This game’s fundamental issue is how reliant it is on uninspired challenges.
One thing that was so great about the older games was how welcoming they were to a freestyle play style.
Challenges or objectives were not demanding on a certain trick or grab being done(in some cases but not often). It was mostly opportunities for you to do whatever you want and get footage. It made you feel like you were genuinely building/growing your character.
One of the best examples of freestyle fun was the competitions in Skate 3. Team or individual, it was simple, whoever had the best score won across a couple different circuits.
The challenge system this game has now feels more like an end game rather than the actual game that made you want to play.
The fact that there wasn’t some kind of bot or NPC’s put in the game really took away from the solo experience. I get that they want to push the multiplayer experience but the reality is most people don’t play the game with others but that doesn’t mean they want it to feel empty or isolating.