Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

There are few videogames in the world that capture the sport they represent better then the Tony Hawk series has done. Not only has the series sold million of copies and made a ton of money for Mr. Hawk, the series is also responsible for launching the extreme sports genre. Games like SSX, Amped, and a horde of others owe their actual existence to the pioneering developers at Neversoft. For those of you who have never played a Tony Hawk game, the series hasn’t strayed too far from its roots all these years. In the first game, you picked a professional skater and moved from level to level; completing goals that were a mix of collecting letters (S.K.A.T.E) and other items, and pounding high scores. You could pull off all sorts of authentic skateboarding moves with an extremely deep trick system and spot on controls. As the series continued, new goals were added as well as new levels and modes (like Create a Park), but the nucleus remained the same.

In 2003 though, the developers looked to breathe new (and much needed) life into the series by putting an emphasis on story. In Tony Hawks Underground you played the role of a rookie skater working your way up the pro ladder. The story mode proved a success and was once again revisited in Tony Hawks Underground 2, a game that drew its creative flair directly from the MTV series Jack Ass. The sequel was a relative success but it also showed just how difficult it was to keep a series fresh for all theses years. So here we are, 8 years later, with the 7th title in the series, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (THAW).  

THAW for the 360 features the exact same content found in the PS2 and Xbox versions with the only real differences coming in the form of a higher resolution (720p) and slightly different controls. The core gameplay is still very strong, but an added ten bucks to the price tag, for what is essentially the same game, is a tough pill to swallow. That being said, those craving something new to keep them busy should find plenty to do with THAW.  The game essentially fuses the best from both the early games in the series, along with the story elements from the Underground series, providing a fairly well rounded and comprehensive skateboarding experience.

THAW features a pretty full-bodied collection of modes, made up of Story mode, Classic, High-score, Xbox Live, and the Create ‘A’ Modes. In the story mode, you play the role of a rebellious teen that leaves his hick town (and overbearing father) for the mean streets of Los Angeles, with only a tattered board and a dream to turn pro. As you attempt to amass a positive reputation, you’ll have to prove your skills to local legends and pro's by learning a huge arsenal of tricks. The overall goal is to help build the ultimate skate park with your posse of skater misfits. The game is also somewhat non-linear, allowing you to pick and choose from a bunch of side-missions and extracurricular activities. The developers are definitely shooting for that GTA wide open feel, and to some degree they succeed. You are completely free to progress the story at your own tempo, with an easy to follow map and icon system, it's as simple as hunting down the pink story icon on the mini-map.

There's a fair bit of side missions and other tasks to keep you busy too. You can check out a number of shops, compete in non-story driven competitions, and even fuel your inner Picasso with a little graffiti. The main story and side-missions reward you with cold hard cash to spend at the local shops. You can purchase all kinds of provisions to customize your super-skater wannabe, everything from new clothing and gear, to tattoos and hairstyles. One big addition promoted in the game was the ability to ride a BMX. While in theory it sounds like a great diversion, and the controls are relatively the same as skateboarding, it's just feels like something tacked on. The BMX riding just doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the skateboarding, leaving the jump from 4 wheels to 2 feeling pointless, and not all that much fun.

The actual levels are once again awesomely designed, with tons of great ramps, rails, and secret gaps for your shredding pleasure. You’re free to skate around the many boroughs of LA, with new areas opened as the story progresses. One nice touch is the way that the developers have masked the load-times in this game. Instead of having load-screens, the different areas feature a linking channel, some are buildings, some our outdoor paths, and you’re able to continue skating, oblivious to the fact the game is loading up the next area. It’s really clever, and I hope more developers adopt this innovative little feature, do you hear me Bungie!

Classic Mode is, in essence, the old-school Tony Hawk game-play we grew up with. You compete against the clock and a traditional set of objectives (High score, Skate Letters, etc). You can also play in a free skating environment, but only the levels you've already unlocked. Create ‘A’ Mode allows you to create a variety of elements, and greatly increases the titles replayability. In this mode you can create your own skater, your own skate tricks, your own skate park, and even custom graffiti tags and logos. The depth and customization is definitely a welcome addition, especially considering the fact that the Story and Classic modes seem light. They may seem a little sparse for the simple fact that we’re used to one or the other, and with the development time split between the two, neither mode seems fully fleshed out. Overall the game features the same great skateboarding action we’ve come to expect from a Tony Hawk game. It’s just a shame that the developers didn’t go that extra mile, the game is extremely familiar, and also lacks a true next-gen feature set.