PS3 Games Review

Skate 3 doesn't reinvent the wheels. Nor does it reinvent the decks, the trucks, or any other aspect of the Skate series. This sequel is as noteworthy for the features that it cuts from Skate 2 as it is for those that it introduces, yet this is still a better game than its predecessor. Challenges are varied and cater to players of different abilities, you have more tricks in your repertoire, and longevity comes courtesy of robust park creation tools and impressive online features. There are some problems--mostly caused by the unpredictable AI of pedestrians and other skaters, as well as the inconsistent frame rate--but goofy or regular, there's plenty of fun to be found in the new, skater-friendly city of Port Carverton.

Having made a name for yourself as a pro skater in the previous game, the setup in Skate 3 now has you looking to establish your own team and skateboard business. The only noticeable effect that this has on gameplay is that your overall career score is measured in board sales and you now compete alongside teammates in both solo and online events. Those events are much the same as those in previous games and include races, street and vert competitions, film and photo shoots, games of 1-up (take it in turns to beat scores set by another skater), and "hall of meat" challenges in which you deliberately break bones. Though you can still choose to play them online, the frustrating S.K.A.T.E. challenges that require you to perfectly copy tricks performed by opponents are, thankfully, no longer included in single-player. That's definitely a good thing because even now that you're clearly shown what you need to do with the right analog stick to repeat a trick, the controls--which also incorporate numerous button presses--lack the necessary precision.

Regardless of whether you're attempting to own or kill a challenge, Skate 3's unpredictable and occasionally boneheaded AI can make succeeding a little trickier than necessary. For example, pros that you're challenged to follow will occasionally fall off their boards and then push themselves into walls for several seconds while you wait for them to get going again. And in team races and trick events, it's not unusual for teammates to drag you down with subpar performances that cause your team to lose even though you personally put in a great performance. You might even witness a teammate fail to score a single point in a trick event--meaning that even a simple ollie was too much to ask of him in 90 seconds of competition. Furthermore, skaters who are seemingly oblivious to your existence will regularly get in your way, and while punching opponents is a viable option during races, the same can't be said when you're in midair or mid-grind, or when the problem is a teammate.

During one contest, in which you perform tricks around the edge of a skatepark, opponents even stand around in your way while awaiting their turn. They start in those positions during the "jam" round of the contest when everyone skates simultaneously, but there's no reason for them to be there like mannequin roadblocks during your solo run. Pedestrians are less of a problem, and it's helpful that they flee in fear anytime you perform a simple gesture using the D pad. They don't always flee in a direction that clears a path for you, though, and they even wander around in areas where organized skate competitions (complete with grandstands, spectators, announcers, and plenty of sponsorship) are taking place.

Pedestrians can still be problematic when you play online but replace the AI skaters with other players, and the already-fun challenges and contests from the single-player game are immediately made more enjoyable. Furthermore, additional online options are among the best features that Skate 3 has to offer, such as the Domination gameplay mode in which you skate simultaneously with an opponent and attempt to best each other's scores on multiple objects in the same environment. You can establish or enter into an online team that functions in much the same way as a guild or clan in other online games. And if you take the time to create and upload photos or short movies of your skating antics, you earn more board sales (which count toward both unlocking content and your position on the leaderboard) anytime another player views and rates your content. Photos taken during photography challenges involving magazine covers and the like can be shared along with custom creations, but the photographers you work with in the challenges rarely give you a lot to work with and occasionally take up laughably bad positions from which to take their shots. Yes, you get to play around with the zoom, contrast, and coloring of those photos, but that doesn't always help if you're a long way from the photographer or obscured from view completely.

Clearly, Skate 3 has its fair share of mostly minor problems. But this is the best game in the series regardless, and given the state of Activision's Tony Hawk series right now, that makes it the best skateboarding game around by default. Skate 3 isn't likely to win you over if its predecessors failed to do so, but it goes a great job of catering to newcomers and experienced players alike, and it's one of very few games that makes even the act of breaking your own bones fun.