Skateboarding game with realistic physics

Skate is a paid sports game from Electronic Arts. In this immersive and fast-paced skateboarding experience, you get to revisit the award-winning franchise in an all-new engine, featuring more realistic game physics as well as a host of new content. Skate around different locations and skate parks, or create your own. More importantly, the developers have teased an all-new aspect to the game: parkour or freerunning.

Fans of the franchise have been waiting for almost a decade since 2010’s Skate 3, and Skate is definitely worth it. For new players, think of it as a physics-focused alternative to Skate City.

Difficult yet rewarding

Skate comes as the fourth main entry to the eponymous franchise, tracing its origins to the 2007 game of the same name. It was soon followed by two sequels in 2009 and 2010, plus a 2008 spin-off. After more than a decade, the franchise returns with this game, leveraging the latest technology while keeping the core of its identity—grounded and difficult skateboarding.

As such, it features realistic game physics, which makes sloppy tricks look awful and funny thanks to its treatment of a ragdoll-like response. More importantly, it appears to keep a similar control system as its predecessors, although it has markedly more fluid responses. For existing players, getting used to the controls is easy. However, for new players, get ready for a steep learning curve.

Additionally, the game takes place in an all-new setting that combines fictional and real life. The set designs are impressive, with custom textures retaining a certain level of detail despite the fast pacing that the game usually has. Also, as mentioned, the game features freerunning to a certain extent. Whether it becomes an event of its own, or simply additional off-board mechanics, is for the player to discover.

A return to form for the franchise

For fans who have waited for another Skate game, this is a great return to form. Not only does it make a comeback to modern systems, but it also manages to retain some of the qualities that made it stand out in the first place. Expect a sleeker game response, an all-new world to explore, and additional movement options aside from running, walling, and moving around on your skateboard.