The vision of Skate is easy to understand: an ever-evolving online skateboarding sandbox where players can drop in with their friends, dominate the city, hit some sick tricks, and otherwise enjoy the legacy that has surrounded the franchise. As many fans know, Skate was willed into existence by fans who swarmed essentially every EA social media post, and soon they'll be able to tear up the streets of San Vansterdam. The journey from pre-pre-pre-pre-alpha gameplay to Early Access was no doubt a long one, but after spending some time in San Vansterdam, it's clear that there's still a long road ahead.
The Best War Games recently spent a few hours in the world of Skate ahead of its Early Access release, and while it's clear there's something special under it all, it's going to be a few seasons before Skate lives up to the promise of its vision. Nailing the fundamentals is arguably the most important aspect at this stage, and in that regard, Skate is everything you'd want it to be. The stuff piled on top of the gameplay, however, feels like it's a few steps too far. That's exactly what Early Access is for, to some degree, but there's just as much to subtract as there is to add to nail that bona fide Skate experience.
Training Wheels
Off the rip, players can set up the basic customization of their characters and can then hop into the tutorial on the Isle of Grom. And from there, they can flick it into another tutorial. Once they're in San Vansterdam proper, they can quick-drop into another tutorial. And from there, they can skate their way to another tutorial. And after that, there's a tutorial. Nailed the basics? More tutorials. Think you're finally past the tutorials? More tutorials. On the one hand, extensive onboarding makes sense because the end goal is to give players the ultimate freedom to explore San Vansterdam however they want; on the other hand, there's a third and fourth hand guiding you most of the time. Skate held my hand far longer than I needed it to, than anyone would need it to, and the freedom thereafter asks for a high entry price.
Skate could reduce its tutorials in half, and it would still be gratuitous. Going hand in hand with this issue is its tendency to overexplain everything. Sometimes, the best thing you can do in a game is to ignore the conveniences players need. There's no need to make map markers or waypoints anything more than that because, at first, I wasn't thinking about them in Skate. But after being repeatedly told there's an AR program that I need to use and follow to go anywhere, all I can think about is the fact that an AR program for skateboarders canonically exists. Skate's denizens are very proud of that AR program, and I mean, very proud. Worse than the AR over-explanations are the slam justifications.
"Do you know why slamming doesn't hurt?" Well, no, I wasn't really thinking about it. "It's because of this in-game justification that you can do so and not die!" Great, thanks. I did not need an in-game justification to throw myself off the top of this building without being harmed; the millennial urge was plenty enough for me not to apply real-world thinking to it. But because the game overexplained it, which kept some of the tongue-in-cheek tone but went way in the other direction, I couldn't stop thinking about the justification every time I did slam.
Behind all the tutorials lies a simple story about exploring San Vansterdam, building reputation, and expanding from the Hedgemont neighborhood to Gullcrest, Market Mile, and Brickswich. Doing so opens up new city vibes, new terrain, and new challenges (which refresh daily). The environment is dynamic enough that daily players should have plenty of challenges, once they're eventually set free, and the social features have promise. The missions themselves are pretty simplistic in setup, but that doesn't remove the challenge from nailing the gameplay. And that's where Skate really nails it. Skate feels like a relaxing day at the skate park and carries that kind of vibe, at least when players ignore everything else.
A Taste of Freedom
I do want to be clear that the fundamentals and freedom it does offer are fun. Skate is fun. Ignoring the missions/tutorials, I enjoyed skating around the city, finding skate parks, discovering spots, and exploring the area to hit tricks. The core gameplay experience itself—the exploration, the Flick-It system, all the fundamentals of Skate—shines pretty brightly. Learning the tricks is fun and evokes that beloved Tech Deck-like sensation well, and the world is genuinely a joy to explore and vibe in. Skate's gameplay feels really good, but the framing of that gameplay is questionable at best.
It does need more in the long run, but that "more" wouldn't feel as good if the fundamentals struggled. That's not the case. Every trick, every grind carries with it the proper weight of a skateboard, and the overall game feel is fantastic. It'll be a great game to hop into when you only have a little time or a game where you just want to enjoy a proper sandbox. It's easy to see the world of San Vansterdam with "skater eyes" and act on that accordingly, all while finding new, unique spots and setting challenges for yourself. Plus, the ability to add ramps and whatnot to the world ensures that there's near-endless replayability within the sandbox. In that regard, San Vansterdam offers hours of fun once players are set free.
Progressing Through San Vansterdam
As players complete missions and challenges, they'll be able to progress, level up, and earn currency to buy in-game rewards. There is a lot of customization content in the game, and with the currency I unlocked and what I received by leveling up, I was able to constantly adjust my character. Players can expect the basics for their character, plus an array of shirts, pants, hats, socks, glasses, etc. The one thing that struck me as odd was tattoos: there are simply none in this game, none that I could see or unlock at least, as if skate culture and tattoo culture somehow broke up. But at the very least, players can customize their decks, grip tape, wheel, and apply 3 stickers to their skateboard.
But there is a huge red flag in how progression works. Skate is a free-to-play game, which means Microtransactions are to be expected. In the store, you can see two currencies: the one I unlocked through gameplay and the other one, which I can only assume is the premium currency. Store cosmetic boxes can be bought repeatedly until players receive all the loot from them, which means repeatedly buying a box if you want something specific. I could do all of this with the currency I unlocked by leveling up, but the red flag is that players have to go to the store to level up.
It feels a tad predatory because there is no logical reason the level-up screen couldn't just pop up while I'm out in the city to give me my rewards. Yes, I can buy the store boxes with my in-game currency, but Skate is designed so that you see the store more than you need to and often through no choice of your own. Which means if Skate's microtransactions operate through it, then players are constantly brought to the store even for normal progression.
Skate's Early Access Journey is Only Beginning
There is clearly a lot stacked on top of Skate's fundamental gameplay, which will also continue to grow season after season with the additions of new moves and mechanics like skitching, and the entire point of Early Access is so fans can provide key feedback for its various systems. Given its origins, Early Access is a logical conclusion for this Skate game, so fans can shape it from this point forward. That no doubt bodes well for its future. Right now, it feels like a great Skate game buried in excessive explanation and questionable monetization efforts, while the game holds my hand through every mechanic and mission. Getting to the core experience faster and cutting back some of the fat would go a long way for Skate.
There's a lot I would personally like to see added, and generally speaking, wanting more in a game is a good thing. That's because it's easy enough to feel the promise in its moment-to-moment gameplay, but it suffers when you pull that camera back and take it all in. As such, there are a lot of things I would personally like to see tweaked, if not outright removed, to fully realize the freedom promised in its sandbox. Luckily, Early Access makes all of that possible, and it'll be interesting to see what happens after it releases in Early Access on September 16.
- Released
- September 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Crude Humor, Lyrics, Mild Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Full Circle
- Publisher(s)
- EA
- Engine
- Frostbite
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Sports, MMO, Open-World
