The Skate Franchise has released its first game in over a decade. photo by Brooklyn Darden
A new addition to the Skate franchise was released to early access last month.
Skate, a series of popular skateboarding games produced from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, just released a new edition in the franchise. Skate 4, technically just called Skate, was released through early access on September 16th on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and PC. It is free to play, and a mobile version is currently in development. The previous release in the Skate franchise came on April 15th, 2010, and was available on 7th generation consoles including the PS3 and the Xbox 360. A decade and a half later, fans were anxiously waiting for the new release. Then, in 2020, Skate 4 was announced during EA (Electronic Arts) Play Live, an annual event hosted to showcase game news, updates, and premieres. After the announcement, forums exploded with fans’ expectations of what they wanted to see in the new installment.
When I was younger, I played Skate 3 all the time, so I was excited when I heard the news. I consider it to be one of my favorite games of all time, so I installed the new game as fast as I could. I gave myself the weekend to play around with the game and found that I liked it. The creators of the game didn’t make any major changes from the original Skate games, which I appreciate. However, the game is not perfect, and in my opinion, the fact that there is no offline mode is a bit frustrating. I’m always fond of offline games, but it isn’t a major hindrance for gameplay. Other than that, the game runs pretty smoothly, since the controls are the same as in Skate 3. I also really like the map; there are tons of areas to do all sorts of tricks, heights to do jumps, and you can make your own courses by adding ramps and other types of obstacles. Overall, I really liked the makeup and mechanics of the game. I’ve been a fan of skating games my whole life, and Skate 4 was definitely not a let down. I thoroughly enjoyed skating through the city, ignoring missions, and making the streets my own.
My opinions aside, mixed reviews followed Skate 4’s release. No fans described the game as bad, but they were displeased by the lack of new content. This is understandable to me, considering that fans had to wait 15 years for a new game that can be seen as a refurbished version of Skate 3. Again, the solely online play seems to be a recurring complaint within reviews. It is incredibly annoying to ensure that my internet stays connected or face being kicked out of a game for lost connection. The change in aesthetic was also criticized considering the bright colors, music, and overall cartoonish feel of Skate 4 was a big difference from the gritty style of the original Skate games.
Skate 4 is projected to go into full release sometime in 2026. In the meantime, EA is going to continue to work on improving the game, and the game is going to remain only online. EA states that the game will continue to be free to play, and despite the negative reviews, players including myself are extremely excited to see what Skate 4 will become.
