Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is an odd one. It’s hard to condemn it for being boring, uninspired, and lifeless. But it’s equally as hard to proclaim it as being exciting, innovative, and bursting with brio. Everything it does right, it only gets kind of right, and everything it’s gets wrong, it only gets kind of wrong.
Nostalgia is by far Tony Hawk’s biggest selling point. It took me by surprise when I booted it up for my first session and was met with ‘Superman’ by Goldfinger. It instantly transported back into the body of my thirteen year old self, playing Tony Hawk’s round a friend’s house, in awe of his skills, wondering how on Earth he managed to pull off godly high scores.
I have memories of the learning curve Tony Hawk’s sets out for the player. Luckily, anyone who has mastered a Tony Hawk’s game since, will feel at home right away, which should be a good thing. No one wants to re-learn how to play a game right?
Sadly, it’s not all that great.
Once the nostalgia had worn off, I couldn’t help thinking “Is this it?”
Project 8 (the last entry into the franchise) stank. “Is this it?”
The reason it flopped was because the gameplay, that the franchise was famed for, had become stale and obsolete. Crouch, grind, kick-flip, manual, kick-flip, grind, grab, repeat. Project 8 showcased how non-inventive and idealess the series was. So to remedy this, they claim to be going back to basics. In theory, it’s a great idea. In practice, we’re playing a game from 1999.
The lesson here is that going back to basics actually means re-releasing a game from a time when people liked it.
The weirdest part of this average reboot is that there’s problems made specifically for this game. Falling off your board now ends in the flash of a white light, that magically teleports the player back onto their board. Why? Seriously, why? It’s so jarring when you’ve just messed up an 100k score and you want to try again.
What was wrong with just getting up, dusting yourself off, and climbing back on?
Graphically, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD looks pretty. Why pretty and not stunning, or visceral, or gorgeous? Well, it’s not the best looking game out there. It’s akin to the Xbox LIVE Arcade scene back in 2008, which isn’t to say it’s ugly by any stretch, it is a huge improvement over its PS One counterpart, but by today’s standards, it’s only pretty.
My biggest complaint – aside from it costing 1200 MSP and not 800 – is that this could have been so much more. If you’re remaking a game, that exemplifies what a HD remake should be, why only attack it with half steam? Where’s the reboot’s new features that will stride the series forwards? Where’s my create a skater? Because it’s easier to chuck my avatar in than create something new and worthwhile? Where’s my new modes to keep me entertained? They’re in there, but again, they’re not worthwhile.
Big head mode for example, is a mode where you do tricks to stop your head from exploding. I do try to avoid snarking during reviews, but are these types of game modes pulled out of a Christmas cracker?
“What do gamers like? Oh that’s it, big head modes! Every gamer loves having a big head, right?”
Bravo! And who says innovation is dead?
I’m not angry at the mediocrity on display here. Tony Hawk has made it pretty clear he doesn’t want me to care about the franchise, so I won’t. It’s an okay game, for a while. Then it gets boring and leaves you pondering if 1200msp was 400 too much. It’s Activision though, and they love the 1200 price point. Even more so when people don’t question it because it’s a recognizable brand.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is the most half-fun you’ll have all year. You won’t find a game that’s better at being half-enjoyable. It is without question the best half-all-right-looking game out on the market today.
This is middle of the road gaming at it’s best. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either.
