Game Overview
From the start, you get the feeling that this is a proper skateboarding game that people who actually skate and know how difficult it is will appreciate and be able to relate to. We all know that that 10 billion point combos that involve you grinding on telephone wires, roof tops and air vents are impossible in real life, but this is something that every virtual skateboarder has gotten used to over the last 10 years or so, mainly due to the fact that we have only had Tony Hawks to play. We aren't saying that Tony Hawk titles are rubbish but rather than replicate the sport a false very ambitious game has been created that couldn't really be any further from the truth........still makes good gaming though!

SKATE tries and succeeds in bringing skateboarding back down to earth and at the same time makes it very funny, very enjoyable and at times shows how difficult it can be to nail tricks in real life although grinds, lip tricks and manuals don't require a great deal of effort to keep your skater upright.

The new control system that gamers will have to get used to requires you to use the analogue sticks and move them in the same way you would move your feet if you were on a board, i.e. to do an ollie you'll need to pull back on the right analogue stick and flick it forward, to do a kickflip you'll need to pull back and then flick to the right. It's a very new and innovative way of controlling the board something that in all honesty takes ages to get used to. The tutorials do explain what you are required to do but you'll need to a couple of hours practice to nail it, a lot harder than what we are all used to with Tony!

Once you have got the basics down you can explore San Vanelona a make believe city with challenges scattered all over the place. No outrageous and strange locations just pure street skating, competitions, photo shoots, video shoots and challenges. The scenery looks fantastic, the character animations are very good but at times everything can look a little faint. We really enjoy the rag doll physics when your skater bails, it really makes every bail look cringe-worthingly painful.

The career mode is quite short and anyone who can get used to the control system will be able to blast through it in no time at all, this game is all about keeping skating real and playing against mates and strangers online. Obviously though, online proves to be a challenge far greater than any challenge in the story mode, you really have to have the controls nailed down to be able to compete as the standard online is immense, be prepared for some NoOb comments!

Our Conclusions
A sturdy start for EA in their new ventures, lets hope that they don't get too carried away, SKATE has a cracking soundtrack, addictive gameplay and a good lineup of skaters (although not on the same celebrity level of Tony and Bam). Skating fans have had a real treat this year with two very good games, if you want our opinion (which is what you are here for we assume) we prefer SKATE over Tony. It's new, a little different, innovative and enjoyable even if the controls are a little tricky to get the hang of.

Overall Score: 9/10

Thanks to EA