EA has finally removed the tape from developer Full Circle’s upcoming skate game … by the way. It’s not like there’s an official release date or any definitive news other than the fact that the team is “still working” on it. Still, today EA Full Circle has released some “pre-pre-pre-alpha” game footage showing what’s being worked on and yes, this new skate game looks like shit.
You may have already seen excerpts from this footage. The pre-alpha game of the next Skate game, colloquially called Skate 4, although it should be called entirely Sk4te, was leaked in April. It showed a bit of an open world skateboard similar to Skate 3, but a bit more arcade and expansive, with hilarious cloth doll physics and solid-looking skating mechanics. EA pulled out this footage, but is now ready to show us more. The publisher posted a one-and-a-half-minute video on Twitter and YouTube of what you can expect every time this game is released, and it looks like it will be inspired by recent skateboarding games like Session and Skater XL.
So yes, this is absolutely “pre-pre-pre alpha”. But what is shown here seems very solid. The audio of the polyurethane wheels scratching against the asphalt or the tail of the sliding board along a metal rail sounds perfect. The turn of the board also has good realistic rotations. That’s bread and butter for a skateboard game, but Skate’s next entry looks like it will take it further. In the pre-pre-alpha images, we see precise grinding and flipping control, which is ideal for people who want to play more technically. There are also more arcade-like items with unrealistic physics to help you with tricks on flat ground, such as turning a car backwards. And it looks like you can do all of this online, in what appear to be massive online skate sessions. My body is fully prepared.
An EA spokesman declined to answer questions, only directing players to register for future tests through the Skate Insider program. You will need an EA account to complete the registration and there is no date for when a game test will begin. There is also no guarantee that you will be selected for the next session after registering, although the Skate Insider website clarifies that there will be “more opportunities in the future” to play the game. So be sure to check out these inboxes.
Who knows when we’ll actually see Skate 4, Sk4te, the next Skate game, or whatever we call it. It’s a shame EA hasn’t had more to say, but now the next Skate will live without rent in my head thanks to this new pre-pre-alpha footage.