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Gkid
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is yet another entry into Activision's flagship skateboarding series, and it is overflowing with the improvements that the gaming public has come to expect. The most noticeable difference comes in the graphics department, with gigantic levels bustling with activity that stretch as far as the eye can see. That means no pop-up whatsoever, which was one of my concerns with the previous installments. To top it off, THPS3 flows smoother than ever at a rock-steady framerate. But these pretty visuals aren't all that's new to the franchise; plenty of other additions make this newest entry the best THPS of them all.
My favorite aspect of the game would have to be the bizarre (yet entertaining) level objectives, which are a radical departure from what players have come to expect. They require much more thinking than before, but don't moan. THPS hasn't turned into a mind bender, rather, it's an awesome twist to extreme sports that other companies should take note of. A few examples of these odd objectives include burying a bully in snow, getting a man's tongue unstuck from a pole, retrieving an axe for some old geezer, and much more.
To add even more to the combo-connecting fun, the developers added another new gameplay mechanic (THPS2 had the Manual). By pressing R2 when you hit a ramp, you'll perform what's called a Revert, allowing a quick tap into a Manual, keeping that trick-line going almost endlessly. This is what makes the Tony Hawk games so addicting and accessible to a wide audience.
Lastly, THPS3's customization reaches terrific heights over it's predecessors, although it's not quite as good as I expected it. True, the Level Editor is cool, but I want a system where it's possible to make your own level objectives and more. On the other hand, creating your own character has never been so deep, although I wish the interface was more user-friendly. In case you don't know, this is the skateboarding game too own.
Graphics-9.0 The environments are terrific, as are the skaters, but I feel like they are a bit plain.
Sound-8.0 Good sound effects, but I didn't like this installment's soundtrack nearly as much as the others; there was only a couple songs I truly liked.
Control-8.5 Very good, but when THPS3 forces you to navigate some narrow passage ways, etc., to complete level objectives, stopping and starting consistently can be frustrating.
Replay-10.0 Replay value is off the charts; Create-a-skater, Level-Editor, multiplayer, plus going through Career mode with all skaters to unlock awesome hidden characters and levels.
Overall-9.7 Activision has done pretty much all that is possible with THPS3, so the question remains: what else can they introduce to the series?
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