EA is clearly putting a lot of work into its newest entry to the Skate franchise. The recently released early footage shows all the effort going into the physics of the game as well as new features coming to Skate. However, there is little to no information regarding the possible storyline of the game.
Fans of sports games usually do not care for the seldom-included campaign or story mode likely because it often changes the dynamic of the gameplay or does not do much to provide a good storyline. The Skate series suffers the same fate, except its story is integrated into its main single-player mode, so players must progress through it in order to continue to unlock gear. The next entry in Skate has the potential to give the players a story they care about along with the great gameplay they have come to expect from the series.
The History of Skate’s Story Mode
The Skate games feature a story mode that acts as the main mode of the game. In previous titles, players begin their journey as a fresh-faced skateboarder who is attempting to gain fame and get sponsorship from well-known skaters and brands. At the beginning of each game, players are able to choose from a small selection of brands and gear but as they progress through the story they unlock more customization options.
Skate’s story mostly revolves around the player gaining fame by participating in competitions, races, and film and video challenges, the latter of which is the most influential for progression and unique to the franchise. The Skate games have put an emphasis on photography and videography and encourages players to perform unique tricks in specific locations and then choose a photo or video that accurately represented their skill and style. The skateboarding community has always had a knack for creating unique photos and videos and Skate has honed in on that and made it the player’s goal to capture their best skateboarding moments on film.
How the New Skate Game Could Ramp Up the Story
The newest Skate title will likely follow a similar progression system as its predecessors. The photo and video challenges are definitely a defining feature of the series, so they should remain a large part of the game; however, the actual characters and story have a lot of unused potential. Previous games have just thrown professional skateboarders out in the world and the player could see them in passing or receive offers from them via a text message or voicemail and the storyline seemed to be all over the place.
The new Skate leans into a goofy sense of humor and nonchalant attitude, as is apparent in the recently released alpha footage. A lot of that personality shows in the game and its characters, but previous iterations have lacked any form of structure. Instead of players simply going from one event to another, trying to gain fame, Skate could benefit from actually creating a plotline with natural progression. A proper story would allow players to have a connection with their skateboarder and make them want to move up in the world, and it would mean more to get new gear and sponsors. Since the Skate series encourages player customization and character creation, and the newest entry will likely enhance these features, players would feel a stronger sense of accomplishment after actually experiencing a worthwhile story with their character.
Though an engaging story is not usually what fans of sports games are after, Skate is not a conventional sports game and has made a name for itself by thinking outside the box and creating a unique experience. The newest Skate game will likely improve upon all the well-loved features of the previous games and including an interesting story could be another welcomed change that gives players more incentive to progress through the game.
The next Skate game is currently in development.