The
Birdman returns to the PC in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, the latest installment in
the acclaimed series to hit the PC. In most regards, Tony Hawk 4 is the same
game that hit consoles last year, albeit with a few graphical tweaks and
improved online capabilities. However, it’s still a port of a great game and,
as the saying goes, better late than never.
Tony
Hawk 4 brings the series’ total skaters to an all time high, with a whopping 14
skaters, not counting new secret characters. The game brings back series vet
Bob Burnquist, who was previously absent from Tony Hawk 3, due to an exclusive
agreement for ESPN Skateboarding. Rounding out the rest of the cast are
returning vets like Hawk, Steve Caballero, Chad Muska, Eric Koston, and many
more.
Tony
Hawk 4 makes some nice improvements over previous installments in the series.
The once constricted level design has given way to a more non-linear design, in
which the levels have no time limit and you basically have free range over
them. You complete missions by going up to certain people who will give you
quests to accomplish within a set time frame. Completing missions allows you to
unlock levels, gain stat points and make some cash. You can complete missions
whenever you feel like it, or if you’d rather skate around a level and do tricks
and collect money, then you can do just that.
Money
is an important part of Tony Hawk 4. You can earn cash by completing missions,
or you can find it strewn throughout each level like Easter Eggs. Cash is used
to unlock various items, like cheats, decks, secret skaters, and levels.
Tony
Hawk 4 also features some new moves that can become pretty integral to
gameplay. You can now do spine transfers, which can allow you to move in midair
from one quarter-pipe, over the spine and onto the other quarter-pipe, and helps
to link combos (and even allows you to save yourself if you miss your landing on
a quarter-pipe and fall off of the edge). You can also “skitch” cars and other
vehicles by grabbing onto the back fender and going along for the ride.
The one
problem with the gameplay in Tony Hawk 4 for the PC is the controls. Tony Hawk
requires some fancy fingerwork on the console systems with control pads,
something that just can’t be achieved by hammering away at a keyboard. Quickly
linking together spine transfers with grab tricks and manuals is a real chore,
and leads to pretty sore fingers and wrists after a while. A good gamepad with
at least one analog stick is highly recommended.
Tony
Hawk 4 featured some great graphics when it hit consoles last year, and the PC
version improves upon its predecessors with cleaner textures and higher
resolutions. The character models look great and move fluidly and naturally.
The levels are diverse and feature great details like animals at the zoo and
spinning carnival rides in the carnival stage. However, the default distance
fog is very limiting, although turning it off leads to a pretty drastic hit to
the framerates, even on high-end machines.
The
Tony Hawk series has never been chintzy when it came to sound, and Tony Hawk 4
is no exception. The game features well over thirty licensed tunes from a
diverse range of artists, like System of a Down, Public Enemy and Goldfinger.
Plus, the game features voice acting from the pro skaters themselves, who will
give each other missions throughout the various levels. My one gripe with the
sound is the fact that you can’t customize your soundtrack with your own MP3s
like you can in the Xbox version.
Tony
Hawk 4 is basically the same game console gamers have been enjoying since last
fall, and depending on who you ask, can be good news or bad news. However, if
you’re a PC gamer without access to a console and missed out on its release last
year, now is your chance to own the best skateboarding game out there. Just
make sure your gamepad is up to snuff.
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Gameplay: 9.3
Tony Hawk 4 offers subtle improvements to the already great gameplay that has
been a staple in the series since day one. A few new moves have been
introduced, the missions now have a less constrained non-linear feel to them,
and the online play has been greatly improved from the PS2 version. However,
it’s recommended that you invest in a good analog gamepad before attempting to
undertake Tony Hawk 4, otherwise your wrists and fingers will be quite sore from
pounding away at your keyboard while trying to pull off long combos.
Graphics: 9.0
Tony Hawk 4 has some nice graphical improvements over Tony Hawk 3. The
characters look a bit more natural and are more fluidly animated and the
environments are diverse and boast some nice textures. Plus, PC gamers get to
benefit from higher resolutions and cleaner textures. The distance fog can be a
bit thick if kept on. However, turning it off causes a pretty big hit to the
framerates, even in higher-end machines.
Sound: 9.0
Tony Hawk 4 features some great sound elements, like a huge soundtrack featuring
a diverse crop of artists like Zeke, System of a Down, NWA and AC/DC and voice
acting provided by the real pro skaters in the game. However, you can’t import
your own MP3s to the soundtrack like you can on the Xbox version, and that hurts
the score a little.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.0
Tony Hawk 4 is pretty much the same game your buddies got on their console of
choice last Christmas, so it’s really nothing new at this point. However, it’s
still a fantastic game that beats just about any other skateboarding game out
there.
Multiplayer: 9.3
The
online mode has been greatly improved from the PS2 version (which was the only
console version with true online support). It’s all done through either GameSpy
Arcade or GameRanger, making it as easy as pie to either get onto a game or host
a game yourself. Within the game, you can chat with and compete against up to
eight other players.
Overall:
9.2
Tony Hawk 4 marks the most recent step in the long-running video game series.
While not as revolutionary as the first game was when it was released oh so many
years ago (or even as revolutionary as the previous title, Tony Hawk 3), Tony
Hawk 4 continues to move the series along by adding subtle improvements to the
series’ already great gameplay. PC gamers deprived of the console incarnations
of Tony Hawk 4 last year would do good to pick up this version, and should
invest in a good analog gamepad as well, if they haven’t already done so.
