I’ve to confess, I used to be actually nervous about Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4. I performed the primary ‘1 + 2’ assortment again in 2021 and completely cherished it, however my early teenage years had been formed by the Birdman’s third and fourth console outings. So to say that so much was using on Iron Galaxy’s remake can be an understatement, and early issues relating to THPS4’s shift in construction positively rattled me.
Fortunately, I can wholeheartedly say that this newest nostalgic revisit to what I’d argue was the height of the Tony Hawk’s sequence is a hit – albeit with just a few caveats.
So let’s begin with the pink elephant within the room. Professional Skater 4 has been drastically altered to suit extra in keeping with Professional Skater 3 (and THPS1 + 2, for that matter). So as an alternative of roaming about every degree at your personal tempo and triggering missions by talking with the native residents, you’re as an alternative racing towards the two-minute clock, with missions accomplished organically as you make your approach round.
It’s a bitter tablet to swallow for veterans hoping for a extra 1:1 remake of the unique, however I’ve to confess that it nonetheless works fairly nicely as is. Sure, the degrees in THPS4 are a lot bigger than people who got here earlier than, and so duties like amassing the S-Okay-A-T-E letters may show tougher with the ticking clock. However having the entry align extra intently with the third does make for a extra cohesive expertise; one I’m sure newcomers will recognize.
Talking of cohesion, regardless of growth shifting from the now-defunct Vicarious Visions to Iron Galaxy, THPS3+4 feels immediately acquainted to those that performed the unique video games and the 2021 remake of 1 + 2. It performs precisely the way you’d need, with slick, responsive controls, outrageously over-the-top combos, and heaps of potential with regards to participant and board customisation.
You’ve acquired a extremely strong number of skaters to select from, together with Hawk himself, Zion Wright, Chloe Covell, and extra. Unlockable characters embrace Bam Margera and TMNT’s Michelangelo, whereas if you happen to go for the Digital Deluxe Version, you can too play as DOOM Slayer and the Revenant, with further bonus music tracks included.
Every skater has numerous benefits and downsides, however by amassing stat factors hidden round every degree, you possibly can increase all the pieces from velocity to lip steadiness. The excellent news is that if you happen to change skaters, you possibly can instantly apply all stat factors beforehand collected, so there’s no have to undergo the motions repeatedly.
As for the degrees themselves, they’ve been completely splendidly recreated. Not like the primary two entries, 3 + 4 actually leans into the entire MTV / Jackass affect and consists of some really ridiculous missions that make use of the extra NPC characters positioned all through every stage. So, you possibly can ‘Bury the Bully’ in Canada, ‘Cease the Pickpockets’ in Airport, and ‘Photobomb the Vacationers’ in Alcatraz. Some missions have been altered considerably, so don’t count on to see Ollie the Bum hallucinating pink elephants. They’re nonetheless round, however the context has been switched up a bit.
Along with the acquainted favourites, Iron Galaxy has additionally seen match to create just a few new tracks of its personal, and I’ll be trustworthy, they’re superior. Waterpark particularly is a real spotlight, with the myriad waterslides and empty swimming pools making for a correct skateboarding playground begging to be combo’d into oblivion. It offers me hope that Activision may quickly green-light a model new Tony Hawk’s recreation, however I’m not going to carry my breath.
One factor I do need to name out, nonetheless, is the music. And to be clear, the soundtrack right here is banging; actually great things. You’ve acquired Iron Maiden’s 2 Minutes to Midnight, Intercourse Pistols Holidays within the Solar, Mastodon’s Valuable Stones, and so far more. The issue, nonetheless, is that music is a robust supply of nostalgia, and nearly all of the originals’ tunes have been not noted, with solely six tracks represented from THPS3, and 4 from THPS4.
I need to reiterate that the soundtrack is de facto reasonably good, and finally many newcomers will uncover some life-long favourites right here, identical to I did again within the early 2000s. However why couldn’t Iron Galaxy attraction to each crowds? I broke into an enormous silly grin when Bodyjar’s Not the Similar kicked in for the primary time, and I simply want that the gathering included just a few extra nostalgic hits.
Shifting onto multiplayer, you’ve acquired just a few choices to maintain you busy when you’re carried out with the single-player portion. One of many highlights is the brand new ‘HAWK’ mode, which sees you conceal H-A-W-Okay letters round ranges earlier than using round to find your opponent’s letters. It’s a cool little mode, and it’s good to see one thing that’s not simply ‘see who can rating probably the most factors’.
That stated, whereas multiplayer works nicely, truly discovering a match can take a short time. It’s early days, in a single sense, but when the sport’s struggling to search out matches at launch, then I dread to assume what it may be like in a yr or two.
Along with the usual multiplayer, you’ve additionally acquired the Create-A-Park mode. Right here, you possibly can check out customized parks from a hefty choice, although it’s protected to say that a number of the early designs go away a bit to be desired. Heck, I can’t discuss, I wouldn’t have the ability to do significantly better, however I’m positively wanting ahead to seeing just a few creations that don’t simply depend on foolish gimmicks.
The precise creation instrument is fairly enjoyable and intuitive, with belongings chosen with the D-pad and positioned on the bottom with the analogue sticks. You may rotate items, zoom in, pan the digital camera round – all kinds. It’s a neat little instrument if you happen to’ve acquired a aptitude for park creation, however finally I can’t see myself utilizing it that a lot.
Lastly, taking a look at how the sport runs on Change 2, I’m largely very impressed. In handheld mode, there generally is a little little bit of aliasing, however by and enormous the sport is remarkably on par with the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Collection X|S, hitting what seems like a strong 60fps with some beautiful reflection know-how on show with puddles.
The lighting appears nice in ranges like Tokyo and Foundry, and pop-in is fortunately stored at a minimal. Among the NPC characters can look somewhat goofy at instances, certain, but when something, this felt like a callback to the unique video games. That’s my excuse a minimum of – take care of it.
Lastly, you possibly can view a number of the surroundings with the sport’s picture mode, which works very well and provides in a lot of cool little filters and results for good measure.
Conclusion
Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4 is one other welcome return to the franchise’s glory days, presenting the third and fourth entries with revamped visuals throughout the board whereas retaining the identical slick gameplay. Some of us may be unable to recover from the structural adjustments to Professional Skater 4, and I’ve to confess to being somewhat upset on the lack of basic music tracks, however general, the positives completely outweigh the negatives.
In the event you’re trying to inject a hearty dose of nostalgia into your life, otherwise you merely need to see what the Tony Hawk sequence was like at its absolute peak, then this could show a advantageous addition to your Change 2 library.
