Tony Hawk is probably the most popular extreme sports star around and one of the smartest. The guy grew up hanging around legends. At age 14 he was part of the group that inspired The Lords of DogTown movie. He has talent and attitude and this helped him turn his skills into a massive empire of merchandise, a hit tour, and a marketing cash cow. He also has helped set the careers of a few other well-known skaters including Bam Margera. Now in his mid 30’s the guy can still skate and is the master mind behind putting together his Huck Huck Boom Jam Tour where skaters and BMX riders trick out with motocross racers. It sells out wherever it goes and even friends like Bam and others show up unannounced and participate for the fans and they love it.

Now you may not have played the newest game yet, but I am sure you have seen the commercials. The new tagline is no load times! You take over LA again in part homage to Tony’s roots and how he got started. You have to give it up for the guy; after all, this is the seventh game of the series. Besides the new story, no load times and getting to pick between a deck and a BMX bike, it also has an impressive trick engine and finally has an online mode for Xbox owners. The real question remains is this new game worth playing?

Read the full Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland review and find out.

Gameplay

It is true that the game has no load times once the story mode starts. Although at first during the intro and while getting new clothes and your look down, there are a few load screens. You’re the guy who wants to get away from the man and live out your dream in LA. You think it will be easy and sure you have skills and are pretty good but from the small town you fled from LA is filled with talented skaters and BMX riders looking for their big break. I could not help but notice even the story intro is another homage to the Z-Boys. Once you get off the bus and into LA, things go wrong right away. Your gear is stolen and after getting beaten up, you’re told to get back on the bus and go home. A girl sees what happens and saves you and offers some advice: fit in, learn the turf and change your clothes and hair. Of course this not only helps the story but makes it easy for you to go into the shops and get familiar with the area. A small warning to keep in mind is that not every look will be available to you with the limited cash right away. You get a decent look that can be changed later. The girl whose name is Mindy acts as your guide like Tony did in the last Underground game.

The game’s story mode is good but it is a little short for a veteran of the game. At times instead of just showing you, or giving a simple explanation of a goal, the game tends to show you exactly how to do it. I can see why but long time players may feel like their hand is being held and it will take away some of the challenge for the die-hard fans of the series. Gamers will still need the skills to pull off the challenges and goals. It just seems easier this time around. It is set up as one big playground, but it does not react exactly as it may sound. This may seem like a minor detail, but if you want to move from one area to another, you need to pass through certain paths that will open up the next section. The no load times helps the game and in some ways hurts it by making the game seem shorter. It is great not to have to wait for a screen to load, but you will see load times when buying new gear, hair cuts and clothes.

American Wasteland is broken up into three different modes including story, classic and online. In story, besides trying to fit in, you will also try and earn sponsorships and money as you make a name for yourself. The ultimate goal is fame and fortune but I won’t spoil it for those who have not played the game yet. In the classic mode long time fans will see familiar levels and even a few that were found in the PSP version. They just touched them up a bit. It lacks some originality but really any gamer who plays this one knows what to expect from the classic mode, which in fact has the best levels of the whole series. They did a good job picking the levels for the classic mode and there are a few new levels.

If you expect you get to play the whole game as a BMX rider, forget that idea. You can play at times as a rider but this is thrown in at key times. It’s not meant as misleading just the way the overall game was made. The new tricks are well thought out and easier to learn but again you can tell Tony wanted to pay respects to the Z-Boys. Some of the tricks are certainly surfer type moves that were made into skateboarding moves and redefined the sport. If you’re worried the game is a walking commercial, don’t be. Only fans that have seen the movies or played every game in the series and know the history will even notice this.

Overall, both the story and classic modes look better and play better than any other in the past with the exception perhaps of the 4th game. People look realistic this time and less cartoon-like and the game has a general feel of being more realistic. For fans of the sport you will get a chance to skate as Alva and a few other greats in the classic mode. Of course there is outrageous humor and sight gags that are now well known in the series, but this one focuses less on the really outrageous and more on skating and having fun. Overall, this one is the best looking and well thought out game of the series but still a bit shorter. The shorter gameplay may be the design and the fact that it’s easier to start a run from a higher level making it easier to shred and rack up points faster than in the past games.

