Flashback: Skate 3 raises the bone-cracking bar

The series that put Tony Hawk to shame is back to bring the pain. Skate 3 takes the players to Port Carverton, the ultimate skating utopia. This city has ramps and rails everywhere, and since it's a utopia, security guards won't be chasing you down and knocking you around this time.

The protagonist is the same as ever: a nameless, speechless drone with no personality. That kind of character has its advantages, though; it allows players a high level of customization with names, clothes, tattoos and anything else players want to tweak.

The protagonist mutely agrees to found his or her own skate label at the beginning of the game, and expanding the business is the focus of Skate 3's story. Think how Tony Hawk founded Birdhouse Skateboards; it's like that. Players will name it, pick its logo, and recruit team members throughout the game. The trusty sidekick from the first two games is still there in the background, making all the business decisions while the players go promote the label by doing what they've always done: skating.

The game really boils down to completing challenges. Sure, you can just skate around for the fun of it, and it is fun, but to drive the story forward, you need to complete those challenges. They come in all shapes and sizes, from races to skate competitions to facing off with the pros.

"I got this"

When players complete a challenge, they are first rewarded with corny nonsense skate lingo like "S-S-Su-Sick!" or my personal favorite "Yapple Dapple!" Afterwards, players earn board sales, not money, like in past games. Since you're out to promote your label, it makes sense that popularity equals success.

Selling boards unlocks items that players can use to customize their characters. There are tons of items to unlock, but they are seemingly unlocked at random. If players want a specific item, they'll just have to wait and hope. Players can also make custom boards and upload them online. If other players download the boards, the creator will earn board sales.

The Hall of Meat challenges are certainly back with a vengeance. For the uninitiated, these challenges are designed to throw characters off their boards and break bones, fall with flair and generally do things that would either ruin a real-world skater's career or end his life. I have yet to see somebody break every bone in the character's body in one fall, but with the scale of some of these challenges, it's certainly possible. Whether it's racking up points or face-planting into a dumpster, this game brings the pain.

Honestly, though, not much is new in Skate 3. Since the formula works so well, the creators didn't need to change much; they just needed to give players a bit more to do.