on the nextSkategame, but as long as the franchise recaptures its previous aesthetic style and gameplay experience, it should be worth the wait.Skate’s control scheme and mechanics were always top-notch, so fans should expect no less fromSkate 4. What will be more interesting is howthe expanded social features inSkate 4may affect any semblance of a singleplayer experience in the next game. Hopefully adding more community and social features won’t compromise a true-to-form singleplayer experience as a trade-off. Either way, fan anticipation forSkatewill continue to rise moving into this year.
