Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Review

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Article Comments for [link=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/828/828231p1.html]Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Review[/link]
by Chris Roper

Summary: When the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater hit the PlayStation back in 1999, it redefined what an extreme sports game could be. Its control scheme set the industry standard for years to come, and its goal-based progression has been the basis for most similar titles since then. A year later, Neversoft followed up the game with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, the nearly-perfect sequel that took everything to the next level and set the bar high enough that competing franchises quickly died off attempt after attempt. [link=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/828/828231p1.html]Read Full Article[/link]

 

[XueRen1077]

RIP Tony Hawk...Btw 1st Biotch!

 

[Itri]

Hell yeah! Time to die Tony Hawk! DIE DIE DIE! woohoo! lol

 

[Kidtuf]

I am glad that TH is finally being reviewed for what it is these days. It seems that prior to Skate TH was getting good reviews solely on the fact that nobody else knew what a good skating game was like. It's like having only ever eaten Easy Mac and then one day you get your first mouthful of a top notch sirloin. It's then that you finally start to compare what you've been partaking in against what else is out there.

That said, this game is a mediocre, and it deserves every bit of it for what it has consistenly done to stereotype skateboarding culture. Body checking pedestrians? That's as much about skating as knitting. Lame.

 

[RuinerXXXsincity]

I am sorry but SKATE is not a good skate board game. While it has it's positives over the TH series it doesn't change the fact that the controls are way too hit or miss. I like that it tried something new but it is just not nearly as fun as doing over the top tricks and lines. SKATE to me feels like the old man's skating game. While THPS seriously needs to redefine some of their basics I still like the series more then I like SKATE.

 

[eldaradospade]

i luv tony hawk,been doin this since the first demo
T.H.U.G to me was amazing
but they right same stuff ova and ova
if u gonna do a story sit down think and give me something classic and huge
if not scrape the story and do it like SKATE

 

[legacyAccount]

These games are no longer fun, nor can they be considered sequels. I believe that's why they have stopped adding numbers, atop of the fact that they have numbered in the double digits. People will choose their sides between the realist style shown in Skate, and the unrealistic, Tony Hawk, but until there is a medium between too real, and too phoney, not everyone will be happy. This game has followed the same formula, dressed up with new features like video making, for quite some time. Tony Hawk's Underground was a great new game. However, bare boned it was the same formula, and then exploited for it's popularity. A microcasm for the entire series. Exploited and reused because of the fact that people rebuy it every time. Yes we wanna pull off 900s, but grinding roller coaster tracks has gotten really old.

 

[maurom961]

I think "Ruinerxxxsincity" BLOWS BIG C***K and does not know anything about skateboarding.
I HAD LOST ALL INTEREST IN SKATING GAMES UNTIL EA'S SKATE.

TONY HAWK IS DEAD. AND LAME. AND FAKE. AND BROING. AND REPETITIVE. AND CAN GO FLUSH ITSELF INTO GAMING HISTORY.


SKATE IS REAL, AND IT TAKES A REAL SKATER TO MASTER, NOT SOME 8 YEAR OLD BUTTON MASHER.

 

[SamosTuna]

Thing is, I'm addicted to those Nail the Trick and Grab and Manual moves. I was playing the demo and I spent all 10 minutes just nailing tricks so that's why I'm considering the game.

 

[legacyAccount]

@Ruinerxxxsincity: " the controls are way too hit or miss" huh?! are you talking about Skate? The controls are among the most inovative, intuitive, and responsive i have experienced since i started gaming. it takes practice, practice, practice. that's probably what you don't like about it, you couldnt pick it up and get a 1,000,000 point combo. thats alright though, skate was made for people who can appreciate the talent and forsight it takes to put together a beautiful, technical, flowing line. TH's entire franchise is made for people who have no interest in the details of skating and just want to say "zomg!! i just did a kickflip-1080-kickflip-kickflip-kickflip-heelflip-540 airwalk-900 roll, and got 5 billion points!!!!" the point is, EVERYONE doesn't need to be happy with one game, there is room for both franchises to be successful. its completely apples and oranges/ arcade and rpg, you just can't compare the two so simply

 

[lilchac]

I bought Skate as soon it was released. Skate is more realistic and more enjoyable to play, not to mention it's online multiplayer is cool. The Tony Hawk series can't compare in terms of graphics, gameplay, controls, everything. But I plan to buy Tony Hawk Proving Grounds cause it's a another skating game.

