Summary
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 delivers excellent skateboarding gameplay with beautifully remade levels and fantastic new additions.
- Suffers from controversial changes to THPS4’s structure and a severely disappointing soundtrack, with only 20% of original songs.
- Despite its flaws, the remake remains a solid purchase if you’re a skateboarding fan.
Will the new Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 meet the gamers’ expectations? Iron Galaxy Studios brings the classic 2001 and 2002 skateboarding gameplay into the modern consoles. Here’s what we think about the game with this review.
Gameplay That Still Rules the Halfpipe
Its core skateboarding mechanics remain as addictive as ever since its release years ago. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 will have players hooked in effortless skateboarding gameplay from kick flips into benihanas. Moreover, it lets players revert to manuals and extend grinds to achieve the massive combo scores.
Also, it returns with its familiar two-minute timer, which creates that “just one more run” mentality that made the original trilogy loved. They also retain its visual fidelity previously established by Vicarious Visions in their remake. With this, it creates crisp, colorful, and beautifully rendered graphics, bringing maps to life.
Meanwhile, the THPS4’s San Francisco provides you with a stunning sunset backdrop while you perform your tricks. It also shows off the impressive skate roster, combining returning pros alongside new additions from THPS1+2 and this title. This includes names like Chloe Covell, Rayssa Leal, Zion Wright, and Yuto Horigome.
Controversial Changes That Divide Fans
However, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 was surrounded by controversy following the treatment of THPS4 levels. In the original game, it uses a free-roaming structure with mission-giving characters. Yet, Iron Galaxy chose to retrofit these levels, working within the classic two-minute timer format.
So, it results in fewer goals per level, absence of mission-givers, and a significant change to the THPS4 experience. Eventually, it became disappointing for many fans who considered THPS4 as their favorite entry in the series. They replaced goals such as helping Ollie the Bum fend off the hallucinated pink elephants with simple Collectible challenges.
On the other hand, the Zoo level is devoid of life after being stripped of its original character and charm. Players won’t need to team with animals now in this level as a result of developers changes. Also, there are some puzzling changes to THPS3, such as the removal of individual skater tours.
Originally, this provided different goals depending on whether you were playing as a Vert or Street skater. Moreover, the remake forces all players to undergo the same challenges set regardless of their chosen character.
The Soundtrack Situation: A Major Letdown
Perhaps the most disappointing part of this new Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 is Iron Galaxy’s handling of iconic soundtracks. The previous THPS1+2 was particularly impressive after it managed to retain 22 out of 25 original songs. However, this sequel only managed to keep 10 out of the 55 tracks introduced in the original game.
It was such a low number considering how they did in the first release. They failed to secure some of the legendary tracks from AC/DC, System of a Down, Public Enemy and many others. These artists have defined the skating experience with their songs. Influencing many skateboarders.
Beyond refusal, some bands weren’t approached for licensing, that ended up ultimately with their absence. It was such a big fumble for the series, where music plays a crucial part in the game. On the other hand, the new soundtrack has shares of excellent additions such as “Boys in the Better Land” by Fontaine D.C.
New Features and Lasting Appeal
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 was certainly not perfect, but a decent performing title release from Iron Galaxy Studios. Despite the shortcomings, it introduces several welcome improvements from mode, custom challenges and more. In the Create-A-Park mode, players can now feature a “create-a-goal” function for custom challenges.
It serves as one of the ways for players to keep playing and extend the game’s lifespan. There are three new levels such as Pinball, Movie Studio and Waterpark. It offers the perfect skating terrain alongside the empty pools and grindable water slides.
Meanwhile, the multiplayer returns with classic modes such as Graffiti and Trick Attack. The Hawk mode combined hide-and-seek gameplay with core skateboarding mechanics of the game.
The Final Verdict
Iron Galaxy Studios has a lot to iron out with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 performance following its release. If you’re heavy on soundtracks, then you’ll probably be disappointed with this release. However, if you focus more on the mechanics, then you’ll find the game as engaging and entertaining. Now, everything will depend on your preferences whether the new core skateboarding gameplay is worth buying.
Writer’s Recommendations
Hi there, it’s Stal! If you loved that article, make sure to check out these other articles I’ve written just for you. See you there!
