I just rented Skate II and I've got to say that this review is absolutely BANG ON. I am by no definition a skater.
First, I have no idea what anyone is saying, even turning on the subtitles doesn't help. I thought maybe it was just because everyone in the game mumbles. Probably had their jaws wired shut. But it turns out they're speaking audibly, it's just jibberish.
I had no idea anyone in this game is a real person, so when when everyone was like HOLY SHIT IT'S DANNY WAY! I'm totally bored and unimpressed.
I also found the game is really inconsistent in it's instructions. At one point I'm challenged to do a Hippy Jump, a finger flip, and then a late flip. The game was nice enough to tell me how to do a Hippy Jump since I'd never done one, but for the next two tricks it was a big old FUCK YOU FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF, YOU NONCE.
The bone-smashing mini game is really the only thing I'm having fun with. They're even nice enough to give you money for mangling your body, so that's great. Even if you absolutely suck at skating, all you have to do is fling yourself down a hill and fall off your board for stacks of money.
I'm positive if you're into skating, the game is OMG AWESOME or whatever they're say. "Mad sick"? I dunno. Anywho, the game is really well made, but it's just so inaccessible to me.