Props to EA
PROS
To those of you thinking that this game can be compared to the Tony Hawk series, I'm sorry but it can't be. Its apples and oranges, they share very few gameplay elements, but are completely different beasts. This game is the difference between reality and arcade-style gameplay, and both are fun in their own right. Skate is a breath of fresh air, but does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for THPS. The controls are lifelike groundbreaking, and accurately mimic the actions needed to skate in real life. While grinds and slides are somewhat difficult, the system even mirrors difficulty. Those of you whining about the difficulty of three flipping into a grind and pulling a va back out, put down Tony Hawk, get off your ass, and try it in real life. That is what this game strives to emulate, and it does it justice. Despite the realism, you are able to pull tricks in this game that could show up Mullen, but then again, lines like this just haven't been done in real life YET.
Career mode is good, but a little on the short side. The challenges are difficult and you won't pass challenges the first time, but again, quit whining that is real and that is what this game wants to be. The variety of gaps, jams, skate games, gaps, and photo shoots are nice, and keeps the gameplay fresh. Tricks are realistic and animation is lifelike. Even down to the movement in the shoulders and head when spotting a landing, the attention to detail in the animation is impeccable. The graphics are good, but don't expect anything that rivals Gears of War here.
While skate is a fantastic game, there is something left to be desired. My main gripe is the camera system. While it is very much like the follow-cam it strives to be, this is not the most effective view for gaming. I understand the realistic feel and appreciate it, but it simply does not function as well as it should. Too often the skater's body covers the rail you are about to slide, the pedestrian in your way, or the car that you are about to t-bone. While the camera is appropriate, there has to be a modified, but similar, view for this.
Second, please EA take a page from Tony Hawk, allowing the skater to walk and leave the board would have been a welcome addition. Many of the spots are hard to get to, the manuvering required is annoying and frustrating. In addition, the camera system only makes this worse. In real life you can get off the board.....
CONS
I have been skating, snowboarding, and riding bmx (and playing their games) since falling in love with "extreme sports" in fifth grade. Where this game stands apart from the rest is not only the controls, but the small lifestyle details packed in. Part of the joy of this game is finding the great skate spots amidst a vast, realistic world. While i can see casual fans of the sport and smart ass gamers bored by this, anyone that has lived this lifestyle will appreciate it for what its realism. "Owning spots" is true to the action sports culture also, as legends of tricks thrown by well known skaters in the community are commonplace. The sponsorships, spot bible, competitions, and the overall attention to detail make this game truly shine.
Skate, however, has potential to grow. I would have loved to see more actual skateparks, in my opinion they run too thin in this game. A park editor would have also been a great addition, maybe a warehouse in Old Town like the Plan B park where you could save money to buy ramps and rails to put inside (a la the Rodney versus Daewon round one setup). Maybe even feature some famous skatepark makers like Nate Wessel of BMX/woodward fame or the Gunny of snowboarding. Just a thought, but that would be a huge touch. Also, a longer career mode with more challenges and more sponsors would be nice. Big shots have sponsors for clothes and other products. For god's sake, Shaun White is sponsored by Target, there is definately room to grow. There is definately a big bag of tricks that skate hasn't begun to tap into. Darkslides, caspers, and primos are not fiction, and they have a place in skate. The lack of handplants surprised me, but it's not the end of the world. Hippy jumps and other laid back tricks would have been fun additions.