Introduction

Since the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 in 2002, fans have been wondering what happened to the series. I personally grew up playing THPS, and I owned the first title for N64. It’s one of those series with addicting gameplay, something that game makers haven’t been able to emulate these days when it comes to offline gaming. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is finally on the way, and I mean FINALLY, as the Skate series we’ve been left with wasn’t nearly as fun.

Alright, the 2007 Proving Ground release wasn’t so bad, but it definitely wasn’t what we expected at the time. For a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One release, we are now expecting a tremendously improved game with mind-blowing visuals. However, the previews we’ve seen so far look like the game will be a disappointment when it comes to graphics. It’s developed by both Robomodo and Disruptive Games, and like always, published by Activision. This is going to be the tenth game in the Tony Hawk series, but more directly a follow-up to the 2002 Pro Skater 4 release.

The official release date is creepin’ up on us, and many will be happy to hear the game is releasing on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 10, 2015. However, the PS4 and Xbox One launch is scheduled for a September 29, 2015 release.

Gameplay

Pro Skater 5 will have you skateboarding as a professional skateboarder just like in the previous titles, and players are still going to have the ability to customize their own characters. There are 10 professional skaters you can choose from, such as Tony Hawk, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, and Nyjah Huston. They each have their own tricks, but you can also customize a skater to meet your own personal requirements using the Create-A-Skater feature.

If you played the 2005 American Wasteland release then you will be familiar with the Create-A-Park feature on Pro Skater 5. On Pro Skater 5 you will be able to create a skatepark by using over 250 obstacles, plus you will also have the ability to share and use different designs within the community.

The levels in this game will be based on real-world locations, just like in the previous games. There will be multiple missions, obstacles and objectives for you to complete within the levels. That has always been an important part of the Tony Hawk gameplay, as the levels are challenging and there different objectives to keep you playing the same level over and over until you completely conquer it. Pro Skater 5 will feature over 80 unique missions and eight different environments upon launch. Expect more stuff to be added in DLC, but 80 missions is more than enough to keep you busy.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is not going to lack in the multiplayer department either, and you will be able to play a game with 20 players at once. I remember being excited to play with my neighborhood friends as a kid, and now I’ll get to play with 19 other people in the same game. I’m not sure how big the levels are but I can imagine some will become overcrowded. Still, I like the competition and being able to compete with this many people at once sounds exciting. It is also known that there will be both cooperative or competitive multiplayer.

There is also going to be a new character level up feature, and as you play online or offline, you will be able to level up your character to allow for more competitive gameplay. Exact details on the level up system aren’t yet known, hopefully more stuff will be revealed as the release date gets closer.

Graphics, Visuals and Development

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 has been developed with the Unreal Engine 3 game engine, and it’s getting released on both old and new consoles. It’s been a long time now since the Xbox One and PS4 were released, but Activision still allowed for Pro Skater 5 to get a PS3 and 360 launch.

The developers wanted to make the game feel the same as the classic titles, while adding new features to the game to spice it up for modern-day consoles. Power-ups and projectiles are some of the new twists added in Pro Skater 5.

Tony Hawk discussed the game’s development with Gamespot at E3 2015, saying Robomodo actually consulted with Neversoft employees who made the original Pro Skater titles, just to make sure they were able to make the gameplay feel like the original. We’re hoping it’s the same classic gameplay with better graphics, improved features, and more customization options. The multiplayer itself is enough to make me want to pre-order the title, but some are complaining about the graphics already…

Apparently, the trailer has some folks upset as the graphics look very similar to the PlayStation 2 releases. As you can see in the trailer below, the textures and shadows are weak, almost non-existent. Everything looks ‘blah’, and the environment doesn’t look alive. The skaters’ clothing and hair doesn’t move as he skates through the environment, and these aren’t things gamers will ignore anymore.

The problem is that the trailer wasn’t released long ago, and the game is coming out this month. If what we saw in the trailer is the final version of the game then many people are going to be disappointed with Pro Skater 5. Sure, the game itself is not about graphics, it’s about fun gameplay. But for some, the poor graphics are reason enough not to buy this $60 game from a AAA studio.

Conclusion

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 will feature the same classic gameplay we loved from the original titles, while adding new features to keep us interested and even bring in new fans who never enjoyed the classic titles. The trailer for Pro Skater 5 may look like a disappointment for some, but watch out for the reviews because that trailer might not be the finished version of the game, and it might not be the PS4/Xbox One graphics. The multiplayer features and level up system look solid, but we will not know for sure until we buy and play the game.

I plan on leaving a review after the game launches, so if you’re unsure about Pro Skater 5 then wait for my review. I am also hoping the graphics and more specifically, the textures look much better in the final game. Check out the trailer below to see the official Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 trailer, and leave a comment below to let us know what you think. Will you purchase Pro Skater 5 when it comes out? or are you waiting on the reviews?