Tony Hawk's™ Pro Skater™ 3 + 4 Review Summary

Solid & Fun Gameplay: The game is widely praised for its solid and refined gameplay mechanics, which are consistent with previous successful remasters. Players find it incredibly fun, easy to pick up, and highly replayable, indicating a well-polished and enjoyable experience.

Improved THPS3 & THPS4 Content: The game successfully integrates content from THPS3 and THPS4, with many players considering it an improvement over THPS 1+2. The streamlined approach to THPS4's career mode, particularly the 2-minute timer format, is well-received, addressing previous criticisms of the original's bloated structure.

Excellent Maps & Characters: The remastered classic maps are visually stunning and play better than their originals, while the new maps are also well-designed and fit seamlessly into the game. The addition of new levels and a diverse roster of characters further enhances the overall content.

Enhanced Graphics & Visuals: The game features significantly upgraded and visually appealing graphics, with detailed environments and character models. This visual overhaul contributes to a more immersive and modern gaming experience while retaining the charm of the originals.

Great Soundtrack & New Content: The soundtrack is generally well-received, with good new additions that complement the classic tracks. The inclusion of new content, including music, is appreciated by players.

THPS4 career mode gutted: The game significantly altered the original THPS4 experience by removing its open-world, mission-based career mode and replacing it with the 2-minute session format from earlier games. This change is widely criticized for making the large THPS4 maps feel empty and for stripping away the game's unique identity and replayability.

Missing original soundtrack: The game's soundtrack is heavily criticized for missing a large number of original, iconic songs from both THPS3 and THPS4. Many new additions are considered mediocre or unfitting, leading to a significant loss of nostalgia and overall atmosphere.

Limited customization and content: The Create-A-Skater feature is largely identical to THPS 1+2, offering limited customization options and reusing many assets. Additionally, many secret skaters and brand partnerships from the original games are missing, reducing character variety and overall content.

Poor performance and value: Players report significant performance issues, including frequent stuttering and frame drops, even on capable hardware. The game is also perceived as overpriced given its perceived lack of new content and similarity to the previous THPS 1+2 remake.

Missing and altered levels: Several iconic levels, particularly 'Carnival' and 'Chicago' from THPS4, are completely missing from the game. Other levels, like 'Zoo,' have been altered, losing their original charm and interactive elements, contributing to a feeling of incompleteness.

Reuses THPS 1+2 assets/engine: The game largely reuses the engine, assets, and core gameplay mechanics from the THPS 1+2 remaster. This makes it feel more like an expansion or 'reimagining' of that game rather than a distinct remake of THPS3 and THPS4.

THPS4 career mode altered: The remake significantly alters THPS4's original open-world, NPC-driven mission structure by implementing a timed, objective-based system similar to earlier THPS titles. This change is seen by some as a loss of THPS4's unique identity.

Adjustable session timer: While the default session timer is 2 minutes, players have the option to extend it significantly, up to an hour, through in-game settings.

Cross-play multiplayer: The game features online multiplayer with cross-play functionality, allowing players on different platforms to play together.

Shared career progression: The career mode progression is shared across all created skaters on an account, meaning completing it with one skater finishes it for all others, limiting replayability for individual characters.

Smooth performance and high framerates: Many players report excellent performance, with high and stable frame rates on various setups, including PC, Steam Deck, and Linux via Proton. The game is often described as running smoothly and looking great at high resolutions.

Performance issues and stuttering: Some users experience performance issues, including stuttering, screen tearing even with VSync, and difficulties when streaming on platforms like Discord. These issues can persist even on lower settings.

Utilizes strong game engine: The game utilizes the engine from Vicarious Visions' previous work, which is praised by some players. This suggests a positive foundation for the game's technical aspects.

Recommended for fans: Many players recommend the game, especially to fans of the original series or those who enjoyed THPS 1+2. It's seen as a fun experience that captures the essence of the classic games, even with some perceived flaws.

Not for THPS4 fans: The game is not recommended for players primarily seeking a faithful THPS4 experience, as it feels more like an extension of THPS 1+2 with some THPS4 levels rather than a full remake. Missing content and changes to THPS4's original gameplay are significant drawbacks for these players.

Mixed recommendations/Refunds: There's a mixed sentiment regarding recommendations, with some reviewers outright not recommending the game or even requesting refunds. This indicates significant dissatisfaction for a portion of the player base.

Wait for a sale: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing the game, especially for non-diehard fans. The current full price is considered too high given the content and perceived issues.

Potential for improvement: Some players would change their recommendation or repurchase the game if specific issues, such as the career mode or solo tour stat points, are fixed. This indicates potential for improvement through patches.

Career Mode Format: The game's career mode, particularly the 2-minute timer format from THPS4, is a point of contention for long-time fans. There's a desire for future remakes to either integrate as DLC or be separate titles with their original career structures.

Mixed Map Reception: Reviewers provided specific ratings for individual maps, indicating varied reception to the level design. Some maps, like Movie Studio, were well-received, while others, such as Pinball, were not.

Rushed Development: There's a strong sentiment that the game was rushed, with only about eight months of development time. This is attributed to Activision and Microsoft, suggesting a lack of sufficient time for polish and content.

Struggling to Enjoy: Some players are struggling to enjoy the game and feel compelled to continue playing only to justify their purchase. This indicates a lack of engaging content or overall dissatisfaction.

Disliked Career Format: Some players expressed a general dislike for the career mode's structure. This suggests that the format of progression and objectives within the game's main mode was not appealing to everyone.