Skate [X360]

Skating games have never had a "sim" version that's grounded firmly in reality. From Skate or Die to 720° to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, skating games have pushed the limits of credulity, always favoring an arcade experience. EA's upcoming skate is going to change that by offering skating in as real a form as has ever been seen in videogames. But just because skate is grounded in reality doesn't mean developer Black Box doesn't get to have a little fun when creating its skater dream city San Vanelona. This is after all, still a game.

In talking with Executive Producer Scott Blackwood and his dedicated team of skate fanatics, we learned that the dual-analog control scheme wasn't the endgame for innovation. The skate team hopes to create an immersive experience where gamers truly feel like a pro skater in a living, breathing world. If nothing else, skate offers an alternative to the reigning king of extreme sports games. Been there, done that? Not with skate you haven't.

Build a Better Skater It begins with creating your skater. Don't expect to find a handful of pre-made skins; the characters in skate are meant to be completely unique for each gamer. With more than 40 authentic skate brands, you can mix and match your dress to fit your preferred look. Then you can modify every element a little further. Want your sleeves rolled up? Who wouldn't? That and much more can be customized. Black Box wants you to be able to instantly recognize your skater among dozens of others in the game world. And when you upload your photos and videos online, your skater should be a statement of your own personal tastes and style.

Not only can you customize your skater, but you can also tweak your board to suit your style. Forget about custom grips and different wheel colors (which, of course, are in the game too), skate goes far deeper. You can tighten or loosen your trucks and choose between soft or hard wheels. Skate's realistic physics allow such small changes to have a large effect on how your board reacts to the environment. You may find a need to make these changes for a particular challenge. The first time you drop down Danny Way's Mega-Ramp, it might be wise to tighten your trucks for more stability -- gravity will take care of the speed and the massive lip offers all the air you'll need. Of course, you can choose to ignore that advice. You may avoid bailing; it just depends on your skill.

The Power is in Your Hand When you first drop in the world of skate, you'll probably want to spend some time just getting used to the controls. After all, it's not often you enter a game with every trick open to you. All you need to do to pull off hot lines like a pro is some ingenuity, skill with the analog sticks, and proper timing. It sounds easy, but that's only because for the past eight years you've been playing one specific type of skating game.

When you pick up skate, you may be in for a bit of a shock. Where you start a trick and what you trick on matter. Stick with it and in short time something will click internally. Soon enough you'll be pulling Backside 5-0 grinds and Indy 720s like you were born on a board. Just be sure to strap on your elbow pads first.

The only upgrades you need to worry about are improving your own skills and figuring new ways to pull off tricks. There are no stats or tricks that need to be unlocked. "How proficient you get with the sticks and how adept at using the physics at your command dictate how well you skate," Scott Blackwood explains. "Just like skateboarding, the toy is yours to play with; we aren't going to keep the good stuff locked away." Like we said, skate is going to be a very different experience than what's been offered over the past decade. Whether that's for better or worse, gamers will have to decide this fall. But Black Box is certainly doing something new with the extreme sports genre.

Once you have the hang of things, you may head out looking to engage the "story mode" in skate. Guess what? There isn't one. At least, there isn't a traditional pre-set story. In keeping with the theme of an organic skate experience, it's up to you to create your own personal story. Skate is all about living the dream -- but to get there you'll need to act like a pro. Make a name for yourself by owning skatespots, winning competitions, and earning covers on magazine.

San Vanelona is huge. Rather than comparing the city to the size of the areas of Tony Hawk's Project 8, Black Box prefers to compare the game to GTA. While a few areas are closed until you prove yourself as a skater, this GTA-sized world is largely wide-open from the get-go. Throughout San Vanelona you can find hundreds of challenges and will have incentives to reach scoring milestones and (at least on 360) earn Achievements.