 

[vass86]

i got skate because i liked the demo but then i found it to be a piece of crap. you NEED to be able to get off your board on that game and i don't know why you can't. also there is no way to have a proper look around for spots because the camera view is annoying and you can't enter into a first person view or anything. i won't be getting tony hawks either because it's a stale franchise but all of you who are sucking skates balls should get some perspective

 

[superleathal71]

Tony 'hawk sucks now days same thing over and over with every episode. Try something new and refreshing, yes I am talking about SKATE. I DL the demo of THG and played once then deleted it. I will never get rid of SKATE it feels so good to hit a perfect grind, nothing is automatic. Sorry if the learing curve is too steep for some button smashers but I compare SKATE as Virtua Fighter and TH series as Street Fighter. If you get it......

 

[eman2k]

THPS is old news. Been there done that. Skate was a big risk for EA so yeah the lack of getting off the board, being able to look around or watch one of your friends in the same freeskate sucks. But hey, there is skate 2 for that.

Personally I'd give THPS a 6.5 and skate an 8.2 but that is just me.

 

[deadbeatslacker]

It doesn't really take a real skater to master skate. Its no different then that of tony hawk. People just got used to playing tony hawk so much that the controls became the standard for skating games. It did take awhile for gamers to get used the various types of combos you can pull off in tony hawk. It takes a real skater to skate. But when it comes Video games, It take a real gamer to pull the impossible tricks.

 

[X360Gamer8]

skate. OWNS Tony Hawk!!! TH is old and boring, skate. is fresh, innovative, and fun!

 

[johanWolf]

how would you like all skate fans to suck my hairy brown balls huh!!!

 

[frobot]

ign was being to nice with this one i mean this only means neversoft can continue to "skate" on by with subpar work. the animations are bad the modles look really creepy at times the photo and video editing is really off and wasted ( the video that is). to top it all off these are bad things that once where good in past games remeber replays in THPS4 and create a park in every other hawk game until P8. you cant let this slide people if you like the series ask for more from it

 

[Alucard3765]

Honestly, I'm not impressed with this title, but you can't say it sucks because it's just more of the same with a few tweaks, GAME INFORMER knows what's up, as a piece of software (which games are despite also being art) THPS is good, and you can't knock it for that. How can you lower the score for not changing it up much? It still gives you what you want, and it'sa solid game. I don't trust IGN anymore. What exactly do they freakin want?

 

[Facamus]

To Alucard3765

Well, take this for example: the original Super Mario Brothers 2d platformers were 10/10's (in my book at least), but if, say, they just continued making basically the the same game over and over just with new level designs, would you expect me to keep rating them 10's?

I know the example isn't exactly the same, but you get the point...

 

[legacyAccount]

"it really just feels like we're playing a large expansion pack"

thats how you can lower a score. i freaking HATE when games make me feel like that! its the same with all the yearly sports games that come out. its usually about 70% the same game that came out last year with new names and numbers, but with the sports games you KNOW youre paying for those numbers and names, and most people are ok with that. with games like this though, they advertise the hell out of it like its this innovative, original game; that no one's seen anything like it before. what it ends up being is the same game you spent money on last year with the gimic to move a rail, or push someone over. lame!

 

[dankbud420247]

screw this game. Skate's better. buy skate

 

[killahj77]

The world finaly got a taste of a new look on skating with EA"s skate and realized how reused the tony hawk games feel. If you eat some tasty burgers every day because thats all you have and changed the topings now and then you would get used to it, until someone gave you nacho's!!! MMMMMMMMM nacho's Tony hawk still a good game just not the end all be all of skating games anymore.

 

[kentuckyfriedplus]

I've never played a Tony Hawk game, but I got wowed by the demo. Watching it was beautiful. So to me, even it's a 7, it may feel like an 8 or even a 9 to fresh eyes.

This is an exciting time to get into the whole skating game genre. I read up on Skate while waiting for THPG, and I got that last week too. Woo-hoooooo! I can see that Tony Hawk's a bit over the top, but Skate still has some issues to work out (e.g. missing tricks that can't be done), although it is a solid start to a franchise.

You gotta admit guys...after making 9 Tony Hawk games, they might've lost their way in terms of trying to introduce something fresh to the franchise. The developer I talked to was agonizing over that issue. It's not easy.

 

[insane1220]

This is definitely much better than skate. Skate was completely worthless and its just EA's attempt at taking over another part of the gaming world. This game is definitely much better than Project 8.

