Skate

For so long Tony Hawk has ruled the skateboarding video game genre, now we're finally getting some competition. Skate is a lot different then the competition, it takes a more realistic approach to the sport. Where Tony Hawk goes the way of huge combos and over the top skating, Skate involves doing things that you would actually see people doing in real life.
First let's start with the graphics, they are great. The world looks really cool, it's very detailed and feels like it's alive. The skateboarding animations are very well done. Doing an ollie or grind or even when you bail, every thing looks different and the physics are great. I personally liked having everything done with in game graphics, for example in Tony Hawk you get skate videos that are actual demo videos but in Skate real life skaters' videos are virtual. I think that this is something that immerses you in the world of Skate. I've got to say that the very first scene of the game is really funny and entertaining to watch.

Now let's talk about game play, it takes some getting used to. As a player of Tony Hawk it took a while to get used to the control scheme of Skate. Everything is done with the analog sticks, when you want to ollie you've got to move the stick a certain way then move it another way to do tricks and so on. While this is frustrating at some points it is kind of cool once you get the hang of it. This game really takes some skill to pull off big combos and tricks. Missions in the game are just like Tony hawk games in which you do certain tricks or compete. I did like the filming missions and the film editor thats in the game. Although I didn't do much with the editor I like being able to cut and edit segments of my run and even add effects. One thing that was constantly annoying was not being able to get off my board and running into curbs or walls (why can't I just hop off and switch directions?).

Multi player is just the same old skate boarding game multi player, which isn't a bad thing, it's just stale. The customization in the game is really nice, just about everything about your skater can be changed. Boards and clothes can also be edited which makes it another thing that immerses you into the world. The soundtrack is nice and the sound effects are very realistic, theres nothing like hearing your bones crunch as you bail a grind or get hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Pros: Innovative controls
Great graphics
Unique experience

Cons: Huge learning curve
Frustrating controls at times
Stale multi player

As a Christian theres not much to be scared about here. There are a few curse words here and there buts its no GTA. And unless your worried about being subjected to your skater falling and breaking lots of bones then you should be fine. If you're a fan of Tony Hawk then you should try this game, if you're more of a beginner then stick with Tony Hawk.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Would Jesus play this game? Yes