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Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Mini Review

Chris Leyton

16/11/2005

Tony asks the question when is enough, enough...

With the emphasis on scores, combos and skill based gameplay TVG has always been fond of the Tony Hawk series; however with no less then seven titles in as many years, some could say Neversoft and the ageing pro are beginning to look a little long in the tooth.

Tony Hawkâs American Wasteland carries on from the THUG series by presenting players with a story structure to progress through, however this time around the style has changed significantly. Taking on the role of a nobody from the inner depths of Hicksville USA, players travel to Los Angeles â“ the home of skating â“ to try and make a name for themselves. Itâs not too long before the fish out of water finds his kit stolen, and left with the somewhat threatening face of to guide you around town.

THAW begins with the assumption that players know absolutely nothing about the game, which did cause some initial concerns as we immediately tried to pull off some tricks and came to the conclusion that Neversoft had done the impossible and removed the Manual. Thankfully this isnât the case; instead players have to begin the first few stages learning the various techniques both old and new; this does seem quite strange given the fact most people who buy a new Tony Hawkâs have played previous titles in the series and is quite a frustrating experience reacquainting yourself with techniques that are inscribed into your inner psyche.

As youâd expect thereâs a number of new techniques available in THAW, most of which expand upon the concept of being away from the board. In the gameâs attempt to be deliberately bad-ass, you can now whack characters with your board and a brief meeting with a heavily clichéd French guy will open up the chance to run up walls and perform flips in Parkour/Free Running tradition. THAW also provides players the chance to swap the skateboard for a BMX; despite the fact the actual game doesnât place too much emphasis on this, itâs good to see Neversoft coming up with a suitable control system that does a much better job then the Tony Hawk rip-off Matt Hoffman series from a few years back. Further introductions include the ability to perform rail stallâs, the surfing based Bert slides, bank transfers and a handful of others; beyond grinding to a halt on a rail these add very little to the overall roster that has been built up through the years, leaving the series once again in the shadow of THPS2 and the manual â“ can they ever supersede it?

Unsurprisingly the actual game is traditional Tony Hawkâs material which is the biggest cause for concern as even the biggest fan will have questions as to whether itâs worth yet another purchase. A hq is quickly setup at a skate park outside of LA, with objects and items obtained throughout the game available to pick and place throughout the park. The biggest complaint however is just how much the game takes you through the motions; surely the vast majority of people interested in this title will have followed the series for years and appreciate the challenge, THAW steps players through the game so much that youâll end up largely unsatisfied particularly if youâre a long-term fan.

The big promise of âno loadingâ hyped throughout the marketing is in actual fact one of the most gimmicky things about the games. LA is still essentially broken down into different areas with corridor sections providing the link between; admittedly thereâs no loading sections, however these corridors that mask the streaming are so devoid of gameplay or interest in any shape or form that youâre left wishing for load screens back â“ at least it gave you time to skin up a quick doobie or something! With areas that include Downtown, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and East LA, THAW continues the theme of wide open, expansive areas to skate in populated with dozens of lines to grab high scoring combos. Personally Iâve never been too fond with the series new direction in making the title more accessible to all; million+ scores used to be a thing to respect and admire, however since TH4 it seems pretty much anyone can perform one with little perseverance â“ please Neversoft return to the hardcore roots with the next title in the seriesâ¦

Regrettably Tony Hawkâs American Wasteland feels too much like a âby numbersâ sequel; a tag that in some eyes has been hanging around the series for a while now, but most certainly manifests itself in THAW.

Thereâs just precious little innovation and the gameplay remains largely through the motions that even as a fan of the series you should have second thoughts about adding this to the collection. Itâs questionable just who Neversoft and Activision are targeting with this title as a number of aspects seem likely to infuriate the fans rather then entertain â“ on the whole a largely unsatisfying update to what has been an enjoyable series, a few years break and a return to the roots with the next title perhaps?

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