My latest review, played it in the summer, only just got around to reviewing it tonight:
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TONY HAWKS AMERICAN WASTELAND
For the past seven years, one unlikely franchise has remained at the top of the gaming charts: Tony Hawks Pro Skater. Who would've thought that a game about skateboarding would get such popularity, both in the skater and gaming scene. Since the first installment, the game has expanded and developed with every annual release. With Tony Hawks American Wasteland (THAW), they've taken to the streets of LA to provide you the 'grittiest' and 'realistic' look at the skateboarding world.
The actual story is the usual thing you'd expect from a Tony Hawks game. You're a lone newbie skater, hot on the streets of LA and before you know it, boom, you've been mugged. You bump into a girl that takes you under her wing, introduces you to a few skaters around town and you take it from there. By the end of the game, you do actually feel some connection with the characters through the cutscenes and actions you take in the missions. Whilst the story isn't the most complex or developed in gaming history, it does it's job and keeps you interested in the story mode.
The big selling point that Neversoft have been hyping this year is how they've created LA for you to skate in without any loading screens whatsoever. This is technically true, as there are no loading screens, but as you move from area to area you go through thin and dull tunnels/corridors which are obviously being used to load the next part of town. It's not fooling anyone, and is boring to experience, moreso than a loading screen. I wouldn't be so mad about it if it wasn't for the fact they were blatently hyping this game up to be loading time free, then cop out like that.
It's a shame that the developers didn't go the whole hog and get rid of all the 'craziness' that the Tony Hawks series is known for, because if it did the story could've been twice as good with added realism. That, however, might've made the missions harder to create, as all of them are pretty much the craziest, whacked out challenges you could possibly think of. Lots of them are the generic 'Get x points', 'Find x before the time runs out' and such, but there are a few unique and challenging ones in there too. For the most part you won't be doing anything drastically new, but every once in a while they throw something cool out there that will be a refreshing change.
As always, the skating itself is top notch, and never misses a beat. Neversoft have totally and utterly got the art of skateboarding down.
Bikes are included in the game, and whilst not a huge feature, are used every so often. The trouble here is that the skating is so tight and tweaked, you can notice the flaws easily in the not-so-perfect bike mechanics. These are nothing more than a mere distraction, in any case, so it won't bother you that much.
Classic mode makes a return this time around, once again, however it's clear from the off that the 'classic' term is used lightly, as the best have been used in the THUG games and these are bottom of the pile. They're still fun to play, reliving the 2 minute adrenaline pumping ride that made you fall in love with the series in the first place is fun, but you wish you were playing better levels than the ones you were provided with.
The online mode makes up for this fact, however, as it's great fun. I didn't expect it to be that special, but once I started I couldn't stop. Trying to top some random dude from Mexico's 20 million combo is alot more fun than sounds. The way the lobby has been designed is also very unique and fun to use, instead of staring at a list of names who have connected, you're free to skate about the level as you wait. It's a shame more online games don't make use of ideas such as this.
Graphically, this game is a letdown. It's obviously a straight port from the Xbox, with no graphical improvements whatsoever. It's not an ugly game, but when compared to other 360 games it does look plain. It's a shame Neversoft were so lazy, as they really could've brought LA to life if they used the 360's power to it's maximum potential.
Overall, THAW is an enjoyable game that unfortunately lacks any real next-gen qualities. Those who have followed the Hawks franchise for years will find a lot of fun in this game, and see it out to completion. Those, however, who are not huge Hawk fans will simply see this as a very sloppy and rushed game, and will want nothing to do with it.
The story mode isn't all it's hyped up to be, but it does provide some entertaining moments. Couple that with a good online mode, and a fairly decent classic mode, and you have a nice week or two of entertainment ahead. Don't pay full price for this, rent or find it cheap at your local game store.
65%
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