Does this guy ever stop
A review of Tony Hawk American Wasteland for PS2
Jonathan Lavigne
Editor-in-Cheif
Just as surely as every year has a Christmas and a Halloween, Tony Hawk and Neversoft launch another chapter in the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series. The 7th installment in 7 years is a game called Tony Hawk American Wasteland (THAW).
Commercial pre-hype for the game promises a seamless world, in this particular case, Los Angeles, where there is no loading time between the different areas of the game. The game is centered on the frenetic world of skateboarding in all its glory and mayhem. Learn how to grind and trick your way to being the most awesome skateboarder in town, rivaling the notoriety of board legend Tony Hawk himself.
At first I was impressed at the map. Being able to go from one area to another without loading was a god sent. Those days of “Loading…”, were finally behind me and moving from one edge of the screen to the next were ahead of me. I chose to play the story mode because it seemed less random. Being somewhat of a novice to the game, the choice seemed logical. The storyline followed in story mode allows you to win and collect items to build your own skate park. As story lines go, this one is pretty tight, although some plot holes are wide and gaping, it makes for a fun experience. The story mode is meant for the casual gamer, it leads the player from one area to the next, detailing what needs to be done and pretty much how to do it. Everything that has made the series great is still there: killer tricks and death defying stunts galore.
The problem with a story mode which is so helpful is also its downfall. If you have been kicking it in the previous games, this will seem too much like a tutorial meant for someone below your level. Granted that the game promises no loading between areas, the alleyways or tunnels between areas feel like simple filler meant to buffer the in between zones. There even is the possibility of taking a bus for those citywide treks. Yes you can still walk around while on the bus, but it still feels like a loading page. Another issue is that there were only 5 usable characters available from the get go. I liked in previous incarnations that there was a character builder, which allowed you to craft your own persona out of thin air.
Despite great graphics and above average sound quality, this game has very little to offer to the seasoned pro. Even if the player decides to set the game to “sick” level of difficulty, the “this is what you have to do now” aspect of the game becomes quickly tiresome. Quality players can get between 4 to 6 hours of game play on the story mode, but the real action all happens in the other game play options.
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