Skate 2

Skate 2
Developer(s)	EA Black Box
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Designer(s)	Scott Blackwood (executive producer)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	NA January 21, 2009 PAL January 23, 2009
Genre(s)	Sports game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer, online multiplayer
Rating(s)	ACB: M ESRB: T PEGI: 16+
Media/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.

Plot

Skate 2 is set five years after the events in skate. During Skate It, many mysterious disasters (identified as earthquakes in Skate 2) devastated the city, leaving it in ruins and a mass evacuation of the city. The city has been changed to a noticeable standard, but if gamers have played the previous games, they may recognize familiar spots. The new city has been named New San Vanelona, or New San Van for short. However, instead of a skaters 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 caps on them to prevent skaters from skating on them, and security guards almost everywhere else. The player progresses through the story by completing challenges for magazines like The Skateboard Mag and Thrasher all before shooting a cover photo as a final mission for each magazine. The player also participates in Vert and Street Contests, as well as races. Throughout the game the player can choose board, truck, wheel, and shoe sponsorships from well-known skateboarding brands.^{[citation needed]}

Soundtrack

• "Uptown Top Ranking" Althea & Donna
• "Anubis" Anubis
• "The Dull Blade" ASG
• "I Want A Snake" Awesome Snakes
• "Symptom Of The Universe" Black Sabbath
• "Shockwave" Black Tide
• "Stay On Or Die" China Creeps
• "Addictive" Cut Chemist
• "Beneath The Wheel" D.R.I.
• "Go Ahead On" Dayton Sidewinders
• "Heroes Of Our Time" Dragonforce
• "Show Down" ELO
• "Collarbone" Fujiya & Miyagi
• "Step In The Arena" Gang Starr
• "I’da Called You Woody, Joe" Gaslight Anthem
• "She Wore Rat Skin Boots" Goons Of Doom
• "Piglets" Guilty Simpson
• "They Fall Apart" High Tension Wires
• "Freewheel Burning" Judas Priest
• "S.K.A.T.E." Korrupted Hoodlums
• "Cold Beats" Koushik feat. Percee P
• "Rock The Bells" LL Cool J
• "Guilt By Association" Louis XIV
• "Weakness" McRad
• "For Kristoffer" Money Your Love
• "Eat The Rich" Motorhead
• "Made You Look" Nas
• "Heavy" Oh No
• "It’s Empty" One Man Army
• "Gator Jaws" Ponce De Leon
• "Harder Than You Think" Public Enemy
• "Hold Your Hand" Queen Sea Big Shark
• "Runnin’ Out" Radio Reelers
• "Sleep Now In The Fire" Rage Against The Machine
• "Uh Oh!" Riverboat Gamblers
• "Hold On, I’m Comin’" Sam & Dave
• "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" Sly & The Family Stone
• "Alternative Ulster" Stiff Little Fingers
• "Possessed 2 Skate" Suicidal Tendencies
• "Superficial Love" T.S.O.L.
• "Crashing" Teenage Bottlerocket
• "Los Pool Riders" Texas Thieves
• "Death Or Glory" The Clash
• "Return To Blood Beach" The Riptides
• "Ghost Town" The Specials
• "Reach Out And Give Me Your Hand" Tickled Pink
• "Square Ball" Underground Railroad To Candyland
• "Low Rider" WAR
• "Protect Ya Neck" Wu-Tang Clan
• "Leda Atomica" Year Long Disaster
• "I Hate My Life" Youth Brigade

Development

In February 2008 EA games president Frank Gibeau spoke in a presentation for industry analysts stating that the original game posted bigger numbers on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 than rival Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Because of these surprising numbers the company had decided to begin work on a sequel. Then in May 2008 the sequel was officially announced, however no details were released except the platforms it would be released for, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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.

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 introduces 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.

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.

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

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	84/100
Metacritic	83/100
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	A-
Computer and Video Games	8.4/10
Eurogamer	8/10
Game Informer	9/10
GameSpot	7.5/10
GameTrailers	8.0/10
IGN	8.3/10
Official Xbox Magazine	8/10
Playr	9/10

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.

Sequel

A trailer for Skate 3 was released in September 2009. It 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.

External links

• Skate official site