The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is beloved by many skating fans. The original titles in the franchise shaped and molded the skating genre. Spawning many sequels and spinoffs, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater has stayed relevant, even 21 years after the launch of the first game. The latest console release, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, was seen by many as a commercial failure. The backlash was fueled by subpar gameplay that didn’t resemble previous entries and abysmal graphics. Thankfully Vicarious Visions, developers behind the recent Crash Bandicoot remasters, have stepped up to the plate, and will soon be releasing the series next title.
Tony Hawk’s latest foray comes in the form of a remake, combining elements from previous entries. While the game is essentially a remake/combination of the first two games, it will be taking elements and tricks incorporated in later titles. Officially titled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, the game can almost be seen as a “best of” compilation.
While Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is slated to release September 4th, fans who pre-ordered were granted access to an exclusive pre-release demo. The apparent named Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse Demo is exactly that. A demo consisting of one single level, Warehouse. Having made an appearance in 9 previous titles, many hold a lot of nostalgia for it. While previous entries have heavily modified the level, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 retains the original layout. The area’s visuals, however, has been completely reworked from the ground up. While looking drastically different from 1999s Tony Hawk Pro Skater, the set-up is all there. Graphically, Warehouse has never looked more beautiful!
More important than how the demo looks; is how it feels to play. Not being the biggest Tony Hawk fan, I have little experience with the franchise. Not that I haven’t played them, but I’ve never been very good. That said, I’ve played enough to know how smooth Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse Demo feels. The demo consists of a Single Session, with a goal to rack up the highest score within the 2-minute time limit. While incredibly short, the demo allows an infinite number of retries. This seized the perfect opportunity to get accustomed to the controls. Everything from grinding rails, to ollie flips, feel very satisfying! Every time I hit the ground or messed up a combo, I knew it was due to user error, and not the control scheme. Each session concludes with a final score breakdown, giving users various stats on their skate performance. This includes the longest grind, manual, lip, combos, etc.
While skating around, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse Demo includes a sample of 4 songs from the soundtrack. These songs include classics like Goldfinger’s Superman, Rage Against the Machine’s Guerilla Radio. Also included are Billy Talent’s Afraid of Heights, and Tyrone Briggs’ Lose Control. While only a small sampling, these 4 tracks show the diversity the Tony Hawk franchise is known for. Rap, R&B, Metal, Grunge, and Rock to name a few. I myself resonate with the franchise’s music most. I’ve always been a big fan of the artists featured. While only a small sampling, these 4 tracks definitely display the music diversity Pro Skater is known for. These tracks leave me very optimistic for the game’s final setlist.
My closing thoughts of the demo are fairly optimistic. While very limited on content, it has enough there to satisfy eager fans. I personally find the demo being locked as a pre-order exclusive to be a bad decision. Releasing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Warehouse Demo, publicly as a free demo, would have been more beneficial. Allowing anyone free access would put the demo in a lot more gamers’ hands, and potentially equate to more sales/preorders. Fans who felt burned by Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 would have had a chance to try it out, and see how great it feels!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 launches September 4th, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Visit the official website for more information, and where to pre-order!
A copy of the demo was provided for the purpose of this preview.
