Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is developed by Iron Galaxy and published by Activision. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Reviewed on PlayStation 4.
Synopsis
Jump back onto your board and shred like the good old days with this remake of the classic Tony Hawk games, Pro Skater 3 and 4.
Review
In 2020, the much-beloved Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise was brought back from the dead by developer Vicarious Visions with a truly stunning remake of the first two games. Now, this time under new developer Iron Galaxy, fan favourites 3 and 4 have finally come to modern consoles, but does it still capture what makes this series so enjoyable in the first place?
Firstly, the game looks and plays amazingly. As most fans of the series will know, these games are easy to pick up and play but hard to master. 3+4 is no exception, as you’ll be flying around levels and nailing tricks with ease, but trying to score big whilst holding onto combos is where the real skills lie. As for the visuals, I don’t think a Tony Hawk game has ever looked this pretty. Every level is bursting with colour and vibrancy, making each one a feast for the eyes as you try to complete your goals.
It is this visual flair where Iron Galaxy get to flex their muscles as these updated graphics don’t just work well for classic levels such as Foundry, Cruise Ship, Tokyo and College but really comes into its own for the new maps they have added; Movie Studio, Waterpark and especially Pinball which jumps out of the screen with its bright, neon colours.
Something fans of the original games have pointed out already is the amount of content from Pro Skater 4, specifically, being cut out of this remake. Most noteworthy are the levels Chicago and Carnival, which are completely removed here as well as 46 tracks from the original two games that, for some reason, are also absent. There’s still a few great songs from the original titles that made the final cut (such as Ace of Spades by Motorhead, 96 Quite Bitter Beings by CKY and My Adidas by Run-D.M.C.), but there are also a lot of new additions to the soundtrack that perfectly fit the vibe of the songs that didn’t make the end product.
As for the removed levels, and sandbox approach to completing goals from 4, I can understand the frustration of lifelong fans, but at the same time, I think what Iron Galaxy have done here more than makes up for the missing elements. These new decisions better fit the streamlined approach these remakes are aiming for, but also, as previously mentioned, the new levels they have added are incredibly fun in their own right, feeling like levels that should have been here from the start anyway.
One minor gripe that people had with Pro Skater 1+2 was that the aesthetic of the game felt like a polished, slightly stripped-down version of what came before. From the clean-looking menus to the rather restrictive create-a-skater, it all felt like a Tony Hawk game but simplified to its barest essentials. Pro Skater 3+4 fixes this by keeping the overall flow and style of 1+2, but adding back in a little bit of that 2000s, graffiti-esque appearance along with references and humour that were absent from the first remake.
For example, the secret characters in 1+2 were mostly nondescript and fairly standard character archetypes, ranging from the likes of a generic-looking alien to Ripper the skeleton. 3+4, on the other hand, provides playable characters such as DOOM Slayer (if you bought the Digital Deluxe Edition), Bam Margera, and Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as a roster of professional skaters that is almost double the size 1+2 had to offer. It’s small details like this that bring the nostalgia factor rushing back for fans and adds a greater sense of replayability in the long run.
The create-a-skater remains rather simple in execution, especially compared how it was approached in those original games, but to make up for it, 3+4 shines in its create-a-park, which takes the fundamental approach that worked wonders in 1+2 and gives players greater freedom, control and options for what they can do with their parks. This game also finds clever ways of reworking pro goals, multiplayer and hidden areas in ways that feel very familiar and refreshing at the same time.
Personally, I think Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 succeeds with flying colours in almost every aspect. It seamlessly takes everything that worked about Pro Skater 1+2 and expands things in a few key areas, injecting that slightly cartoony sense of humour from the original games, whilst streamlining the gameplay from the first remake, resulting in a much smoother experience overall.
Verdict
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 will delight fans old and new. With perfected gameplay, improved visuals and a brilliant as ever soundtrack, these Tony Hawk remakes are continuing to bring new life into the series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
