Skate 2 - PS3 Game

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Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: Black Box
Release Date: January 21, 2009
Genre: Extreme Sports

Skate was undoubtedly one of the most revolutionary sports games to date. As the first game Skate 2 tells a story in the career mode. You will, however, soon discovered that the story after one hours or two there will no longer matter. Your return to New San Vanelona after time in prison have been, is shocking. The city that you knew so well, was completely destroyed by a kind of natural disaster. The facelift comes from San Vanelona Mongo Corp. Company, an organization responsible for the development of quarter-pipes, ramps and rails, but so anti hangover possible by the massive security surrounding the good skate spots. It is not the police state in the first video of Skate 2 appeared, for which fortunately you do not fear.

Skate 2 is your goal in your career to build and San Vanelona back on the map to work for skaters. Returning to name, you will have to race, trick competitions to win, other pro's skate challenge and cover shoots for magazines happening. Skate 2 is at its best when you total freedom to get their own tricks to do in places you choose. Unfortunately, too many questions still challenges you to a specific trick in that particular place. It is very difficult to do tricks in Skate 2, but by the enormous diversity of tricks is very difficult to do that particular stunt when it asks. The analog stick controls for this is simply not precise enough, so sometimes you must try to twenty times before you certain countries may well trick.
The retry button is used several times when you should do a cover shoot. It is so perfect that sometimes you complete the challenge, but the game still tells you that you have done wrong. Sometimes called the reverse, when you do something wrong and at the end of the quarter pipe falls, the photographer you have to say it was good. However, it may be that you will never encounter when you play the game, but it happened to us several times.

Considering success of the first part is probably no surprise that the developers of the trick system largely remained loyal. Nevertheless, the repertoire of your virtual image but was extended by several moves: First, there is now able to perform hand and foot-plants on the edges of ramps, on the other hand you can by actively shift your speed much greater effect. Especially in pools and reaches its half-pipes with a little practice, so much greater jump heights, and have more time tweaking it, your grave in different directions.

Promises new freedom of movement as the ability to temporarily jump from the board and to explore the area on foot. This will not only overcome the long stairs to the children's game, but another feature of Skate 2 is made possible only through the optional walk: Moving objects. By pressing a button it ramps, rails or other (sliding) barriers takes to bring these to the desired position, thereby creating an individual skate spot. That this feature within the career but rarely is used, unfortunately, has a good reason. When objects are light enough that they can be moved by an individual, they are logically not severe enough to be in collision with a skateboard along with skaters at the desired position. The laboriously assembled by hand line needed so the latest after the second failed attempt a correction, or a repair. An option to connect individual objects firmly to the ground, would certainly have been desirable here.

Another slight cause for criticism are the implementation of the foot march. A manual camera control completely and you will be denied automatic camera has been adjusted enough to the changed conditions. Overview as well as orientation problems are therefore not uncommon. Particularly in view of the otherwise (ie if you move on a skateboard), sophisticated control scheme and better camera work, it is all the more surprising that the developers invested more time into something is not necessary fine tuning.

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Take Back The Streets

In Skate 2, the fairyland called San Vanelona had a difficult time. The company Mongo Corp. sharpness because the security of the paradise city, which led directly to a larger skateboard ban in San Van. Your character is about to return to New San Vanelona after a small prison to five years and you'll soon have to face that the city completely changed: the once seemingly bleak Old Town has become a lively neighborhood, the Down Town streets are even more modern design, lanes suddenly appear in The Res pauperize Mongo Corp. and since this change occurs severely with skateboarders. This strict regime of Mongo Corp. can be found not only by the evil guards of the company (also known from Skate), but also by the obstruction of those good places in San Van skate are similar. First, this hamper by the deposition of a complete area, other places of Mongo Corp. males rather annoying clips on rails and other obstacles. The striking aspect of Skate 2 is that for once you will captivate this happening: namely, freeing the spots you want, simply because they look wonderful, but hitherto inaccessible through the terminals.

