Great story. Great gameplay. Great online. Great Game!!
The only reason I picked this game up was because of the first skate. Unfortunately I didn't and haven't played that game. I saw the previews and reviews of skate1 and they talked about purity and skill etc. It looked cool but I wasn't that interested. I then saw it had been given scores like 83% and 9.0 etc. so I had to see what the fuss was all for when the sequel inevitably showed up.
I wasn't dissapointed. Far from it.
You play as an ordinary guy who likes to skateboard and throughout the course of your career you work your way up the ranks till your the best. Basically the story from every single skating game ever. What makes skate 2 different are the way you get from skater punk to boarding legend. The challenges are presented to you from the various pros in the open world. They are all voiced excellently and you really get a sense of what these characters are actually like, you love some and you hate some.
The gameplay in this game is top-notch. It uses the right stick for all flip tricks and to perform grabs you use the X or 'Square' buttons as well as the right stick. It is incredibly intuitive, fun to play and hard to master. That's why I like this control scheme, it's hard for newcomers to pull off the really impressive moves but doesn't punish them. It is definitely worth playing for a long time, just to try all the cool stuff.
The open world that is New San Vanelona is a fabulous playground. From the streets and bus stops, to the crazy skateparks and pools, and even some hidden jems. It is a joy to explore and see what this amazing city has in store for you.
The online in this game is the best I have played in almost any sports game. You can freeskate with your buddys to show off those hard earned tricks. Play against each other at best trick, races, highest score, finding spots or even bail contests for all the n00bs. You also have team games like a simultaneous trick, work together to get the best score or a team trick list and all challenges are unique to whatever area of San Vanelona takes your fancy.
All in all this game is an absolute gem, from it's superb simple gameplay, it's quirky characters and working to be the best, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding game.