 

[codo528]

BUY SKATE NOT THIS GAME. Skate took everything Tony HJawk has done wrong since THPS 4 and corrected. Also the controls are better and the game is actually realistic, not like this where you can get like 100 feet of air. Afetr a while THPS gets old, skate never does

 

[ROCCOZILLA]

one word,S K A T E .

 

[Dookie32]

This is definitely much better than skate. Skate was completely worthless and its just EA's attempt at taking over another part of the gaming world. This game is definitely much better than Project 8.

lol, you set up an account and posted that as your first post? You're a moron.

 

[legacyAccount]

I played both demos and I liked the NTT from Proving Ground better than any of the controls and features in skate. I probably won't get either one though since games are priced too and I need to save my money for Ratchet, Assassin's Creed, and Uncharted.

 

[bdbdub]

i liked both but the only thing i didnt really like about skate was the lack of a variance of moves sure u could do it right and or left or w/e but its just no the same as havin a whole compilation of different moves that you can do

 

[sci-fi_fan]

Anyone think the Tony Hawk series is starting to seem a lot like the Madden series?

 

[legacyAccount]

I hate to say it, but SKATE outdid the Hawk series this time around. Shouldn't it have been EA to make the crappier of the two? And yes insane1220 is a moron. He's probably just saying that so he can claim he's on the 'hate ea for taking over bioware' bandwagon. Yeah, EA does suck milk out of a cats ass but anyone who can't have their own opinion about something should not have one at all.

Cheers.

 

[zool152004]

i'm with "iamguitar", skate though flawed in some aspects is just so damn fun and original it clearly outshines the hawkster

 

[EphemeralSpudMonkey]

The TH series must either change drastically, or just keep suffering. I played the Proving Ground demo, and was not surprised to see it was the same old thing.

 

[legacyAccount]

so... i guess skate wins.

that's sad. EA can never ever EVER review higher than a competitor.

 

[QuigleyTheGamer]

hey sci-fi...at least madden is still delivering on 360 and Wii...and it at least tries to put in a little something every year to better the game.

By the looks of this...it's as if they don't care about the Skateboarding series...hence SKATE came into play and won people over.

 

[Skyler193]

You know, this really ticks me off. The IGN editors never seem to drop the bias that "This is just another Hawk game" and it has ruined all their Hawk reviews for the past couple of years. This is a far superior skating game to Skate and it's still one of the best video game franchises around, yet because "it's just another TH game", it gets a lower score. I'm sure other jounalists will do the same thing, because they all think alike. It's not a fair review and it certianly not informative for those that are still unsure whether or not to buy it. This review doesn't even show that the games major strength is the huge story line and freedom to play as you choose.

I'm extremely dissapointed, but I strongly reccomend this game to all gamers everywhere. It's better than Skate and I think that you all will have more fun with this game.

It's an 8.5 plus in my very biased (and proud of it) opinion.

-Hawkfan.

 

[frankrul]

Skyler183 = disgruntled Neversoft employee.


Trashing a review because they compared it to the other TH games is stupid.. of course they will make the comparison. Do you review a crappy hyundai as a good car and not compare it to other cars in its class? If you take away all comparison and pretend that no other skateboarding game ever existed then yeah, it would be good, maybe. As it stands, the original and tony hawk 2 were both better than this, and Skate is better than all of those combined, so go home to mommy and stop crying just because you can't get the hang of flick-it controls.

 

[wizardmasterx]

I think Many fans are ticked because of the once all mighty powerful tony series had it all, but never changed it for 8 years. Played them all since TH1. TH4 and The first underground were my standing points, loved them, but nothing better after. I played the demo for this one, and it does justify the game in a whole. I dont even like the culture TH games have put into their skaters. The mr. "what what" all light blue dressed kid. Urban talk in everyone. If thats todays skating culture, eck. skate. represents what I see in skating, or saw at least. If only tony hawks changed the over the top "grind on something to gain speed" thing, then maybe, something would change. I was able to master the demo after not playing tony hawks for years upon years. Every game has a comparison, unless it truely is unique.
Tony has all of the old games, you have to compare it to them, not as a game by itself, because its another game to past games just like it. Its an add-on not a sequal. If this was the 4 tony hawk now, then things would be a bit nicer, 9th is too long for not much differant.

