Skate 2 Demo Impressions

by: Nathan - posted: 1/15/2009 7:50:00 PM

San Vanelona how I have missed you. The smell of the streets, the feel of the asphalt under my wheels, the sickening thud whenever a car runs me down I've missed it all. Microsoft was able to some how get the exclusive right to offer the Skate 2 demo for download, at least for the first day it was available and I snag up that small chunk of wasted hard drive space as soon as I saw it available. Electronic Arts and BlackBox have teamed up once again to make the THPS killing Skate sequel Skate 2. As far as demos go it was pretty straight forward giving a taste of most aspects of the game including multiplayer, career mode, the trick system, and the new ways in which you can manipulate the enviroment. It felt great to be back on the board again and the controls while skating are just as responsive and fun to use as the first Skate. When I got off the board though I wanted to scream at a developer. They made all the same mistakes that the Tony Hawk games did with, somehow, even less responsive controls. Here's the thing, skating, especially street skating, is about moving around a space in the most creative and stlyish way possible. That means olliing gaps and sliding down rails to get from point A to point B. However when I get off my board I want all obsticales removed from me. I don't want to have to figure out how to get to point A to point B because if I'm not skating it doesn't matter how I get there just that I get there. For instance why when I'm on my board can I ollie up a 3' step without any difficulty but when I'm on foot I can't climb up a 4' ledge? Skate2 has the same attitude, the same gameplay, and even better graphics than the first but if you step off your board get ready to be dissapointed.