Our Game of the Year list represents the thoughts of the VideoGamer.com hive mind, but what about the individual titles which slipped through the cracks? Our Staff Picks might not be GOTY material, usually because they're deeply flawed in certain areas, but they still managed to strike a chord with us in some way. Today, Tom Pearson talks about Skate 3...
According to Skate 3, I've nailed it. I'm not quite sure what it is, but from what I can gather it's got something to do with moving my legs and board in certain defined sequences, which then results in celebration and cheer among skating peers. Which is Tight, yo.
I absolutely love the Skate series, but I don't skate. Nor have I ever picked up a skateboard in my life.
Skate 3 is has a horrendous learning curve, which will cause many players to give up within about 15 minutes. This is a shame, and also a work of art at the same time: actually persist with the game and you'll both love it and master the moves until the bitter end. The beauty lies in those technicalities, and not in its admissible graphics, scant narrative or wearisome characters. Most skating games have utilised simple button presses in order to carry out a chain of moves. With Skate, however, it's all done through analogue movements - what the game calls its 'Flickit' controls. The scale of difficulty staggering; anyone can do an ollie or a flip trick, but can you ollie to flip trick to grind to 180-spin landing? That's what this game is all about: feeling super cool and pulling off some sweet tricks.
Although Skate 3 was on nobody's game of the year list, and it never really added much to further the series, the game is still a gem in my collection. It did add a team-based theme, but no one ever really cared for posses. Where the real community spirit lies is in video. Spending hours to set up a dope line and recording it is very, very time consuming. Still, once all tricks have been thrown down to your liking, you can upload your highlight reel so others can leave criticism or praise. Let's just say you'll be flabbergasted at what some people can achieve - it's very satisfying to get involved with, too.
They've done away with the whole 'skate around a realistic city' premise and gone all out meta-gaming. They don't hide it. Everywhere you look, it's all been setup to complement the sport of skating. Need a ramp? Oh there's one. Need some stairs with a perfectly long rail? Look no more. It's all there. Enjoyably enough, it does improve the experience. There are no more pesky security guards who kill you with a single glance, no more restricted or hard to reach areas: it's all been laid out for the player. Much like building flat pack furniture, Skate 3 has it all set up for you - your whole skate education an easier chore than in previous games. The game also includes brilliant tutorial levels with Coach Frank, voiced by My Name Is Earl actor Jason Lee. He's one of the best characters in the game (as he can actually act), with the others predominantly being real-life skaters with monotone voices.
Skate 3 is by no means perfect and the game can be frustrating, but it never feels like it's the game's fault. I struggle not to play it immoderately, though once that disc hits my Xbox tray, it hardly sees the light of day, and I can sit back and play for obscene amounts of time. I highly recommend the series and urge anyone who hasn't tried it to please play it at a friend's house, better still; pick it up on the cheap. It's addictive and lively. For me it's a hobby, not just a game.
For more end of year content, head over to our Game of the Year 2010 hub. Amongst other things you'll be able to watch videos in which we talk about each game in the Top 10.
