The revered Skate series is finally coming to the Xbox Game Pass. Skate and Skate 3, released in 2007 and 2010, were originally Xbox 360 titles that can now be played on the Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X. Though no game from the Skate franchise is available on PC, it's a more than welcome inclusion to this round of Game Pass additions.
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There are a lot of significant differences between the first title and its third entry, though. Many fans consider the original Skate to be the ultimate skateboarding experience in video games; hwoever, Skate 3 has a lot to offer that the original game did not. Ultimately, it's best to try both games and see which feels better for the player — but what are the pros and cons of each?
7 Skate 1 Feels The Best To Control
Skate was a revolutionary game upon release. Other skateboarding games, most notably the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, had players pull off tricks with simple button inputs that often defy real-life physics and human ability. Skate 3 has a similar problem, in that controls aren't as complex but lead to some ridiculous tricks that don't make physical sense.
The original Skate, though, still stands as an incredibly satisfying skating experience. The player can't get off of their board and run around like in Skate 2 and Skate 3. This forces players to find good trick spots while constantly on the move. The thumb stick controls were pretty well perfected in the game's simple environment, making things feel a bit more intuitive and realistic.
6 Skate 3 Offers Good Online Playability
One of the major benefits of Skate 3 on the Xbox Game Pass is the inclusion of online playability. In Skate it is not possible to play online with others, but Skate 3 opens up this functionality to a wide range of activities. The Hall of Meat, Trick Competitions, and Co-Op are just a few of the available options for playing Skate 3 with friends.
Unfortunately, the games do not feature local multiplayer on the Xbox Game Pass. Though Skate has a few fun alternative game modes, Skate 3 still takes the prize for multiplayer. It offers a huge variety of wacky game modes and multiplayer features not present in the original title.
5 Skate 1 Features More "Skater Culture"
Where Skate 2 and Skate 3 put the player in the shoes of a relatively established skater, Skate 1 starts the player at the very beginning of their journey to the top. As such, it features a lot more of the skater aesthetic. Grungy vibes and great, subtle trick spots are absolutely everywhere on its relatively small map.
It's a bit more realistic in terms of places that skaters would actually choose to try out some tricks. Where Skate 2 and Skate 3 have a lot of bizarre spots, Skate keeps things grounded. Players won't find an endless tunnel, but they might find a plaza with perfectly spaced grindable benches near a set of stairs.
4 Skate 3 Is Prettier Than The Previous Two
As typical of sequels in a game franchise, Skate 3 is miles better-looking than the original title released three years earlier. They both came out for the same console, but Skate 3 is better optimized and makes full use of the Xbox 360's capabilities.
Additionally, while Skate has a very grungy, realistic atmosphere throughout map design and color scheme, Skate 3 is much more vibrant. Colors really pop in this 11-year-old title, enough to hide some of the era's graphical capabilities.
3 Skate 1 Has Less Realistic Physics
As graphics improved with the series, so too did the game engine's capability to handle physics. Skate is an incredibly fun, satisfying experience that's still miles ahead of modern skating games. Where it falters a little bit, though, is exact grinds, exact landing, and time spent in the air.
Even though the game is still more difficult than its contemporary titles, Skate does feel a little floaty sometimes. It doesn't have as fine attention to physics detail as Skate 2 or Skate 3, and not being able to get off the board makes push-offs feel unrealistically strong.
2 Skate 3's World Feels Generic
One complaint that fans of the Skate series had with the third entry was how bland its world felt. Skate 1 and Skate 2 featured realistic-looking maps with subtle skating spots built into the environment; however, Skate 3 is much more comfortable with offering players both bland and ridiculous locations. It just doesn't pay much attention to world design.
Some fans have compared Skate 3 to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as both titles are the most popular in their respective franchises despite having a less detailed world to explore. Skate encourages players to find their own way and create their own fun, while Skate 3 offers cool moments and locations with little effort involved on the player's part.
1 The Verdict: Skate 1 vs Skate 3
Ultimately, the decision to play the first Skate title or Skate 3 is an individual choice. There's no objective fact that dictates which one is better than the other. Skate is a satisfying skating experience with a great world and satisfying skating mechanics. On the other hand, Skate 3 is much nicer to look at, and has an easier learning curve for beginners to its control scheme.
Either way, the Skate games are quite unlike other skating video games of their ilk. The unique control scheme, the real skating inspirations, and the light RPG mechanics involved in upgrading one's character make them worth playing. These are two games that any skating enthusiast (or fan of combo-oriented games) should experience on the Game Pass.