Recently I had a chance to play a demo for Activision’s upcoming remaster of the first two games in the Tony Hawk franchise: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. While the demo only contained only one stage, the Warehouse, it gives a good idea what to expect when the full game launches in a few weeks.
Pre-order Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 on PlayStation 4
Pre-order Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Xbox One
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Details
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC
Release Date: September 4, 2020
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Extreme sports
Modes: Single-player and multiplayer
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
A basic no-frills demo with gameplay even better than the original
The demo is a no-frills single session affair. You get a skateboard, one skater (Tony Hawk) and a single level to play on—the Warehouse. It’s no coincidence that Activision chose to include the Warehouse in the demo. Seeing that it’s the first level in the game that started it all off, it brings back many fond memories for veterans of the series.
There is only one thing to do in this demo and that is to rack up as much score as you can while exploring the Warehouse in two minutes. While the two minute time limit is very limiting, there are plenty of tricks to master and some new ones thrown in. One of the greatest staples from the franchise known as “The Revert”, which allows you to add to your current combo by pivoting your board 180 degrees on a vertical surface.
Additionally, you can fully customize and remap the trick list. Each skater comes with three of their own signature tricks. For example, Tony Hawk has The 900, Kickflip McTwist, and 5-0 Overturn Grind. You get two additional slots for other special tricks that you can choose from. And, you can even totally replace a skater’s tricks with five of your own choosing.
Totally revamped graphics with a killer soundtrack
In addition to the superb gameplay, the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games are known for their amazing punk rock and ska soundtracks. The demo includes a small sampling of the game’s full soundtrack perfect to skate to including Goldfinger, Rage Against the Machine, Tyrone Briggs and Billy Talent.
Pro Skater 1 + 2 uses Unreal Engine 4 and looks leaps and bounds better than the 2012 HD version of the game. Moreover, the game now runs at a full 60 frames-per-second allowing for precision timing in pulling off tricks.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 launches September 4, 2020
Although the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse demo was just one level, it got me even more excited for the full game. Vicarious Visions has fine tuned the controls and added customization options so that even if you stink at skateboarding, you’ll have fun.
For more details and info on new features, be sure to check out Matthew’s article when the game was first announced.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 launches September 4, 2020 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Pre-order Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 on PlayStation 4
Pre-order Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Xbox One
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