Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 and 4 is each a bolder and extra conservative sequel to its 2020 predecessor. Within the practically 5 years which have handed since Vicarious Visions remastered Professional Skater and Professional Skater 2, new developer Iron Galaxy has stepped in to remaster 3 and 4, including a couple of concepts of its personal and making a powerful case that the studio ought to be given the reins to the franchise. Whereas a few of the modifications to Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 4 are controversial, the implementation of these concepts exhibits that the builders have been proper.
First, let’s make one thing clear: Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 is without doubt one of the finest video video games of all time. Initially launched in 2001, the third entry within the THPS collection added new methods, just like the revert, and particular combos that expanded the tricking system for extra elaborate combos. THPS 3 featured a few of the collection’ finest ranges, together with the long-lasting Foundry (wanting extra beautiful than ever), and cleverly designed areas Canada and Airport, and a collection of well designed goals. THPS 3’s ranges, goals, and skaters — together with the return of skater/rascal Bam Margera — stay in tact, play splendidly, and look spectacular.
The third recreation within the franchise was a generational leap on the time, and added new combo extenders like reverts, backbone transfers, and wall crops. These strikes have been retrofitted into 2020’s Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 1 and a pair of, so the gameplay within the newest remaster doesn’t really feel just like the leap ahead of video games previous. As a substitute, the gameplay of THPS 3 and 4 constitutes extra of a continuation of that have, now barely extra refined.
I’ve liked relearning the degrees and methods of Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 within the remaster; the unique was an essential recreation to me, and it’s been a thrill to revisit that point with a glossier coat of paint (and having the expertise of taking part in THPS 1 and a pair of behind me).
Picture: Iron Galaxy/Activision
However Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 4 doesn’t maintain the identical place in my coronary heart. The “remastered” model of that recreation in THPS 3 and 4 is sort of completely different from the unique. It’s extra “reshaped.” Iron Galaxy has remade the extra open-ended Grand Theft Auto-inspired missions of THPS 4 right into a extra basic format; ranges from the unique recreation have been reworked into runs with two-minute timers, with mission goals (e.g., get a sick rating, discover the hidden S-Ok-A-T-E letters) much like the primary three Tony Hawk video games.
I take no situation with this. Actually, that is exactly how I wish to eat a Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater recreation, in discrete chunks, with strong stage design and replayability so I can shoot for increased scores, longer combos, and perfected runs.
Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 and 4 additionally introduces brand-new ranges to the 4 half of the remaster. New stage Waterpark specifically showcases Iron Galaxy’s expertise in understanding what makes an excellent THPS stage; it’s stuffed with winding rails to grind and an empty lazy river to skate by, and it simply feels so clean. However it’s additionally of a bit with the Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater franchise. Waterpark slots in completely.
Past Waterpark, Iron Galaxy has created a pair extra ranges (Pinball, Film Studio) which might be robust sufficient that they need to ease the sting of different cuts produced from Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 4 to adapt it to the basic THPS model. Once more, that is all gravy to me, an individual who loves the primary three THPS video games, and sort of tapped out till the disappointing Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater HD and the disastrous Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 5.
Picture: Iron Galaxy/Activision
Die arduous THPS followers will in all probability really feel in another way, and can doubtless additionally really feel strongly concerning the sweeping soundtrack modifications in Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 and 4. Whereas THPS 1 and a pair of introduced again the vast majority of music from the primary two video games, with some strong additions, the three and 4 remaster takes a wildly completely different method. Solely a fraction of the tracks from the unique 3 and 4 return within the remaster, although some artists featured in these two video games are represented by way of completely different tracks. Once more, I’ve made peace with this. As a lot enjoyable because it was to be washed over with nostalgia when Useless Kennedys’ “Police Truck” and Lagwagon’s “Might 16” performed over runs in 1 and a pair of, I admire listening to one thing recent in 3 and 4.
Tony Hawk himself stated that the choice to drastically change up the remasters’ soundtrack was his alternative, and his reasoning is sound. “It was my alternative to select some completely different songs by the identical artists featured in THPS3+4 OST. I’m hoping that discovery is half the enjoyable, and a giant motive that these soundtracks resonated within the first place. So hear and benefit from the journey. Extra to come back… each previous and new.”
As I’ve spent the previous week with Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 and 4, I discover myself agreeing with Hawk’s and Iron Galaxy’s selections right here. I’ve performed the THPS video games for very particular causes: short-burst runs the place I problem myself over and time and again, and, sure, to listen to some new and basic music. The three and 4 remasters are offering me with all the things I crave from a THPS, whereas additionally making me hopeful about the way forward for the franchise.
Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater has modified arms from developer to developer, oftentimes for the more severe. However Iron Galaxy’s work on Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 and 4 exhibits that the studio is a succesful steward of the franchise, and will all events concerned transfer on to both extra remasters or a brand-new Tony Hawk recreation, it’s in the suitable arms. Play Waterpark and I feel you’ll agree.
Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 and 4 is out July 11 for Nintendo Change, Nintendo Change 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Sequence X. The sport was reviewed on PS5 utilizing a prerelease obtain code supplied by Activision.
