4 8A - Monday, October 22, 2007 You need to work for your sadism The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 SKATE From page 5A built upon a series of bland tasks and objectives that come off as something you need to do, instead of something you want to do. Maybe this game is just too real for its own good. The life of an up- and-coming skateboarder never seemed very interesting, soit's not a surprise that its digital representa- tion isn't much better. Your alternative career choices: Unsurprisingly, "Skate" 's career mode involves building up an unknown skater into a successful skater with a large collection of free Nike SBs and N.W.A. shirts. The game does offer a degree of freedom in determining your character's objectives though, with tasks inch- ing him closer to either Thrasher Magazine or the skateboard MAG. Thrasher tasks emphasize the extreme side of skateboarding-like trying to see how many bones you can break-while the MAG wants you to pull off more traditional, technical feats. Vision problems: Because the game focuses on technical nuances and controlling your character's feet with the right analog stick, the cam- era is fixed closeto the ground, right behind the skater. This is supposed to provide for a more intimate expe- rience that allows players to focus on subtle board manipulations, but it's an imperfect system. Lining up for ledges and rails is more difficult than it needs to be, and it's far too easy to skate into oncoming traf- fic when heading downhill because your skater's ass blocked the view of the Durango barrelingtowards you. Rick Ross? Really?: The original "Tony Hawk" games were marked by their soundtracks, which synced perfectly with the games' timed runs. "Skate" is more of a free-for- all where you skate from event to event in a less structured manner, and the in-game's soundtrack plays a more passive role, just lingering in the background. Thiswould be more disappointing if the soundtrack was actually good, which it's not, although Bowie's "Queen Bitch" almost singly handedly saves it. Sex, lies and promotional shoe company videotapes: "Skate" lets players exercise their inner War- ren Miller (of skateboarding?) by 4 4 For your inner sadist: With "GTA is it worth a rental?: Sure, but I think IV" getting pushed back to 2008, people stopped rentingvideo games gamers are going to need another in 1999. If you've been holding out way to maim virtual pedestrians for a serious skateboarding sim then this holiday season. "Skate" may not "Skate" is worth investigating. Oth- producing in-game videos with a if you're into that kind of thing. A have flamethrowers or shotguns, erwise you're better off dusting off set of crude editing tools that make good portion of the game's career but you can intentionally slam into an old Dreamcast and your bootleg iMovie look like a professional Avid mode involves making videos for the curb and launch yourself into copy of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater setup. After you've compiled your sponsors or magazines, but they're unsuspecting senior citizens. Sadly, 2" that kid in your word processing masterwork you can share it online essentially just timed runs that can that's probably the best part of the class burned for you. MUSIC IN BRIEF A 'Jubilee' with little jubilation Laura Bates & Brandon Foote Jubilee Earthwork Jubilee: an ironic name for an album from a band with so little affinity for theatrics. Laura Bates & Brandon Foote's freshman release pointedly lacks a contemporary fervor. A Chris- tian folk group from Lansing, Bates and Foote deliver a persis- tently mellow experience, never quite reaching the potential their respective talents hint at. The album's biggest flaw is its inconsistency. Bates, for instance, attempts to bring the music to a more powerful level with her soaring voice on the opener "The Lonesome Whippoorwill," but she's held back by mellow instru- mentation. "All Will Be Well" presents Bates's voice as full of clarity and power, but the musi- cal backing falls short, even when the song reaches its would-be cli- max. Bates & Foote occasionally suc- ceed with a warm, folksy sound; the simplicity of the mandolin and guitar works well as elevator music. But toward the end of the album, as Bates sings "march- ing marching marching on" in "Backwoods Baxter Chapel," the tedium of Jubilee becomes obvi- ous. E RIC E ATON 4 4 0 I 6 Is your health care plan in transition? Come home to the safety, stability and peace of mind only the Blues can offer. We accept everyone, regardless of medical history. We never drop anyone for health reasons. And we provide more hometown access to doctors and hospitals than any other health care company. We've been here since 1939, and we'll be right here whenever you need us. Come home to coverage you can trust. Come home to the Blues. DEFEND YOUR BLASPHEMOUS OPINIONS HERE. We're always looking culture critics. Do you have the chops? E-mail klein@michigandaily.com for an application. a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Care Network m of Michigan 6 9