Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
- August 09, 2007 10:09 AM PST
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You know about the three different skater classes. You know about the video editor. You know it's not EA's Skate. This is GamePro's hands-on impressions of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.
Almost everyone knows how the Tony Hawk games plays; Proving Ground is the ninth game in the series for crying out loud. Flip tricks, grabs, manuals, big air, and even bigger combos. So, there's no point in going into an in-depth breakdown of how the game controls. Here are the noticeable differences between last year's Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Proving Ground -- surprisingly, there are many.
Every skater class has access to the core skateboarding tricks, but it's the unique class-based features that add so much depth to Proving Ground.
Let's start with the Career class, or path, as Neversoft likes to call it. A Career skater is all about getting coverage. Compete in huge demos, earn the closing part in a new skate vid, and get your face in a skate mag to advance in the Career path. And what better than a nifty camera tool to help along the way.
Whether it's for a photo goal or for fun, the camera in Proving Ground is a welcome addition to the Tony Hawk series. Place the camera wherever, look through it to aim, line up the shot, and take the picture as you skate by. It takes some getting used to because the camera switches its point-of-view in the middle of your trick, and it feels like the snap button should be elsewhere on the controller, but it's not the end of the world... or is it?
The Rigger class, err... path, is outfitted with an on-the-go create-a-park mode. Ramps, rails, billboards, benches, and even crazy items like helicopters become unlocked as you advance through the Rigger storyline. And forget grids and limitations. All of these items can be placed within the world, at any angle, locked together, raised/lowered, and there are even booster pieces that will send you flying at breakneck speeds.
The Hardcore skater was, by far, my personal favorite. Although offering the least in change compared to the Career and Rigger skaters, the voracious 'tude of the Hardcore skater resonates with my soul. Why? Reason #1: Skate checking. This "get the hell out of my way" body slam will send any pesky security guard, punk skater trying to stomp your turf, or random pedestrian into oblivion. Wait until you try the skate check distance goals. They're a blast! Reason #2: Aggro kick. This rhythmic speed boost will allow you to reach top speed in no time, and opens the floodgate for larger gap potential.
To sum it up, Proving Ground is the most in-depth Tony Hawk to date. By offering three different ways to enhance the core skateboarding experience, Proving Ground makes the largest leap in the Tony Hawk series since the introduction of the manual in THPS2. But is the game getting too complicated with every year that passes? We'll know soon.
