Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Should Just Be DLC

The wait is almost over. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 was finally revealed this week, and it launches for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on July 11th. Similarly to its predecessor Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, this new entry recreates the levels from THPS3 and THPS4 from the ground up. It will also include the skaters, tricks, and selection of the tracks you know and love from each entry, as well as some new pros to skate with and new locations to explore. As someone who ranks THPS3 at the top of their THPS rankings, this is kind of a dream come true.

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However, there is one specific detail about this reveal that has been nagging at me. It’s a detail many fans have been wondering about since the rumors and leaks regarding Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 have been mucking about. Specifically, this pertains to THPS4, a very integral entry in the long-running franchise that was a literal game changer. Rather than featuring the two-minute challenge runs from the first three entries, the fourth went with an “open zone” approach letting players skate around a level freely, and pick up quests from NPCs within the level.

This “quest” design would bleed into every entry after it until Neversoft’s THPS swan song Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground. THPS4 is synonymous with that design, and it was somewhat expected this would possibly be interpreted in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. However, in its recent announcement, it confirms that this is not the case.

“The parks from THPS3 and THPS4 have been authentically remade in jaw-dropping 4K resolution with streamlined goals in a two-minute format,” reads the announcement.

Clearly, this means every level featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 will include the two-minute goal format from the games prior to THPS4. I can’t speak for an entire community of THPS fans, but for me, this is a pretty big bummer. I was looking forward to a modern and authentic interpretation of that game. It’s a pretty unique title even compared to the entries that come after it, so it would have been neat to see how Iron Galaxy tackled this design. Unfortunately, that will not happen.

So, with this following a similar gameplay design and graphical look as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, should this have just been DLC for that lauded 2020 release? I definitely think there is an argument in favor of that sentiment.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 was not the first time it tried to reinvigorate the franchise by remaking two of its best entries. In 2012, Robomodo developed Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, an HD remake for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, that included the levels and mechanics of the THPS1 and THPS2. This meant it did not have the revert from THPS3, a trick that completely redefined the series moving forward. Its removal was a detriment to the game. However, the developer eventually made THPS3 DLC for the game, which featured new levels and tricks, including the revert.

I bring this up because this shows it’s not unknown territory for the series. Obviously, there is a difference in quality between Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. Robomodo’s is an inoffensive remake, while Vicarious Visions was so beloved that it forced Activision to finally make a follow-up despite it being canceled originally. However, Robomodo’s DLC was a success and made the game much better. To implement DLC like this to a game tons of people already own wouldn’t be a terrible move. Especially since the gameplay seems pretty similar apart from skitching.

Also, if uniformity was the goal here with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, it kind of makes sense to just implement all the levels and changes to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. Beyond skitching, it doesn’t seem like there are any other new tricks coming to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. Sure, there might be some new specials, but there doesn’t seem to be anything that completely alters gameplay like skitching, spine transfers, or reverts. Just adding the ability to skitch in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 levels doesn’t really affect much, and could actually be a reason to revisit some of those older levels.

Also, it would just be rad to see all four games available in one place, which is something Activision already does with Call of Duty. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 already has a completely serviceable menu and adding two more options wouldn’t really alter the experience on that end very much either. It would be a nice moment for players who have dedicated a lot of time to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 to see that game change overnight into something bigger and better.

One last facet I’ve noticed pertains to the playable skaters for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. As advertised, the game will feature new pros including Yuto Horigome, Jamie Foy, Chloe Covell, Rayssa Leal, and Zion Wright. The rest of the roster seems to be the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 roster, including the new skaters that were introduced there. Riley Hawk, Tyshawn Jones, Shane O’Neill, and Leo Baker have all posted on Instagram essentially confirming this. It just seems like the devs are adding more skaters to what it already has.

With much of the content from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 seeming like add-ons for the already fantastic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, it really does look to be one really big DLC pack for the game. It feels like it would fit seamlessly in that 2020 entry, and in some ways, it is a shame it is not. It could be like the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate of THPS games. Activision and Iron Galaxy could have its own “everyone is here” moment, but with pro skaters instead of beloved video game characters. As a big THPS fan, that would have been very cool.

I also want to clarify that saying something should be DLC isn’t meant to imply that it’s a lesser experience than what is being advertised. It looks like a follow-up to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, which seems exactly like the goal Iron Galaxy and Activision have in mind. But it also looks like very familiar territory, and without any significant changes, it feels like content that could be implemented in the previous entry.