Select Language:
Digital Phablet – The latest Skate game has finally arrived. However, after eight hours of early access gameplay, Digital Phablet finds it challenging to recommend this title to longtime fans of the beloved skateboarding franchise.
Also Read:
In Defense of Mafia: The Old Country (Review)
Although the gameplay provides brief entertainment, Skate falls short in many areas that made its predecessors stand out, including its art style, environments, character design, dialogue, and game modes.
It’s evident that EA has shifted the game’s target demographic by adopting a free-to-play, live-service approach, filled with loot boxes, skins, and purchasable extras—moving away from earlier titles that focused on a story mode and celebrated skateboarding culture and single-player experiences.
We Tried EA’s Skate (Early Access Review)
The visual style has also taken a notable turn, shifting from realistic and gritty to more stylized, reminiscent of titles like Fortnite. Fans of the franchise have consistently criticized EA for this change after glimpsing early gameplay footage shared on social media.
While Skate 3 introduced a more vibrant color palette, it still retained the core look and feel of a Skate game, despite its more arcade-like mechanics.
The game lacks modes like the Hall of Meat challenges, where players score points by landing awkward tricks and breaking bones. Although a similar mode exists in this release, it’s less impactful due to EA’s decision to remove the X-ray feature in favor of a more family-friendly tone.
During gameplay, an NPC mentions that characters no longer get injured by hay bales thanks to new AI technology that safeguards their bodies.
Nothing screams “skateboarding culture” like a corporate AI sidekick
EA’s Skate.
Additionally, well-known skateboarders and iconic characters like Coach Frank are absent from the game. Instead, Coach Frank has been replaced by an AI bot and NPCs that incessantly pressure players into completing repetitive quests, endlessly showcasing all the game has to offer.
Dialogue also feels unnatural and forced at times, with NPCs using cringeworthy phrases such as “Skater eyes.”
While darkside tricks are not yet available, EA has announced they will be included in future updates, as the game remains in early access.
That said, not everything is negative. The gameplay itself is tight and reacts well, with challenges dispersed around the city becoming more difficult as players progress. The leveling system can be quite addictive, though repetitive gameplay may threaten to cause fatigue.
After a while, the challenges start to feel similar, and without a proper story mode, it’s tough for Digital Phablet to invest more time into the game.
Overall, mechanics such as grinding and transitions from crashes have improved over previous entries. However, the signature “floaty” feeling from Skate 3 persists, enabling players to pull off wild aerial tricks.
The soundtrack features some excellent tracks, but while nostalgia might be influencing perceptions, none compare to the soundtracks of Skate 1 and 3.
On PC (via Steam), the game requires just under 8 GB of storage, an impressive feat for a 2025 open-world title.
Skate is currently available for free in early access on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam, Epic Games Store, and the EA App.
While EA’s Skate offers some enjoyable moments, its transition to a free-to-play, live-service format, coupled with visual and stylistic changes that diverge from the skateboarding culture of earlier editions, makes it difficult to recommend to fans who grew up with Skate 2 and 3.
EA’s Skate. (Poster by Digital Phablet)
Add us on ChatGPT
Add us on Perplexity
