My $0.02 So Far - Multiple Discussion Points

Just want to preface by saying I do enjoy this game and have been sinking a lot of hours into it. The core gameplay is satisfying and fun and definitely something I see myself playing for years to come. Skate 3 was always a game I found myself coming back to for better parts of a decade before this one came out, so I consider myself a long time player.

BUT, there are some glaring issues in this game that I want to highlight with the hopes the devs get eyes on them and hopefully address in future updates.

Gameplay:

My biggest issue with gameplay is the challenges that don't track properly. I don't care that the game is currently in Early Access, that is not a good excuse for this. Literally the only objective thing to do in this game at the moment is play the various challenges on the map. The least the developers could do in this early stage of the game is make sure that those challenges actually work properly. Can't tell you how many times I've completed a spot challenge perfectly in one sequence only for it to not track.

Specific examples:

• The FS Pop Shuvit to Grind in the Backwash challenge straight up doesn't work 95% of the time
• That one air conditioning unit on the right side of the building in that one stunt challenge doesn't register a hit probably 80% of the time
• And there are plenty more that I could list

I could do a whole rant on how bad the characters and dialogue are, but that's been beaten to death and is clearly not something that is going to change, so I'll just say I've permanently turned the in game voice acting volume to 0 and leave it at that. 

Cosmetics:

The cosmetics in this game are an absolute joke. Like REALLY bad. At this point I have opened up pretty much every single box from all three neighborhoods, and I'd say maybe 1 out of every 20 items is something I would actually consider equipping onto my character.

There is barely any incentive to even open those boxes, because not only are the items awful and useless, but the entire system of opening the box, getting the 5 second "Congratulations!" animation, and then having to skip through two more screens showing you the item is just so poorly done and tedious. Get rid of the Congratulations and just let me instantly see what I got and then skip. So dumb.

I also totally understand that this is a F2P game and that EA's main source of revenue in this game are from people using the item shop (which may explain the disappointing Free loot pool). But that is not the case in this game! I would say that the actual item shop items that require real money (San Van Bucks) to purchase are easily just as bad as any of the F2P items. This initial battle pass might be the worst battle pass I have ever seen in any F2P game in the history of microtransactions. WTF is EA thinking with this garbage? Similar to the F2P neighborhood boxes, there might be two items in the entire battle pass that I would ever even consider equipping on my character, and this is supposed to be the big money maker? There is no reason for me to ever buy this. Ever. I assumed the battle pass would have some of the branded items that we are missing out on in the F2P boxes, but the pass is instead just a paid version of the F2P boxes. Asinine decision.

Here's an idea. Stop diluting the loot pool with those awful slip on shoes that look like something you'd wear in a max security prison. Stop giving me these ugly oversized baggy pants / shorts. Enough with the millions of crop tops. Cut down on the stickers and profile icons. Nobody in the game is wearing any of that stuff. 

It is almost laughable that out of this entire new Halloween event you created an entire new currency for players to buy cosmetics with, and then only introduced legitimately one clothing item that you can buy with that new currency that anyone would ever wear (not counting the free witch head). The Halloween limited time offering is literally the orange sweatshirt (which is the only good item), another pair of the horrendously ugly slip on shoes, and then two pairs of striped socks with different color variations. There are more skull stickers than clothing items hahaha. Why introduce an entire new currency into the game if you aren't even going to give your players a reason to spend it? I can't stress enough how insanely bad the cosmetics are in this game.

Map:

There is really no individuality between neighborhoods. If it wasn't for the little icon at the top of the screen that shows you where you are you wouldn't even know it was technically something different.

There is also obviously hardly any verticality anywhere on the map. And no, being able to jump off of skyscrapers does not count. The Skate 3 map was awesome in that you could start high up on the map and put together a long continuous line alllllll the way down to the bottom in a totally different part of the map and it all flowed together nicely. That aspect of the game is totally gone in Skate. We desperately need a modern day version of the Super Ultra Mega Park, or Danny Way's Hawaiian Dream park. And no, these poorly designed community parks are NOT the answer I'm looking for.

Also, I like that we can climb things now, but I hate the emphasis on climbing. It is a handy part of the game for getting around, but climbing for 5+ minutes up the side of a skyscraper just to get to a spot to skate is annoying and tedious. There is no reason at all that there isn't a fast travel point up at the O.R.B. Putting three challenges at the top of a building that you can't get to without tediously climbing for minutes at a time is just bad game design, full stop.

That is my current list of gripes after over 30 hours of game play.