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 beloved it, however my early teenage years have been formed by the Birdman’s third and fourth console outings. So to say that rather a lot was driving on Iron Galaxy’s remake can be an understatement, and early considerations concerning THPS4’s shift in construction undoubtedly rattled me.
Fortunately, I can wholeheartedly say that this newest nostalgic revisit to what I might argue was the height of the Tony Hawk’s collection 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 a substitute of roaming about every stage at your personal tempo and triggering missions by talking with the native residents, you’re as a substitute racing in opposition to the two-minute clock, with missions accomplished organically as you make your means 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 effectively 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 respect.
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 in the case of participant and board customisation.
You’ve acquired a extremely stable collection 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 should you go for the Digital Deluxe Version, you too can play as DOOM Slayer and the Revenant, with extra bonus music tracks included.
Every skater has numerous benefits and downsides, however by amassing stat factors hidden round every stage, you’ll be able to increase every thing from pace to lip stability. The excellent news is that should you swap skaters, you’ll be able to instantly apply all stat factors beforehand collected, so there’s no must undergo the motions time and again.
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 contains some actually ridiculous missions that make use of the extra NPC characters positioned all through every stage. So, you’ll be able to ‘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 anticipate 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 might quickly green-light a model new Tony Hawk’s sport, however I’m not going to carry my breath.
One factor I do wish to name out, nonetheless, is the music. And to be clear, the soundtrack right here is banging; actually good things. You’ve acquired Iron Maiden’s 2 Minutes to MidnightIntercourse Pistols Holidays within the SolarMastodon’s Treasured Stonesand so far more. The issue, nonetheless, is that music is a strong supply of nostalgia, and nearly all of the originals’ tunes have been ignored, with solely six tracks represented from THPS3, and 4 from THPS4.
I wish to reiterate that the soundtrack is admittedly quite 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.
Transferring onto multiplayer, you’ve acquired just a few choices to maintain you busy when you’re accomplished with the single-player portion. One of many highlights is the brand new ‘HAWK’ mode, which sees you disguise H-A-W-Okay letters round ranges earlier than driving 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 effectively, really discovering a match can take a short while. It’s early days, in a single sense, but when the sport’s struggling to seek out matches at launch, then I dread to suppose 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’ll be able to check out customized parks from a hefty choice, although it’s protected to say that a few of the early designs depart a bit to be desired. Heck, I can’t discuss, I wouldn’t be capable of do significantly better, however I’m undoubtedly 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 possibly can rotate items, zoom in, pan the digicam round – all kinds. It’s a neat little instrument should you’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 Swap 2, I’m largely very impressed. In handheld mode, there could be a little little bit of aliasing, however by and huge the sport is remarkably on par with the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Sequence X|S, hitting what looks like a stable 60fps with some attractive reflection know-how on show with puddles.
The lighting seems to be nice in ranges like Tokyo and Foundry, and pop-in is fortunately saved at a minimal. A few of the NPC characters can look a little bit goofy at occasions, positive, 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’ll be able to view a few of the surroundings with the sport’s photograph mode, which works rather well and provides in plenty 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 people may be unable to recover from the structural adjustments to Professional Skater 4, and I’ve to confess to being a little bit upset on the lack of traditional music tracks, however total, 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 wish to see what the Tony Hawk collection was like at its absolute peak, then this could show a effective addition to your Swap 2 library.