Removing the clamps or release of certain areas is of course a matter of money: there will be docked to the streets to reclaim. And how do professional skateboarders of money? Precisely, by skateboarding for their money. But notice what I just said, professional skateboarders. For the first time in a skate game with a significant storyline you do not start down the proverbial ladder, but jump back to high level. Skate your performance from his mistakes and really not scared or even NPCs in Skate 2 you and recognize you refer to as "Skateboarder of the Year". For me this was a desired relief, are we simply agree that eternal heels lick off.

Grab the world

One main new features in Skate 2 is the fact that the world is no longer static, San Vanelona in Skate 2 is transformed into a dynamic whole. Early in the game you will explain how you step off your board to walk around a little and not much later, you also learn about the "World" Grab button, right bumper in my case. Using this button you can grab a large number of objects, drag and drop desired. It does not take long before you are confronted with tasks that at first glance seem quite impossible, but with some drag and tactical placement of certain objects are all much easier. Nobody will force you however this feature only for orders from skate magazines to use all skate by the city because you can even create new skate spots building objects and old junk from the street. If you believe that your home park or spot is really successful, it is possible to upload to Skate. These so-called create-a-spot feature is very innovative addition certainly easy to use and it is therefore advisable to occasionally take a look at Skate. If these contracts or the create-a-spot feature, however, you do not like and you prefer couches and in drained swimming pools push, then nobody will stop you: freedom seems again the key word in San Vanelona and cuts wood like no other.

Double bag tricks

What is a sequel without terms like 'higher', 'better' and 'more'? Not much, but let me just say that last word here in the sun to set. 'More' concerns Skate 2 more tricks and more opportunities and that is certainly an appropriate addition to a game like this. I've said before, but clearly missed a lot Skate tricks. It did not much just the game, two years back, but after long play sessions, I could conclude that I was counting on some fresh moves. Skate 2 finally fulfills my appetite for more tricks and it does not exactly modest: the number of grabs more than doubled, the ways of the land to get to by foot plants and extended without too many problems do you own turn on a gravel by rail to grab your board. Some buttons represent parts of your body or certain operations and can be combined with each other been very surprising, but logical effects. During a grab in the air pressing the button that represents a foot, resulting in a footloose grab: the corresponding step foot off of the board. Gamers who played Skate will adapt quickly to these tricks and sick easily grabs and grinds "flick", while new skaters in the Skate series after a while some fool around with these controls quickly understand how certain moves correctly tweaked .

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Conclusion

Skate 2 Skate is not the revolution that brought with it. The music is top again, the controls are great (challenging), the new stilted may be rejected and you will not have time to be bored while the storyline goes off and the city free from her strict regime. The walk around with your board in hand had seen visually but can be used to refine and some pro's had a bit more depth may show, but that does not like me to say that Skate 2 is the best skateboarding game to date.

The technical side can convince the most part. Especially in the light of butter-soft animations of the characters must be pronounced the developers certainly a compliment. The richness of detail within New San Vanelona is remarkable in many places. Knower of the predecessor will be happy to also doubt about the noticeably shorter load times and almost entirely culled slowdowns. On many a discerning eye, however, saw the body textures, the almost screaming for a higher resolution. In addition, the area has generally rather unspectacular due to the texturing is often something colorless and contrast.

The soundscape of Skate 2 has been incorporated more or less directly from the first part, and falls out to be very impressive. All ambient noise, such as skateboarding are simply fantastic. From hitting the board on a metal railing on the squeal of tires by braking abruptly scratching the wheels with a dirty landing - all sorts of sounds are in almost perfect quality to be found. The soundtrack has about 50 licensed tracks from the areas of hip-hop, rock, punk and funk. Famous names such as Black Sabbath, ELO, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Public Enemy, The Clash and Wu-Tang Clan make for a varied selection of music. Unfortunately, the use of own mp3's will, which lie dormant on the PS3 hard drive is not supported. Especially with Extreme games would know I personally appreciate this option.