The biggest names in skateboarding video games seem to be mounting a comeback. After years of dormancy and diminishing returns, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise brought itself back into the spotlight with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 last fall. Now, the Skate franchise is slowly mounting a return with the tentatively titled Skate 4. It's starting to look like this is a very good time to be a skateboarding fan.
Skate 4 has a lot of fans particularly excited as of late, as developer Full Circle recently revealed a small teaser to let fans know that the game is in early development. As exciting as the game's long-awaited development is, skateboarding games have a worrying history of returning from an extended hiatus. One of the most notable examples of this is the disappointing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, which is still a big stain on the franchise. Luckily for Skate 4, there are a few clear things that the game can avoid so that it doesn't make the same mistakes.
Don't Change The Skate Style
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 had a lot of issues, one of them being its complete disregard for all of the games that came before. Not only did it have a questionable cel-shaded art style, but it inexplicably changed the franchise's established controls. To avoid this mistake, Skate 4 just needs to remember why fans fell in love with Skate to begin with. The first three games managed to combine simulation and arcade elements in a way that just worked, and its "flick it" control system was an innovative way to make players feel in control of their actions. If Skate 4 keeps that foundation intact, it will already be leagues ahead of Pro Skater 5.
Make Sure The Game Is Polished
Just looking at gameplay footage from Pro Skater 5's launch, it's clear that the game was not in any state to be published. The game was supposedly developed in just a few months because of a rapidly expiring licensing deal between Activision and Tony Hawk at the time, and the amount of bugs in the game was evidence of that. It was practically unplayable, and all Skate 4 has to do is just show some amount of polish to avoid the same fate. After being announced at EA Play last year, the developers are just now ready to say that Skate 4 is being worked on, so that's a good sign it isn't being rushed.
Make The World Feel Alive
Skateboarding culture is lively and colorful, but Pro Skater 5 did not get that memo when it came to the game's world. Most of the missions and environments were bland and unexciting, and there was a complete absence of NPCs for players to interact with. Aside from the soundtrack, Pro Skater 5 was lifeless, and Skate 4 would have to make sure its world is different. The original Skate games already had some lively environments, so there is a good foundation to be referenced. As long as players don't feel completely isolated while playing Skate 4, then it should handily succeed where Pro Skater 5 failed.
Skate 4 has been one of the most highly requested gaming sequels in recent years, almost in the same camp as games like Half-Life 3 and Grand Theft Auto 6. Now that the game is finally happening, there's a lot to get excited about for fans. Although the skateboarding genre has experience some growing pains, there is a lot of hope for Skate 4. Fans will just have to remain patient until Full Circle is ready to reveal more, and hope that Skate 4 sticks the landing.
Skate 4 is currently in development.