Skate 3 takes place in the town of Port Carverton. After a failed trick, "The Legend" starts his goal to become a skating mogul. The player works to create a team of skaters that compete against other teams, with a goal to sell a million skateboards.
Players can customize the name of the team and choose a preset logo at the start of the game. Once chosen, the player can change their appearance, clothing, and board. Later in the game, purchases unlock more clothing and board options.
The player uses the right stick on the controller to perform ollies and tricks. Ollies are the basic way to jump; by pulling back on the stick and flicking it forward, the player can lift off the ground. Controlling the direction of the flick allows for more control over the board.
There are various challenges to complete. Some notable ones include:
"Hall of Meat", where the player bails from their boards to break as many bones and points as possible, based on distance, air time, and other factors.
"Own the Spot/Lot", both involve completing tricks (or series of tricks) to a predetermined amount of points. The difference lies in that "Spot" is solo, while "Lot" uses the player's team.
"Photo"/"Film", where the player must complete either a predetermined or chosen trick(s) on objects. After completing "Photo", the player can choose which photo to use for the magazine cover. "Film" has no such choice.
skate.Create: This tool allows players to create custom content for both private or public use.
skate.School: This feature lets new and old skaters learn and hone their skills.
skate.Park: This tool enables the creation of custom maps.