Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 review: Now with Doomguy!

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Skateboarding has grown far beyond its initial status as a simple sport since the early days when Tony Hawk was a professional skater. It’s now 26 years since he performed the world’s first-ever 900-degree rotational spin trick on a vert ramp, an event that forever changed our planet. Today, skaters have the chance to compete in events like the X Games and even at the Summer Olympics every four years. This once counterculture activity has become mainstream, offering us a unique opportunity to introduce a new generation to this captivating art form.

I was beyond excited when Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 hit the shelves in 2021, marking a triumphant return after a six-year hiatus following the less-than-impressive Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5. This time around, it was all about going back to our roots, paying homage to what made the original games so legendary, while still managing to elevate the gameplay experience. Vicarious Visions really outdid themselves with their meticulous attention to detail and over-the-top trick possibilities in THPS 1+2. It felt fresh, yet remained true to the spirit of the series that we old-school fans have come to love.

Activision Blizzard has entrusted Iron Galaxy Studios with a challenging mission: developing a sequel to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, alongside remaking Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. Fervent fans often consider THPS 3 as the series’ crowning achievement, spanning over two decades of gaming history. While Iron Galaxy Studios has successfully landed the sequel, some issues from the past have resurfaced that might not be pleasing to all players.

Representing the future of skateboarding

In the lineup of playable characters for the game, fresh skaters like Chloe Covell, Rayssa Leal, Jamie Foy, Zion Wright, Aurelien Giraud, Nora Vasconcellos, Margielyn Didal, and Yuto Horigome have been included. Previously unlockable characters such as Constable Richard (Officer Dick), Michelangelo (TMNT), Birdman, Andy Anderson, and Bam Margera remain accessible. The addition of these talented skaters expands the roster in THPS 1+2, which is exciting! Fear not, Leo Baker, Nyjah Huston, and other newcomers from the previous game have also made a comeback for THPS 3+4. This impressive array of skilled skaters spanning multiple generations has created an unprecedentedly diverse and talented roster of professional skaters in a video game.

Absolutely! In addition to Doomguy (Doom Slayer) and Revenant from the Doom series, both characters can be found skating in the game as a bonus for pre-ordering. The unique aspect here is that Doom Slayer can speak, which adds an interesting twist, or might seem unusual…

The game’s layout caters to modern gaming trends, offering a Streamer Mode that can be enabled or disabled by content creators and live streamers. This mode helps reduce the possibility of copyright infringement notices, making the THPS 3+4 soundtrack even more enjoyable without worry.

1+2=3

Among the greatest video games ever made, THPS 3 continues to hold a special place. It’s one of my cherished gaming memories, filled with friendly competition against my friends in Trick Attack on Nintendo GameCube. I’m delighted to share that Iron Galaxy has expertly re-imagined the legendary levels and gameplay of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4.

In the refreshed versions of legendary locations such as Rio, Cruise Ship, Tokyo, and Airport, there have been some changes – fresh coats of paint on these familiar spaces, and adjustments made to level layouts or Career Mode objectives. A new goal has also been added to each THPS 3 level: a High Combo Goal, which complements the existing High Score, Pro Score, and Sick Score Goals.

A key difference players of the initial Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 will observe is the integration of the Skitch gameplay feature. This function enables players to cling onto vehicles for a speed surge on specific stages. However, this addition poses a similar issue to my critique of the Revert mechanic in THPS 1 and 2. Levels not originally designed with such mechanics can feel slightly off-balance initially, which was the case when Skitch was incorporated into THPS 3 levels. To be honest, I’m not particularly fond of the Skitch feature in the expansive and sprawling THPS 4 stages either.

Sometimes more can be less

Although developers strived to design THPS 4 with similar gameplay as the initial three games in the series, many Career Mode Goals seemed more like tedious tasks rather than enjoyable challenges. Frankly, I’m not amazed that turning a prison like Alcatraz into an entertaining environment is challenging, but it’s not just the settings that irk me.

In THPS 4, the level layout is significantly more spread out than in THPS 3, which had denser and more vertically-oriented ramps. This design makes it challenging to complete Goals swiftly in THPS 4, as some goals are difficult to comprehend due to vague descriptions. For instance, delivering lunch on Shipyard becomes a struggle when trying to perform a Hardflip off the Buoy.

Experiencing the THPS 4 section of the game was akin to swallowing my medicine after savoring the delicious ice cream sundae that was THPS 3. Pairing these two games side by side somewhat undersells THPS 4, as the play pace in THPS 3 is extraordinarily smooth and fluid compared to it.

I’d like to applaud the developers for the fresh levels they incorporated into Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. The Movie Studio, Waterpark, and a hidden level have all been great additions to the game. The Movie Studio presents a tough Competition Park where earning the Gold Medal necessitates exceptional grinding abilities and the capacity to jump off vertical ramps, revert into manuals, and even execute a few spine transfers. The Waterpark caters primarily to grind enthusiasts, but it does contain some Goals that can be somewhat confusing and require multiple playthroughs to decipher what’s expected of you. Some players might find the level design choices in the new THPS 4 Career Mode a tad excessive, resulting in an experience that could be perceived as too much of a grind.

In this game, you’ll find some collaborations with Taco Bell, Depop, and Frosted Flakes, but they were subtly integrated to the point where they weren’t particularly noticeable and didn’t significantly impact the gaming experience one way or another. However, given Tony Hawk’s long-standing passion for skateboarding, these partnerships might be seen as a celebration of his achievements rather than an attempt to overtly promote brands. So, I wouldn’t fault him for showcasing his connections a bit.

Essentially, it’s true for the numerous customizable in-game items too. Honestly, I’m not particularly interested in sporting an elephant hat within the game, but this is mostly because I predominantly play as the Doom Slayer character. Oh, and did I mention he speaks in the game?

9 Club, Bro!

Although I found some aspects of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 remake not appealing to me, other parts of the game excel significantly. For instance, Iron Galaxy has revamped both Multiplayer and Create-A-Park modes with innovative elements like Public Free Skate for socializing with friends and HAWK, where players can conceal HAWK letters within a level, challenging opponents to find them. This mode resembles the Luigi’s Balloon World in Super Mario Odyssey and adds a nice touch to the gameplay experience.

In Create-A-Park, fresh Special Elements such as Boost Pads, NPCs, Turbo Pads, Music Notes, and other playable items are introduced, giving players even more opportunities to explore their creativity within this dynamic environment. It’s exciting to witness the direction the community will lead this mode, as it has significantly increased my gameplay hours for THPS 1+2 beyond the initial launch excitement. Even non-skating enthusiasts who enjoy user-generated levels can still experience the same replayability of these classic Tony Hawk games, with high scores acting as an endless objective akin to classic arcade games, offering a timeless goal to pursue.

In simple terms, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a fresh take on two classic games from the series. Although some fans might be hoping for remakes of Tony Hawk’s Underground, I’m thrilled to play a reimagined version of my all-time favorite game in the series. For me, THPS 3 is a flawless game, and while certain design choices in the updated version of THPS 4 didn’t stir up those nostalgic feelings as much, I can still appreciate the overall package. It’s great to be back in the skate park with Tony Hawk again!

In this review of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, I played the Xbox edition of the game, which was kindly supplied to me by Activision Blizzard.

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2025-07-07 20:30