Skate 3 is a skateboarding extreme sports game set in an open world place and played from a third-person perspective. The game takes place in the fictional city of Port Carverton, which embraces skateboarding, unlike the "skateboarding is a crime" mentality portrayed in the second game. Although the location is a more colorful and friendlier place than Skate 2's de-saturated, and grainy streets, the gameplay provides a similar feel to the first and second games.[3] Port Carverton is made up of three districts, Downtown, the University, and Industrial. Although the overall look of the city is very clean (except industrial) each district has its own unique designs and monuments. Downtown is full of slick rigid ledges and rails, while the University is full of banks and open areas. Industrial is the most unusual; it is home to a huge quarry that has bricks of stone.[4]
Several notable skateboarding professionals appear throughout the game, such as Danny Way, Darren Navarette, Terry Kennedy, Eric Koston, Chris Cole, Pat Duffy and Jason Lee who voices the character Coach Frank.[5]
In contrast with the original Skate, two new difficulty levels have been added: "Easy" and "Hardcore" modes. "Easy Mode" allows the player to perform tricks easier and provides greater control of the character. "Hardcore Mode" attempts a more realistic simulation of skateboarding and requires the player to perform tricks precisely. It adds a more realistic feel to the game unlike easy. It would also be recommended for players who have more experience.[6][7]The game also features an introductory "Skate School",[8] where Coach Frank (Jason Lee) teaches players the basics of skateboarding.[9][10] This feature is optional and the area can also be visited for unrestricted skateboarding.
Skate 3 features a "Skate.Park" mode that allows players to build custom skate parks and object fropper.[5][6][11]
EA introduced three new online game modes: "1-Up", "Domination", and "Own The Lot".[7][8] In "1-Up", players compete in turns to beat the other team's last score in a given time period. In "Domination", teams compete to gain the most points on set spots in an area within a time limit. In "Own The Lot", two or more players try to complete tasks before their time limit ends. Returning modes include "S.K.A.T.E" and "Hall of Meat".[7]
Unlike the previous Skate games, Skate 3 has no offline multiplayer game modes on the disc.[12] Players must purchase the "San Van Party Pack" downloadable content in order to access the offline "Party Play" mode.
