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Preview  Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
- By Travis Coats
E3 Impressions:
The initial run through THPS4 at E3 was like going back to an old girlfriend. You know all the right moves to make her hum, and she probably hasn't changed all that much. Of course, Tony Hawk 4 never ran off with some tattooed guy who is in a band, but that's a whole different comparison. One which will not be covered in this preview, and hopefully, for the sake of the general readership (and I mean either one of you), ever.
Such is the case with Tony Hawk 4. The core gameplay that has pushed this series into countless households remains, without a whole lot of changes, but with slightly improved visuals. The game is instantly recognizable, since it is a skating game, and there aren't a whole lot of those, especially ones where you can play as Tony Hawk. The combo system remains intact, and upon reasonably close inspection, it was hard to notice any real gameplay additions. Other skaters from the game will now populate the levels, and you can talk to them. Perhaps this leads to missions that they give you, but due to my rushed trip through the game, (made even more abrupt by the short temper of the very large man waiting to play behind me) I couldn't verify this for sure. I can assume that they aren't just there for fun, though, and will undoubtedly serve some greater purpose.
The graphics look sharp, and move smoothly, which is no surprise. The gameplay and graphics have been great in every installment, and Activision has gone with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach so far, to the tune of huge sales.
From my brief play session, I can easily surmise that Tony Hawk 4 will continue the fun of the previous games, and add a few things here and there to keep it fresh. All in all, the first look at this game has reassured me that this series is not about to grow stale anytime soon, and Activision is to thank for that. More info to come on this game as we recieve it.
-Neal
05.23.02
I assume this series needs no introduction. Everyone and their mothers uncle has either heard of or played a previous Tony Hawk game, so let's just skip the bull and hop straight to the new features of the fourth game.
New Career Mode: Completely new, non-linear career mode lets players choose the goals they want to accomplish. Challenge pros head-to-head to beat their best tricks, take off to a competition, or just skate solo to conquer a gap.
Interactive Worlds: Evolving levels change depending on the specific skater's goals and accomplishments. Players can toggle different skate elements on and off (quarter pipes, benches, kickers) to change up lines.
Go Professional: Players must make their way through the game as an amateur and then conquer their pro's special challenge to unlock the more difficult professional world.
Improved Skatepark Editor: The new, upgraded Ultimate Skatepark editor allows user-set objectives like high scores, hidden tapes, and combo completion. Players can create a dream park and give it to a friend to session.
Skate Like a Pro: Players can skate as Tony Hawk or one of 12 other top professionals. Choose from an ultimate team of skaters including Elissa Steamer, Jamie Thomas, Rodney Mullen, Eric Koston, Steve Caballero, Andrew Reynolds, Rune Glifberg, Geoff Rowley, Bam Margera, Kareem Campbell, and Bucky Lasek. Plus, Bob's back! Brazilian favorite, Bob Burnquist, returns to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater family.
Improved Physics: Improved skater physics and animations now allow skating on moving objects like cars, trucks or cranes. New improvements also include more realistic balancing, bails, and board dynamics.
More of the same? Of course. Get used to it. There isn't much more they can add, and the contract for these games has ten plus years to go.
-Travis
07.30.02
- 7.30.2002 |
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