Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 has the quality gameplay coming out that we’ve all come to expect from the franchise. The game makes some bold changes to the formula, but ultimately lands its tricks and will still provide hours of skateboarding fun.
What Makes This Remake Special?
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater has a clear and simple structure that is easy to follow for newcomers. You undertake different levels with objectives such as scoring points, collecting items, performing special tricks within a time of two minutes. When you complete enough objectives, you unlock new levels. And new levels pose tougher challenges for those who are skilled enough.
This simple formula creates the perfect tension. The participants must essentially inject some kind of missing detail in the rides. There is beauty in this simplicity; it is easily understood, but not easily mastered.
It’s interesting how the remake changes the open-world design of THPS 4 to the two-minute sequence Some fans of the fourth game may be disappointed by this, though the game does provide customisable timers of 60 minutes allowing players to skate around and recreate the vibes from the original.
Visual Upgrades That Enhance Rather Than Distract
Each level of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 now has a brilliant new look. The studio Iron Galaxy has included extraordinary detail, high-res textures, and improved models that give these classic locales new life.
Most importantly, they achieved a great balance of clarity and visuals. Although the enhanced graphics look good rails, ramps and collectibles are easily spotted when you’re flying through the level at high-speed (during a huge combo).
Fresh Additions to a Classic Formula
Iron Galaxy went ahead and made three brand new ones for this collection – a worn-down waterpark, a movie studio, and a weird pinball machine played by Tony Hawk. These new additions feel like proper Tony Hawk levels that Neversoft could have made back in the day.
The waterpark has that classic THPS feeling, while the pinball level brings bizarre humor that feels like a nod to the series. In the pinball environment, there’s even a nice nod to Neversoft. At the same time, the movie studio fits so well into the classic levels that it looks newly recreated.
The album is now more than just a collection of original songs. While some purists might miss the absence of certain tracks, the new bunch boasts a host of bangers. Some are surely fresh, while we also have new contributions from artists who featured in the original THPS 3 and 4. This makes the package feel like a proper new entry rather than a simple reboot.
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Creativity and Connection
The game features a robust park editor for creative skaters, allowing an almost limitless range of level designs. Players are already making levels from other Tony Hawk video games and even designing some tracks for Mario, which cross-platform sharing will ensure is a constant flow of interesting content. The community could give us an everlasting variety of new skating experiences with custom objectives and collectibles.
When you play online, the life of the game gets even longer. You can let your friends free skate with you on official and user-created levels. You can make your own skateboarder but won’t be able to share them online.
The Pure Joy of Skating
The core skating mechanics in THPS 3+4 are simply perfect. Using what was learnt from THPS 1+2, the controls feel responsive, intuitive, and extremely satisfying. It’s a blast to just fly around the levels and do tricks. When you kickflip or grind, a wave of skateboarding bliss kicks in.
However, while playing, I experienced some technical problems. Getting a black screen every so often, and issues with the camera, and constant screen tearing on Xbox. When a level resets can fix a majority of the problems, these bugs are temporary brief glitches that do not affect the game.
Even though there are some little technical glitches, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a great addition. With its pristine nostalgia and innovation through excellent skating mechanics and a wealth of content, this game is an essential play for anyone who has ever enjoyed a Tony Hawk game. This game makes a strong case for gaming hall of fame.