THPS 3+4 in fact I have been playing it for a few days now since I got the digital deluxe edition so I am pretty much going to do a write up about how I feel, this isn’t like a comprehensive review of everything since I haven’t touched CAP and CAS or the multiplayer.
I think if you call this game THPS3X then you will have no problem with this game, this is what THPS2X wanted to be. A two-in-one remake with new levels that acts as a proof of concept for something.and it 3n4’s case it is the continued existence of the franchise.
In short if you love 3 then you will love this game but if you love 4 then you will have a game that will make you grumble but will still be really damn good once you get over it and both sides will be disappointed by the casualties in the soundtrack (unless you’re me who loves 3 and loves the new soundtrack even if he wishes Spokesman by Goldfinger was kept in.)
So let’s get into the write up. I think going into the broad scope of the game is best before going level by level.
The Bigger Picture
Iron Galaxy trim the fat massively from the challenge list for both good (less samey sort of challenges and it speeds up progression) and for bad (I kinda want more Get There challenges) but what they do leave behind is good enough to tax the skilled player as you get to the top end of the challenges but if you are a casual player you get some gimmies and goals to reach for,
For some mind-boggling reason Solo Progression is locked and to unlock it you have to play through the career once which is bizarre so I recommend using a created skater for the career then plough through the solo careers as you please.
Basically the Career and Solo Careers consist of a slate of goals based on the original game (for 3) or based on missions but recontextualised for the two minute format (if you are in a level from 4) once you complete those goals you get “pro goals” like in 4 which additional occasionally harder goals, These goals are different for the three styles of skating (like 3) though I wish the pro goals are like in 4 where it is something tailored to the skater because doing this 30 will probably get boring fast.
The last quibble is a case of hurting by helping. To stop the collecting from being too much all but two of the (3 style) hidden decks, all the (4 style) cash drops and all traditional stat points are shared between your characters. The latter means each character you will skate as will have the capacity to reach max stats the instant you start a new character. Unless you intentionally limit yourself each character plays the same off the bat. But it stops you from needing to hunt even more icons on the screen. So swings and roundabouts.
Finally the (Stompy the) Elephant in the room. FOur has had its career overhauled so it is more inline with its antecedents than its later progeny. I think this is a welcome change, the 4 levels actually work surprisingly well in the traditional format even if a lot of the character from the game is left behind in the wake of the changes. Again this will destroy a 4 fan but a neophyte will probably think it is better. Hell I am a Tony Hawk vet and I think the change is good especially when you are speed running the level.
The levels are fantastic and if I had the time to go over each one individually I would but sadly I don’t have that time but the graphics are phenomenal and the levels are all at least a decent quality with my favourite being Pinball the level I was most skeptical about.
Soundtrack is the biggest change mostly because so much of it has been gutted, I have come to terms with it, I mean this is the digital age and you can just make a Spotify playlist. However the new soundtrack is fantastic especially the newer stuff which is a surprise since I turned off pretty much all the new songs they had on 1+2. A lot of it feels like it was curated from Tony himself which makes sense because he said he had a hand in the soundtrack doing things like changing the Toy Dolls song from “Dig Yer Groove” to “She Goes to Finos” (one of Tony’s favourite songs) which I thought wouldn’t fit in well but that abated when I put it on while skating London and the same goes to Gift Horse by IDLES but they both go hard everywhere.
Anyway that level-by-level breakdown may come soon but that depends on how much time in my day this game will share with my new job.
Anyway I recommend this game wholeheartedly.
