It’s been 12 years since the last game in the Skate series, and Skate 4 is finally on the way. At this point, we’ve seen a few trailers, but not much else. Now that the game’s first playtest is underway, a ton of new details have found their way online.
Reddit user MYNAMEISHENDRIK made a thread with all the info, claiming they “got [it] from someone who had access to the playtest.” The most eye-catching part of the post is Fun City, a playtest map shared on Imgur. Hendrik says Fun City seems to be one portion of the overall map, featuring the community center from the first game as part of its layout. Bus stops serve as fast travel points across Fun City, so if you want to warp around, you’ll have to approach one and select your destination.
In addition to public skating zones like Fun City, the game will also include a custom, home skate park. This serves as a tutorial before opening up to full customization. You can build yours with a combination of raw resources and prefab items via blueprints. Completing in-game challenges wins you money that can be used to buy those custom items.
Customization also applies to your skater. Different clothing options were present in the playtest, and more could be purchased with in-game currency. Some items require you to reach a certain level before you can purchase them, as Skate 4 offers a leveling system with 100 ranks. It goes up as you skate and share your experience — video editing is confirmed. Add frames and stickers to your videos, and the best ones will appear on billboards around the city.
In terms of actual skating, the game is said to “feel slightly faster than Skate 3,” though it’s hard to control your board if you gain too much speed. Wipe out, and you’ll see more ragdolling than what the third game had. The fan-favorite Hall of Meat mode hasn’t been seen in the playtest, though it could, of course, make the final release. Three different control styles — Classic, Streamlined, and Experienced — change how movement and trick inputs are done, ranging from a realistic to a more arcade-y experience.
Finally, several Halloween-themed stickers and decorations were spotted in the game, leading playtesters to believe that an October release is being planned. That could be October 2022 or 2023 of course, so we need to wait for official word from EA, especially since all this information is hearsay at the moment. Regardless, you can sign up for the Skate playtest yourself if you want a chance to give the game a go ahead of release.
