skate. Early Access Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

skate. marks the return of one of Electronic Arts’ most sought-after franchises in extreme sports history, with its pivotal debut laying the groundwork for an all-new asphalt-addled sandbox of dopamine-filled vert lore and adrenaline-fueled skateboarding. About time too, if you ask me; it’s been over a decade since we last saw skate shredding the mainstream.

Thankfully, the new iteration of the series comes with a bit more than the usual trimmings of a souped-up remake; it also comes with a trove of multiplayer options, seasonal events, and an entire fictional world that extracts crucial landmarks and elements from both San Francisco and Amsterdam, which ultimately formulate the skateboard utopia of—wait for it—San Vansterdam. And yes, it’s as steep as a typical San Francisco suburb, which, of course, bodes extremely well for those who enjoy jackknifing down vertical slopes and, you know, breaking a few bones along the way in a fit of rage. That’s Skate for you, though.

Memories of Bailing

While it’s no secret that the third installment in the series set the benchmark for skateboarding sims back in 2010, I will say this: skateboarding, as a whole, is significantly lacking in poster children. With that, skate. has an edge; it doesn’t have much competition outside of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remakes and, for good measure, Skater XL. To that end, skate. could quite easily bomb across all aspects of its world and still garner the attention of its demographic. It fills a hole. No, it scratches an itch, tenfold. And it does something else, too: it resonates with the elder folk who grew up with the franchise during its heyday.

There is a question that hangs in the balance here: Is skate. mere nostalgia fodder for seasoned fans of the series and an opportunity to capitalize on its previous successes, or is it an attempt to reinvent the wheel— to re-establish the elements of its former incarnation as an exciting innovational experience? With any luck, we’ll be able to sink our teeth into all of that in just a moment.

Of course, skate. is still in its Early Access phase, and so, whilst we are able to comment on some of the bits and pieces that it currently fosters, we aren’t able to critique the game in its entirety. That being said, let’s jump into the thick of San Van and tread the waters a little. Tread or, you know, bail, repeatedly.

Welcome to San Van, Oldie

skate. knows its audience, or rather, it knows that its fans have a natural tendency to emulate skating in the most extreme ways conceivable, whether it’s by launching themselves directly from the pinnacle of a towering concrete jungle or flicking their thumbs like a bat out of hell in an attempt to pull something—anything out of the bag. Luckily, skate. keeps all of that alive in its world. No, it doesn’t just keep these things alive and kicking; it elevates their properties in an effort to modernize some of its somewhat dated aspects. Tricking, for example, has been overhauled to allow extra creative control over the usual flip, grab, and “miscellaneous” tricks on the docket. Moreover, it adopts an authentic collection of both classic and modern maneuvers with revamped gameplay mechanics, with the off-the-board segments allowing for more freedom with the environment.

The city of San Van that skate. brings to the forefront of its universe is teeming with possibilities to explore, with its signature nonlinear format offering bouts of fast-paced challenges, trick-based exhibitions, and a wide array of illogical ways to transform San Van into a halfpipe of ludicrous antics and DIY shenanigans. With that, it provides you with the opportunity to use objects on the move and, at the flick of a switch, turn the foundations into fully customizable skate spots. Like the earlier versions of Skate, you could say — but with more options to explore and a living, breathing metropolis that evolves as you carve through it. That’s a huge step in the right direction, truly.

Veering Downhill

The bad news: skate. doesn’t feature the same level of silliness that made its predecessors the hallmarks of skateboarding that they were. Without the usual Career Mode, Hall of Meat, and bottomless corridor of cult classic challenges to frontline the experience, skate. sadly does fail to reignite the same spirit as the original. In an effort to replace and, well, modernize the latest iteration, skate. instead opts to shift its focus to a more multiplayer-friendly approach. And while it isn’t a bad idea, to veer more towards an online presence, the truth is, it does take some of that original charm away from the traditional blueprint.

On the bright side, the skating aspect is still just as buttery smooth and as satisfying to execute as it was back in the golden age of Skate 3. Granted, the lack of challenges and world events is a disappointment. But then, seeing as this is the Early Access version that we’re talking about, there’s nothing to say that it won’t latch onto additional add-ons in the next quarter or so. And it will, given that it’s clearly pouring its heart and soul into reinventing itself as an online-only IP that favors seasonal changes over fixed content.

Finally, the graphics. Eh, I’m not saying that they’re terrible, though, to be honest, they aren’t quite as nitty-gritty as they were back in 2010. It’s all rather Fortnite–esque, if anything — and that’s a bit of a double-edged sword, as it appeals to a younger demographic, but simultaneously loses the interest of the original audience who knew Skate for its concrete roots.

Verdict

skate. rolls onto the asphalt with a fresh, smooth, and stupidly entertaining flick-based invitational style that not only feels ridiculously satisfying to execute, but also emits communal spirit and collaborative vigor across all corners of its jam-packed skateboarding utopia. It’s a fitting continuation for the series—a pivotal component in the timeline that, while still a few curbs, rails, and ramps from its penultimate form, has all of the potential to become the series’ greatest achievement to date. That is, of course, providing that it fulfills its promises and comes clean with all of the future roadmaps updates that Electronic Arts has teased in recent months.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the franchise or a returning kingpin with a wealth of experience under your belt, because frankly, skate. is an ideal place to quench your desires for authentic skateboarding and a bit of passive-aggressive competitive action. It’s still with a few loose nuts and bolts, for sure, but as with any Early Access title, a couple of loose fixtures are to be expected. Here’s hoping, then, that the developer will finesse the formula in the near term. Oh, and make enough wriggle room for those who prefer to indulge in solo activities.

To conclude, if you are hunkering for an authentic alternative to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater that waxes the best of both worlds, then you ought to consider dropping into the next generation of skate. the next time you’re feeling that urge. If it’s a single-player skating game that you’re on the market for, though, then you might want to give this one a wide berth.