This 3rd game in the series builds upon what the first two games started.
This game is unlike any skateboarding game we have seen to date. You are no longer the person trying to make it big and get sponsor's. You are now building a skateboard team. Your success is measured in the amount of boards you sell. As you play along the story you will acquire team members who compete with you in team events.
You can now also take the story mode online. Certain challenges are playable online, meaning you can team up with your friends to complete challenges, adding a new spin on what we are used to.
Some new features include a revamped hall of meat (HoM), 1-up,"killed it", and more. HoM has different challenges. We are now teleported to a location, and given a very specific task (Ex. cannonball into dumpster). Also, going spread eagle allows you to control where you land and how fast you land. You can now also push off on the ground or other objects, making insane scores possible.
1-up is a 20 second timed run where you set a score. If the opponent doesn't beat your score, they get a "1" (and consecutively U-P).
Killed it is another ay to complete a challenge. It sets out specifically what must be done on a challenge, the reward, increased board sales.
The downsides are the areas seem to be built in a skate park, that is, lines are practially handed to you, allowing very little room for exploring and creativity. The story mode itself is quite short, and death racing is very, very easy. Also the trick controls are more sensitive (meaning you'll find yourself doing 360 pop-shuvit's when attempting 360 flips).
Online is OK, provided slow connections don't cause lag, but the push off function in HoM makes it frustrating to play online.
Overall, great game, I definitely recommend it