EA brings us more skating action with the follow up to the phenomenal SKATE, is this version worth getting excited about or should you bail whilst you can.

Welcome back to San Valeona, skating mecca. Following the huge natural disaster in the Wii version, San Vaneona has been rebuilt by an anti-skating corporation Mongocorp. The city itself is better than ever but there are now plenty more security guards to avoid and they have even capped off some of your favourite grind spots.

The game starts off really well with a fun video introducing the skating pros that populate the game and also gives you a bit of a back story. You have just been released from prison and have been greeted by the local skate photographer who wants to work with you to get to the big time. At this point you can create a skater, choosing from male and female characters, the customization is surprisingly limited for an EA title but this is covered for in the clothing line. After a short reminder of the basics (you can skip this if you like) you are then thrust into the huge world that is San Vaneona.

The controls are pretty much unchanged from the last game, the LS controls the body of your player allowing you to turn and use momentum whilst the RS controls your feet on the board using the Flickit system, an Ollie is achieved by pulling down then flicking the RS up, every other move is pulled off just as easily. But what’s new I hear you ask, well this time around we have the hand and foot plants that were sorely missed from the first game allowing for some great half pipe moves plus the Marty McFly style hippie jump where your character jumps and the board stays on the floor. Controlling the skater is tough at first but once you get your head around the control system you will be pulling off some awesome moves.

The biggest change to the game though is the ability to pick your board up and walk around and whilst controlling your skater on foot is stupidly hard, it opens the game right up, allowing you to go up stairs to find some cool drop-in areas plus you can also drag and move certain items like ramps and dumpsters, allowing you to make your own trick spots.

San Vaneona is a huge spiralling city that at first is a tad confusing as not all of the areas to pull off moves are that obvious and the ones you do have been capped off. After some skating around you will find more and more areas hidden away in the backstreets like swimming pools and road works, plus you can unlock the ability to call on some help to reclaim some of the capped grind lines.

Compared to the first game, SKATE 2 is a lot easier, mostly down to the fact that most of us know what to expect from the controls but also down to the challenges, they are not so strict this time around, mostly asking only for a grind or manual and not being so specific on the move, allowing you to customize you own attempt. The map is chock full of different challenges, the main career will progress the story but you also have other challenges like Sponsor Me where you go out and make the best video possible, races, own the spot, Thrasher and Skateboard magazine challenges and the Hall of Meat in which you need to break as many bones as possible (which due to my skateboarding skills found quite easy).

SKATE 2 has a lot to offer over its predecessor and deserves to have a place in your collection. It looks like SKATE is here to stay.