After over 10 years, the Skate series is finally getting a new game. Skate 4 is confirmed to be on the way, with the latest news putting its release date sometime this year. Every Skate game could be argued as being the best in the skateboarding sandbox series, especially among fans. It's a genuinely solid series that holds up fairly well, though there's one particular entry that stands out for just how much content it brings to the table.
Skate 3 was released in 2010 to fair praise from critics, though it didn't review quite as well as Skate 2. Critics were disappointed with how little time there was between Skate 2 and Skate 3, especially since yearly releases had taken their toll on the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series around the same time. Skate 3 wasn't seen as a bad game, though, just one that critics felt needed more time to be something special. However, as fans revisited the game over the years, they began to realize just how much content was tucked away.
One of the most recognizable features of Skate 3 was the iconic Hall of Meat mode. While this feature was introduced in Skate 2, there was something about how the ragdoll physics were handled in Skate 3 that made Hall of Meat really stand out. The sheer absurdity of damage that players could put their character through, especially when combined with the game's glitches, ended up taking Skate 3's Hall of Meat mode to the next level.
The Hall of Meat mode can also be played online and was only made more enjoyable when played with friends. Speaking of the game's online mode, the servers are currently still up. The online modes combined with the variety of locations created a pretty varied experience. There's also the option to just free roam through different areas of the game's open world. The online is certainly expansive, though it's only the beginning of what Skate 3 offers.
Skate.Park not only allowed players to build their own skate parks that could be used online, but it also opened up the game's entire open world to prop placement. Ramps, vending machines, rails, and other props could freely be placed throughout the entire open world, and players could use these to create unique trick opportunities and some wild stunts. Of course, placing props are also involved in a lot of Skate 3's well-known glitches.
While the free-roam and multiplayer are very much the highlights of Skate 3, the story is still worth mentioning. While the actual plot isn't anything special, there are a few unique touches that are fun to play around with. Not only can players create multiple skaters as they build a team of pros, but they can also populate the game world with photos they take of their custom skaters. Players can make their own opportunities for these photos, making them truly unique for each character.
The custom skaters that players create for their team can also appear as NPCs in the game world, both naturally and after being summoned by the player. This doesn't do much other than show them skating around nearby, but it's still really neat to see the player's custom characters out in the wild. The character creator itself is surprisingly versatile as well, though there are a limited number of clothing options unlocked at the start.
The unlockables in Skate 3 tended to just be clothing, though there were a few skaters as well. One of the coolest secret skaters, Isaac Clark from Dead Space, could only be unlocked through the use of a cheat code. Cheat codes weren't quite as common by the time Skate 3 was released, but the game had a couple of fun codes tucked away. Players could replace their skateboard with a Back to the Future-styled hoverboard, or even start a full-on zombie apocalypse.
The zombie cheat is particularly noteworthy for how it's almost like an entire survival game tucked away behind the scenes. The NPC pedestrians would all be replaced with zombies that would shamble towards the player, attempting to knock them off their board. Skating around becomes way more dangerous since it only takes a single touch from a zombie to make the player bail. It's a simple change to the core gameplay, but one that's a ton of fun to mess around with.
Given how much is tucked away inside Skate 3, there's always something to go back and experience. It may not have been the best-reviewed game in the series, but it certainly has its fans that love the game's glitches, features, and cheat codes. The servers still being online is an added bonus, especially since the varied online gameplay is noted in many reviews. Now's the perfect time to revisit the game, before Skate 4 releases at some point this year.
