Skate 4: Where Everyone's Flipping Out (Literally, With Somersaults!) – And Not Always For The Right Reasons
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jeff's take on *Skate* (2025) in early access highlights the bizarre trend of players endlessly somersaulting instead of skating, a stark contrast to the series' realistic roots, alongside concerns about its online-only nature, bugs, and the unwelcome addition of loot boxes.
Right, so for what feels like a decade, we've been waiting for the return of *Skate*. A proper, authentic skateboarding game, you know? The one that taught us what a "Flick-It" control scheme truly felt like, the one that made us feel like a proper digital shredder, weaving lines through San Vanelona. The hype for *Skate* (2025) has been simmering hotter than a forgotten cuppa on a summer's day. And now, it's finally here in early access.
You'd expect the internet to be absolutely overflowing with mind-blowing kickflips, impossible grinds, and gravity-defying manuals, right? Bloody hell, were we wrong.
Instead, the virtual skate parks of *Skate* (2025) are currently less about nailing a textbook 360 flip and more about... somersaulting endlessly. Like a wizard who accidentally cast an "infinite tumble" spell, players are flinging themselves off skyscrapers, bouncing around pools, and generally treating the laws of physics like a mere suggestion. It’s wilder than finding a secret level in a game you thought you’d 100% completed.
Now, for those who might've missed the original *Skate* trilogy – and honestly, where have you *been*, mate? – these games pretty much pioneered the idea of a realistic skateboarding sim. The low-angled camera, the nuanced Flick-It controls where your thumbstick literally dictated your board's every spin and flip... it was pure digital poetry. It felt *real*, even when pushing the boundaries of what a human could conceivably do on a board. Sure, you could "coffin" (lie down on your board, face up, usually for a laugh), but it still felt rooted in the tactile reality of concrete and grip tape.
So, imagine the collective eyebrow raise when *Skate* (2025) rolls out and one of the very first things it teaches you is how to climb a wall, *Assassin's Creed*-style. And then, the pièce de résistance: holding down a trigger to somersault repeatedly, indefinitely. It’s like the game’s developers looked at the laws of motion, shrugged, and said, "Nah, we're good."
Players, being the gloriously chaotic bunch they are, have naturally embraced this new, unintended (or perhaps *too* intended?) mechanic. They're using these somersaults to traverse the new city of San Vansterdam, even though it's significantly slower than, you know, *skating*. They're hurling themselves off impossible heights, somersaulting into pools that were clearly designed for actual board action, and generally turning sacred skate spots into gymnastics arenas. It’s undeniably funny to watch, like seeing a glitch in the matrix manifest as a perpetual tumble. But it also begs the question: is this... *Skate*?
My initial thought was, "Well, skateboarding culture itself has a healthy dose of silliness, right?" And it does! The original *Skate* games had their share of absurd bail animations and ridiculous challenges. But this feels different. This isn't pushing the boundaries of what's possible on a skateboard; it's actively dismounting and doing something entirely *else*. It's like turning up to a wizard duel and deciding to solve the problem with interpretive dance instead of a fire spell. Effective, perhaps, but not quite what everyone signed up for.
And here's where my gently skeptical wizard hat starts to itch a bit. The somersaults, while bizarrely entertaining, feel like a symptom of a larger collection of perceived issues that are, frankly, a bit of a bummer. For a game that's been in the oven for so long, you’d reckon it would hit the ground running, but early access reports suggest otherwise.
For starters, it's an online-only multiplayer game. Fair dinkum, did we not settle this debate years ago? The idea that I can't just fire up *Skate* and cruise around offline, working on my lines without worrying about server issues, feels like a step backwards. And speaking of server issues, players are reporting lengthy queues and struggles just to get into the game. That's a real buzzkill when all you want to do is, well, *skate*. Add to that a smattering of bugs – missions not popping, progress being gated – and you’ve got a recipe for frustration.
Then there's the aesthetic and cultural side. No pro skaters? Not many apparel brands? And, honestly, a distinct lack of cursing? If you’ve ever hung out at a skate park, you know a bit of colourful language is as much a part of the atmosphere as the clatter of boards and the occasional ambulance siren. It all adds up to a game that, despite the slick Flick-It system still being present, feels a bit... sanitised, a bit disconnected from the gritty, authentic vibe that made the originals so beloved.
But perhaps the biggest eyebrow-raiser, the one that made my magical orb of foresight flicker ominously, is the inclusion of loot boxes. Ah, the "Fortniteification" of everything, isn't it? It feels like we're watching another beloved franchise get shoved into the "games-as-a-service" blender, with monetization schemes disguised as exciting new features. When a game offers these sorts of predatory mechanics, it makes you wonder what the core focus truly is: player experience or player wallets. My gut tells me it's not always the former.
So, what does this all mean for *Skate* (2025)? It's early days, of course, and games in early access are meant to evolve. There's still a glimmer of that old *Skate* magic in the Flick-It controls, and the community's creative chaos with the somersaults shows there's a hunger for unique experiences. But the foundational issues – the online-only mode, the bugs, and especially those pesky loot boxes – feel like fundamental missteps that could trip up even the most seasoned skater.
I'm genuinely curious to see how Full Circle navigates these early bumps. Can they flick it back on course, leaning into what made *Skate* legendary while ditching the industry trends that feel out of place? Or will *Skate* (2025) forever be remembered as the game where everyone just endlessly tumbled their way to disappointment? Only time, and perhaps a few more accidental reality warps, will tell.
Tags: Skate 4, Gaming News, Early Access, Loot Boxes, Skateboarding Games
Original article: Polygon