Skate 2
| Skate 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | EA Black Box |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | Scott Blackwood (executive producer) |
| Series | Skate |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3,[1] Xbox 360 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Sports game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer, online multiplayer |
| Distribution | Blu-ray disc, DVD |
Skate 2 is a sandbox skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box and distributed by Electronic Arts as a sequel to the 2007 game, Skate. Skate 2 was released in January 2009 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[3][4]
Plot
Skate 2 is set 5 years after the events of Skate. The main protagonist of the series has been incarcerated for five years, after he illegally attempted to perform a drop into the San Vanelona Dam. During this time, earthquakes devastated the city, leaving it in ruins and prompting a mass evacuation of the city. The city has been rebuilt since, and subsequently renamed New San Vanelona. However, instead of the skater's paradise the city used to be, security has been stepped up by Mongo Corp in order to protect the best parts of the city. Most of the good skating spots have cops on them, who seek to prevent skaters from entering, and there are security guards almost everywhere else.[5] After being bailed out by Giovanni Reda, the protagonist must progress through the story by completing challenges for magazines like The Skateboard Mag and Thrasher, as well as participating in vert contests, street contests, and races in an attempt to regain interest after their five year hiatus.
Soundtrack
Althea & Donna - "Uptown Top Ranking"
Anubis - "Anubis"
ASG - "The Dull Blade"
Awesome Snakes - "I Want a Snake"
Black Sabbath - "Symptom of the Universe"
Black Tide - "Shockwave"
China Creeps - "Stay on or Die"
Cut Chemist - "Addictive"
D.R.I. - "Beneath the Wheel"
Dayton Sidewinders - "Go Ahead On"
Dragonforce - "Heroes of Our Time"
Electric Light Orchestra - "Show Down"
Fujiya & Miyagi - "Collarbone"
Gang Starr - "Step in the Arena"
Gaslight Anthem - "I’da Called You Woody, Joe"
Goons of Doom - "She Wore Rat Skin Boots"
Guilty Simpson - "Piglets"
High Tension Wires - "They Fall Apart"
Judas Priest - "Freewheel Burning"
Korrupted Hoodlums - "S.K.A.T.E."
Koushik feat. Percee P - "Cold Beats"
LL Cool J - "Rock the Bells"
Louis XIV - "Guilt by Association"
McRad - "Weakness"
Money Your Love - "For Kristoffer"
Motörhead - "Eat the Rich"
Nas - "Made You Look"
Oh No - "Heavy"
One Man Army - "It’s Empty"
Ponce De Leon - "Gator Jaws"
Public Enemy - "Harder Than You Think"
Queen Sea Big Shark - "Hold Your Hand"
Radio Reelers - "Runnin’ Out"
Rage Against The Machine - "Sleep Now in the Fire"
Riverboat Gamblers - "Uh Oh!"
Sam & Dave - "Hold On, I’m Comin'"
Sly & The Family Stone - "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"
Stiff Little Fingers - "Alternative Ulster"
Suicidal Tendencies - "Possessed 2 Skate"
T.S.O.L. - "Superficial Love"
Teenage Bottlerocket - "Crashing"
Texas Thieves - "Los Pool Riders"
The Clash - "Death or Glory"
The Riptides - "Return to Blood Beach"
The Specials - "Ghost Town"
Tickled Pink - "Reach Out and Give Me Your Hand"
Underground Railroad To Candyland - "Square Ball"
WAR - "Low Rider"
Wu-Tang Clan - "Protect Ya Neck"
Year Long Disaster - "Leda Atomica"
Youth Brigade - "I Hate My Life"
Development
In February 2008, EA games president Frank Gibeau spoke in a presentation for industry analysts, and stated that the original game posted higher numbers on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 than did rival Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Because of these surprising numbers, the company decided to begin work on a sequel.[6] In May 2008, the sequel was officially announced; no details, however, were released, except the platforms it would be playable on: the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.[1]
EA Black Box, the developers of the game based in Vancouver, have noted that areas of New San Vanelona have more distinct architectural connections with the three cities: Barcelona, Spain, San Francisco, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, than in the previous title of the series.[7]
A demo for Skate 2 was released for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 8, 2009 and for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Store on January 15, 2009. The demo introduced players to a small section of New San Vanelona, Slappy's Skatepark, where they can play around with the unique controls and customization options. Gamers also got a first glimpse of the deep single-player story and challenges. Two offline Party Play modes were also included: Thrasher's Hall of Meat and Spot Battle.[8]
Downloadable content
Downloadable content has been made available for the game for purchase through Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.
- Time is Money Pack
- Unlocks all the parks and additional content normally obtained through completing the main story mode.
- Filmer Pack
- Gives the player more options for control of the camera during video clip editing. Also, new gestures and gear are also packed into this package.
- Fantasy Factory
- Opens the factory, as well as an area outside the plaza. It is based on the MTV Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory TV show
- San Van Classic Pack
- Includes the Community Center, Elementary School and Parkade locations from the original Skate.
- Throwback Pack
- A free downloadable pack that unlocks retro gear and classic gestures.[9]
- Maloof Money Cup
- This pack (which is based on the actual Maloof Money Cup) includes new Vert and Street challenges for Career Mode, along with new online Freeskate activities. It was released on July 9, 2009, a day before the 2009 Maloof Cup began.
Reception
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Skate 2 was well received by many publications and websites. OXM scored Skate 2 as an 8/10, saying it had good control but will be too hard for casual gamers. Game Informer gave the game 9 out of 10 in their February issue, stating that Skate 2 accomplishes the impossible task of making old gameplay feel fresh. They said that while some new tricks were added, the game built upon the original and improved its formula.
Gamespot rated it a 7.5 saying that the new content was welcomed but the walking and moving objects were clumsy at best. IGN scored Skate 2 an 8.3/10, praising Black Box for building upon their winning formula and keeping the gameplay fun. They explained that while the presentation is good, the story seems weak at times and the graphics are not as sharp as they could be.[14]
Sequel
A trailer for Skate 3 was released in September 2009.[15] The game was released in May 2010. The third game in the series has a stronger focus on online team-based gameplay and content creation than the previous games.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brudvig, Erik (2008-05-12). "Skate 2 Made Official". IGN. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- ↑ http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/142/14234977.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "IGN Confirm January 2009 Release". IGN. 2008-10-31. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
- ↑ "MAXConsole Confirm January 21st/23rd 2009 Release". MAXConsole. 2008-11-25. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ↑ McInnis, Shaun (2008-10-07). "Gamespot Hands-On: Skate 2". Gamespot. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ↑ "EA Goes Big in '08, '09". IGN.
- ↑ "joystiq hands on". joystiq.
- ↑ Roper, Chris (2009-01-07). "Skate 2 Demo Coming". IGN. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ↑ "Skate 2 Downloads". IGN.
- ↑ "GameRankings: Skate 2". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ↑ "MetaCritic: Skate 2". Metacritic. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ↑ "Skate 2 Review on CVG". CVG.
- ↑ "Skate 2 Review on Eurogamer". Eurogamer.
- ↑ Roper, Chris (2009-01-19). "IGN: Skate 2 review". IGN. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ↑ Skate 3 Rolls Out In 2010
External links
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