As a devoted fan
of the Tony Hawk franchise since the very beginning of the series when it
was called Tony Hawk Pro Skater, I’ve seen the game evolve from a
simple-yet-fun series to a thrasher’s dream come true with the Tony Hawk
Underground games. Even Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland had something
interesting to offer, although it wasn’t as fun as past games in the series.
Just like a good skating competition, fans stay for the fresh new tricks but
unfortunately fresh new tricks can’t be found in Tony Hawk’s Project 8
for the PSP … one of the weakest entries in the franchise.
Project 8
harkens back
to the classic Pro Skater style of level structure so don’t expect to be
skating through most of Hollywood like in American Wasteland. These
unrelated levels have you skating through locales like a factory and a
nice-looking campus in some other place but they all have one thing in common in
Career Mode – completing challenges will win you a spot on Tony Hawk’s exclusive
Project 8 tour. That’s right, you start as a low-level street thrasher who has
to work his way up to the top in order to make it pro.
The game’s
Career Mode begins with you picking from three skaters, each has his own style
of skating whether it’s the punk or the kid or the street skater. You start the
game in the Suburbs and work your way through a number of levels that take you
to different locales. Of course, you’re still free to explore your surroundings
but in order to advance you have to talk to people on the street to complete a
list of challenges. The game brilliantly sets up three difficulty setting for
each challenge, allowing you to take on the amateur or pro setting. Like past
games, these challenge range from the simple (do a kick flip over a picket
fence) to the more complex (collect some items and bring them back to the place
of origin before the timer runs out).
While there are
plenty of challenges to complete throughout the game, there’s nothing here that
stands out in the way most of the challenges do in Tony Hawk’s Underground.
There’s no cool moments where you hop on a Segway and perform some sick tricks
or get to drive a car. Instead, the game opts for a more tradition game. The
game also changes the control scheme for the PSP, a huge mistake that is
noticeable the very minute you push forward or try to pull off a manual. Really,
why mess with something that worked before? What also doesn’t work is the new
Nail the Trick move that allows you to have control over your feet as you pull
off unique tricks in slow motion. On paper it’s a great idea but it’s executed
awkwardly on the PSP.
Once again,
there is also Classic Mode for those who still long for the Pro Skater days.
There are ten objectives to complete in this game and there’s a running timer
you have to beat. There are eight Classic levels, many of them familiar locales
such as Alcatraz and the mall. The objectives are the same as well. You’ll have
to collect secret tapes, pull off tricks at key locations and collect words that
spell out SKATE. There’s also multiplayer through an Ad Hoc connection that is
lots of fun to play. With game modes like Scavenger Hunt, Combo Mambo and the
fun Elimiskate, the multiplayer mode actually outshines the game’s single-player
modes.
On the graphics
front, Project 8 looks amazing on the PSP. In fact, the game looks just
as good as it does on the PlayStation 2. The character models look great in
action and it’s a treat watching your skater grind across some beautifully
rendered environments. The only bad part about the game’s visuals is the
PS2-like clipping problems. You’ll notice the heavy clipping problems each time
you fall. One time I miscalculated a kickflip that sent my skater crashing to
the ground only to see half my skater’s torso disappeared in the pavement as if
the street was made of water. The new soft lighting is also a nice touch the
first level but the rest of the game is lit the same way, which is unrealistic.
The game’s
soundtrack is made up of the usual assortment of cool punk rock and some reggae
tunes and, like past games, the music fits right in with the game. There’s also
some decent voice acting throughout the game and even the goofier characters you
meet are hysterical. When it comes to detailed sound effects, the Tony Hawk
games don’t jump to mind but this one wonderfully adds some great environmental
noise throughout the game.
Tony Hawk’s
Project 8 for
the PSP lacks the fire and intensity found in other games in this classic
franchise and, while there’s enough here to keep fans of the series busy,
there’s no new twists here that makes this an exciting new addition. With boring
game levels and controls that shouldn’t have been messed with in the first
place, the game just doesn’t rise above its mediocre design. If you’ve collected
every Tony Hawk game in the past this one will just disappoint in so many
ways. Here’s hoping next year’s game will be a lot better than this game.
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Gameplay: 6.2
Nailing the
Trick just feels awkward and pulling off some awesome moves aren’t as easy
thanks to the new controls. Career Mode has its fun moments; especially when it
comes to some of the more serious challenges but the level design is just plain
dull.
Graphics: 7.5
The game looks
just as good as the PS2 version and the character models and environments are
visually pleasing. Unfortunately, the game also contains that over-exaggerated
lighting and the PS2 version’s awful clipping problems.
Sound: 7.5
As always, the
game’s soundtrack is killer and the voice acting and sound effects aren’t bad at
all. There are also some pretty detailed sound effects so you’ll want to put up
the volume or wear earphones while playing.
Difficulty:
Medium
The later
levels will offer some serious challenges and testing your skills against pros
like Burquist and the always-annoying Margera. There are also some tough timed
objectives to complete put it’s nothing that will have you stuck for a long
time.
Concept: 6.5
All the usual
suspects are here so you’ll have the favorite Classic Mode and a multiplayer
mode with some PSP exclusives to give this portable game something extra. There
are plenty levels to sink your teeth into but none of them taste as good as the
levels in both Tony Hawk Underground games.
Multiplayer:
8.0
Multiplayer is
where the game really shines and the 14 multiplayer games, like Elimiskate or
the Pot O’ Gold game, are actually very fun to play. Up to four players can
compete against each another and thanks to the Ad Hoc the game runs at a very
steady framerate.
Overall: 6.2
Project 8
is proof that
the Tony Hawk series is running out of steam and that’s too bad since
there’s some great skating action to be had in this game. Still, even the most
faithful fans can’t help but wish there was more to this game than the poorly
designed levels and uninspiring objective. Here’s hoping the next one will try
something better.
