G4TV

The folks at Electronic Arts are trying something unique with the next piece of downloadable content for Skate 2 <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/index/" title="Skate+2">Skate 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/news/" title="Skate+2 news">News</a></h6> (24)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/news/" title="Skate+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (7)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/review/" title="Skate+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/videos/" title="Skate+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (36)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Skate+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (19)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50286/skate-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Skate+2 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (73)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/index/" title="Skate+2">Skate 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/news/" title="Skate+2 news">News</a></h6> (23)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/news/" title="Skate+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (7)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/review/" title="Skate+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/videos/" title="Skate+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (36)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Skate+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (19)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/50287/skate-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Skate+2 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (55)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> … they are going to release a true-to-life skate park modeled after the actual park that will be used in the upcoming Maloof Money Cup, kicking off on July 10th in Costa Mesa, California.

The DLC version of the park is meticulously modeled after its real world counterpart and this isn’t a good thing. For $3 (240 MS Points) you’ll get a mostly empty arena, four co-op challenges, and two singpleplayer competitions. Oh, and Xbox 360 owners will get access to 250 more gamerpoints.

The problem is that the real world venue is exactly that: a real world venue. Modeled into the game are the empty spaces where judges will sit, bleachers for the non-existent in-game crowd, and the running track around the outside of the playing area. There’s even a giant open area for flatland tricks, which Skate still hasn’t quite nailed so it just ends up being wasted space.

As for the actual layout, it isn’t actually that fun. In fact, I would put the quality of this real-world venue below every single fictional spot and venue that the developers at Black Box have crafted into the game.

If you’ve just got to skate in the same place the pros are skating, get ready to pony up $3. If not, this is a definite skip. I’d rather have more custom spots that are laid out like little dream parks over this content.