After what felt like an eternity, EA has finally brought back its beloved Skate franchise with a new, free-to-play installment. Currently in early access, the game is still quite basic in its presentation, and its live-service model has sparked considerable debate among dedicated fans. However, one point everyone seems to agree on is that Skate perfectly recaptures the authentic feel of the original games.
Out of the box, however, the experience might not be exactly what you remember. The good news? There’s a simple fix within the game’s settings. By default, several ‘assists’ are enabled, making the game a much more forgiving ride. Beyond these essential tweaks, we’ll also guide you through important options for managing custom ramps—and even how to silence that persistent in-game narrator for a more enjoyable session. Let’s dive in!
Restore the Classic Skate Feel: Adjusting Core Gameplay Settings
Head into the main settings menu, then select ‘Gameplay,’ and finally navigate to the ‘Assists’ tab. For that authentic, challenging Skate experience you know and love, dial down every option in the ‘difficulty options’ section. Personally, I like to keep ‘Allow Fall Height’ at its middle setting (1) to still pull off those epic, high-flying stunts without instant bails.
But the adjustments don’t stop there! Just below, you’ll find ‘On-Board Helpers.’ Just like the difficulty settings, you’ll want to disable these for a purist experience. If you’re looking for a gradual transition, consider leaving ‘Prevent Low Air Spins’ enabled initially. This assist can help you maintain control at high speeds by preventing accidental spins during small bounces. However, for the full old-school feel, you’ll eventually want to turn that off too.
At the very bottom of the menu, you’ll find ‘Off-Board Helpers.’ Feel free to adjust these as you see fit; they primarily impact your movement when you’re off your board. The new Skate allows for much more extensive on-foot exploration, including scaling buildings, a significant upgrade from previous titles. We recommend enabling any settings that streamline this movement, so you can quickly get back to what truly matters: skating!
Congratulations! You’ve successfully transformed the new Skate into the gloriously challenging and unforgiving experience reminiscent of the originals. But hold on, there are a couple more crucial settings you’ll want to be aware of.
Reclaim Your Space: Disabling Other Players’ Quick-Drop Ramps
The latest Skate iteration brings back and enhances one of Skate 3‘s most beloved features: the freedom to instantly place ramps and other objects anywhere in the environment with just a few button presses. However, the catch is that this new Skate is an always-online game, meaning the world is perpetually populated by other players. And yes, they can also unleash their own custom ramps wherever they please. Given how creative (and sometimes chaotic) our fellow gamers can be, it’s easy to foresee situations where these ‘ramp powers’ could become quite frustrating.
Thankfully, there’s a quick solution to this potential annoyance, though it’s hidden outside the main settings menu. To find it, first open the quick-drop menu by pressing right on your d-pad. Then, hit the Options/Start button to bring up the quick-drop settings. Scroll down to the ‘Multiplayer’ section. Here, you can control whether other players’ ramps appear in your game and, most importantly, prevent anyone else from altering the ramps you place. Freedom from unsolicited obstacles awaits!
With your gameplay and ramp settings dialed in, there’s one final, helpful adjustment to consider, especially during your initial hours with the game.
Silencing the Narrator: A Quieter Skate Experience
As you progress through Skate, a helpful narrator named Vee guides you through tutorials and missions, much like Giovanni Reda in the original trilogy. However, Vee’s constant commentary can become repetitive and, frankly, a bit annoying after extended gameplay sessions. Luckily, you can completely turn off her idle chatter by simply disabling ‘Gameplay Vee Comments’ within the Audio settings menu.
