Skate 2 rolls out Jan. 21

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Nov 25, 2008 11:15 am PT

Sequel to EA Black Box's acclaimed open-world street-skateboarding hit will arrive on US PS3s, 360s early next year; rest of planet gets it January 23.

The first quarter of 2009 is the new fourth quarter of 2008. With the current holiday period bursting at the seams with AAA-game releases, many top-tier games have shifted their launches until after hangovers from New Year's Eve revels will have long worn off. These include Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV, Dragon Age: Origins (for the PC), and the downloadable expansion Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned.

It's skating weather in San Vanelona year-round.

The latest game to join the early-2009 set is Skate 2. This morning, Electronic Arts announced that the sequel to its open-world street-skateboarding hit will grind onto North American Xbox 360s and PlayStation 3s on January 21. The T-for-Teen-rated game will launch in other territories, including the UK and the rest of Europe, on January 23.

Developed by EA's Black Box studio at EA Canada, Skate 2 is actually the third installment in the publisher's Tony Hawk-foiling franchise. Coming two months after the launch of the Nintendo DS and Wii Balance Board-enhanced spin-off Skate It, the game returns to the fictional city of San Vanelona. Recently rebuilt after an unnamed disaster, the San Francisco/Vancouver/Barcelona hybrid offers an open world in which players can perform a variety of tricks. The game's thumbstick "FlickIt" trick system has been enhanced with an array of button-based moves, including the ability to grab obstacles and step off of the skateboard itself.

For more on Skate 2, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

56 Comments

  • Raykuza

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 6:46 am PT

    I'm not too sure how I feel about stepping off the board. I liked how the board limited you to the point where getting around almost became a puzzle. But then again, it was kind of stupid to jump 3 inches, nick your board on something, and land on your feet only to slowly lean over and fall down...

  • _Cadbury_

    Posted Nov 29, 2008 6:11 pm PT

    @rarson
    If you check out the EA skate site youll see theyre doing a great job at improving Skate, taking onboard peoples suggestions, asking people what they like/dont like about a new video clip. So this should end up as a great game

  • rarson

    Posted Nov 28, 2008 10:28 am PT

    I liked Skate, the little bit that I played of it. It seemed like a refreshingly different experience than the Tony Hawk games, the last 5 or so of which have all run together in my mind to the point where I don't even care to try any of them.

    I'm curious though, maybe I haven't been paying attention, but doesn't this seem pretty quick on the heels of the last game? I hope EA didn't rush it. I'd actually like to see this franchise grow, but please do not bury us with scores of incremental updates.

    I'm looking forward to seeing how this game turns out.

  • thirteen_zombie

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 9:27 am PT

    cant wait for skate 2

  • laptop12

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 8:58 am PT

    SWEET.... too many hot games for the next Q

  • NoseWeed619

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 8:22 am PT

    Hooray!

  • Autolycus

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 6:35 am PT

    @betterthanu




    Purchased up multiple licenses and companies and release a yearly crappy game only to bank off the license name. Can't emphasize how much this killed the video game industry right here.



    Got busted for over working their coders witout paying them (we are talking 80 hour weeks, week after week, getting paid 40 or 60 with normal pay, later found guilty by the judicial system)



    Started in game advertising, if I remember correctly



    I recommend doing a goolge search to see how many licenses they have...



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts#Criticism




    might want to check that out for more info

  • Autolycus

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 6:23 am PT

    @biggest_loser, if's a more well known title now, so it's an automatic 8

  • TehUndeadHorror

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 5:56 am PT

    Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

  • biggest_loser

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 3:40 am PT

    Will it get higher than 7 on Gamespot this time?

  • MsRockstar

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 12:27 am PT

    lol San Vanelona

  • OBonus

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 12:12 am PT

    non stop marathon to beat this game first day for sure, pre ordered it the first day i heard about it, people at the shop didn't know what i was talking about, it kinda sucks though how all the things you had to work so hard for like hippies and 360 flips outta nose slides are gonna be a sinch now.

  • heavymetalzplin

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 11:36 pm PT

    yeahhhh
    the sequel to the best skating game made.
    ever.

  • punkpunker

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 11:12 pm PT

    YEAH!!! the game is getting better and better

  • Joe_Zombie

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 10:05 pm PT

    FINALLY
    being able to step off the board will be an amazing addition to the game.
    take a lot of frustration out of it.
    cant wait

  • hortys_999

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 9:48 pm PT

    all the moves done with the buttons are just a contextual expansion of the controls. from a control standpoint, the moves that the buttons open up is just a very natural extension of the pre-existing controls. it's not turning into tony hawk or anything....

  • pizzamanopenup

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 9:41 pm PT

    "enhanced with an array of button-based moves"

    ...Wait...Wasn't the whole point of the first skate to eliminate this kind of thing as best as possible? Seems like a step back to me.

  • the_greenzero

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 9:02 pm PT

    Cool, my birthday is on the 21

  • Elitekiller1172

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 8:52 pm PT

    yes cant wait im preordering that crap

  • ctg867

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 7:21 pm PT

    That opening line sounds very familiar. The first quarter of 09 sounds like the last quarter of 08? That crap happens every year. Anyway, looking forward to Skate. I hope it fills some of the gaps of the first one.

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