 

[legacyAccount]

Funny that every Tony Hawk game gets 7 from IGN and GS

 

[maurom961]

I have to agree with WIZARDMASTERX the culture of the game is really not what Skateboardiing is about. I guess their is a punk in every sport. I JUST DONT KNOW HOW ANYONE CAN EVEN JUSTIFY THPG AS A GOOD BUY.

ITS REPETITIVE, BORING, FAKE, LAME, MADE FOR A TO YEAR OLD BUTTON MASHER. ITS THE SAME AND NOT ORIGINAL, THATS WHY I LIKE SKATE.


NOW APPLY THAT TO SKATEBOARDING, DO YOU SKATE THE SAME SPOT EVERY DAY

 

[frobot]

yea tony hawk can never be a better skateboarding game because minus the terms and actuall apearences of skate related things its not a skateboarding game. skate is for skateboarding and having fun with skateboarding. tony hawk is a arcade game that just happens to have skateboards in it. people can like TH games all they want but it will never be a better representaion of skateboarding than the skate franchise bottom line. and if you belive so you are not a skater and no nothing about the culture

 

[Commariodore64]

Wait, so it's OK for there to be ARCADE and SIMULATION racing games, but not skateboarding games? Kids these days..... Seriously, I think the hate on THPG has more to do with wanting to be on the side of the 'hardcore cool kids' than actual gaming merit.

Get this - I still play Street Fighter II and every subsequent sequel- guess what? - the formula doesn't change and that's *gasp* OK.

Finicky wanna-be's (reviewers and poser gamers) need to get over themselves....

 

[deadmachines]

I really enjoy this game. It's solidly built and doesn't suffer from the awful performance and screwy graphical issues skate does. They are both good games and both have their pros and cons, but if you like Tony Hawk then you should buy this. If you don't, what are you doing here? I think it's BS that Skate scored that much higher on this site, though. Skate has some cool elements but it's not as revolutionary as people like to think. On the one hand you do your tricks with the joystick, yay. On the other hand you are severely limited in tricks and abilities, and it has a crap frame rate and lots of graphical issues (on PS3).

 

[frobot]

Wait, so it's OK for there to be ARCADE and SIMULATION racing games, but not skateboarding games? Kids these days..... Seriously, I think the hate on THPG has more to do with wanting to be on the side of the 'hardcore cool kids' than actual gaming merit.

whoa of course its okay for there to be a arcade skateboarding game and a sim skateboarding game its not okaywhen you try to market your arcade game as the real deal. just come out and say it " Im a Arcade game" the tony hawk PR people are so damn intent on trying to say it can be played realistic that it actually makes the game look worse. like a 40 year old claiming to be 20 it makes you look bad for your age, just like the tony hawk franchise if you market it as a realistic game its gonna look like crap. Neversoft should stop trying to look like they know skate culture and just make a balls to the walls arcade skate game. cause thats really all tony hawk games are but when you start trying to put stereotypes of the culture and try to say thats real you come off as idots and jerks

 

[Dookie32]

Wait, so it's OK for there to be ARCADE and SIMULATION racing games, but not skateboarding games? Kids these days..... Seriously, I think the hate on THPG has more to do with wanting to be on the side of the 'hardcore cool kids' than actual gaming merit.

Get this - I still play Street Fighter II and every subsequent sequel- guess what? - the formula doesn't change and that's *gasp* OK.

Finicky wanna-be's (reviewers and poser gamers) need to get over themselves....

Poser gamers? Are you kidding me? Get a life.

 

[vulnerabledonkey123]

Wait, so it's OK for there to be ARCADE and SIMULATION racing games, but not skateboarding games? Kids these days..... Seriously, I think the hate on THPG has more to do with wanting to be on the side of the 'hardcore cool kids' than actual gaming merit.

Completely agree with that guy. Sure Skate was a novelty for the first few hours, but it got tedious.

Generally it is just the hardcore "real" skaters that advocate Skate's realism. Skate gets dull quickly, and no-one else cares about getting the feel of the "culture" right. The skating culture where I live is full of self-righteous little twats who skate on the War Memorial. Bunch of little emo dick-heads.

 

[Dookie32]

A replica of a war memorial was in project 8...

 

[legacyAccount]

skate got a better score than thpg....thats absolutley ridiculous. thpg way better

 

[therealsuperman67]

why would TH get a really high score when it's most of the same stuff? Then again Madden got a pretty high score.

The reason .skate wins over TH is for visuals and originality. It really brings somethin new to the genre the same way that fight night brought somethin new to boxing games.