Control / Playability

There are no problems pulling off the tricks with the Xbox controller at all. Every year I have played a Hawk game I read somewhere that you really need to use a PS2 controller to get the most out of the game. That’s not only untrue, but if by now people need to learn how to use their controllers something is wrong with the player not the game. When the first version appeared on the Xbox, I wanted to be able to use the PS2 controller until I learned how to use the Xbox controller. The layout is simple and everything can be pulled off just as easy with the Xbox controller as with a dual shock one. If you have doubts, just go online and play one good trick match and you will see things that will blow your mind.

It does take practice and time especially if you are new to the series. Overall, the learning curve for the basic moves is 15 minutes tops. The more advanced moves will come with practice and just playing the game. Anyone should be able to pull most of the moves off with in 30-45 minutes and land them perfectly most of the time. The controls have not changes much and the on-screen helps will have first timers pulling off great tricks and combos in no time. The game’s camera has been improved and you never really need to worry about getting a bad view of the area.

Xbox Live

Finally Xbox owners get to play Tony Hawk online and it’s about time! The wait is worth it especially for those who think they are good and want to prove it. The modes offer a wide range of game types but the favorites seem to be best combo or trick mode where you simply get the most points before time runs out and win the game. You will see some odd looking characters. Again, I won’t spoil it but if you get far enough in the story mode, the things you buy can be used online. I think everyone knows what that means so, of course, you will see some strange skaters. The games play smooth and lag free and are easy to join in or set-up your own. The CTF style modes are unique and play more like a shooting game than a skating game and, of course, you can always smack someone with your board. I would be careful in a public game attempting this unless it was done to you first.

The lobby is just like most allowing for a quick game, Opti-Match or creating your own. I normally always like to play with just friends in most online games but with this one, it pays to join a few games and see what some others can pull off. I would have loved to see a trick cam or another way of seeing the most insane or biggest point trick or combos replayed back. The only way to see another skater would be to follow them around. It’s not hard to do but then you will not earn points this way. Perhaps, the 360 version will have a few surprises and I say might I have no proof or word from Activision that proves this just my own wishful thinking.

The online mode makes up for the shorter single-player story mode. All of the online modes play well and it pays to know every inch of the games. There are huge levels since the host can change areas without having to restart the room. Those who have all the areas down have an upper-hand but this is true with any game. It pays to play offline first then join in online. You can join online play for a little then simply return to the offline modes. Just remember to save the offline game first. This is easy since it asks you not once but twice so you almost need to save to get out of the menu screen. The different modes online really make up for the shorter offline game and are fun, but like any online mode, you may run into a room that you will not want to stay in. You are not punished for looking for another room. In most rooms I joined there was not a lot of smack talk. Actually, I found gamers giving tips and showing how to pull off the harder tricks which impressed me a great deal.

Graphics / Presentation

Graphically, the game looks great and the few bugs that are still around do not show up as often as in other versions of the series. People look real and seem to fit in more than just to trigger a new challenge. The whole LA scene looks realistic and less comical than in the past. There are still the gags and the comedy scenes but this one seems a bit more balanced overall. At times there will be a graphic clip where you may seem to go through an object that is not meant to pass through but this is rare. Each character looks good and really shows they tried to make the game look as well as it plays.

Audio

Every Tony Hawk game has had a mix of punk and rock music and this year punk bands are doing covers of other punk bands songs. For some, this may get on your nerves and thankfully there is a customized soundtrack feature. The songs on the main soundtrack are pretty good but just not my personal favorite. It was nice to switch back and forth. The music fits the theme of the game, but perhaps not as well as past THPS games. The voice-over actors do a good job and sound like they were into trying for a realistic sounding game. I am not sure people use the word noob as often as it is said here, but it’s nothing major. You will hear some cameos that are a nice surprise and really make the game more interesting to play and get into.

Replay Value

Beating the story mode on each level gives you different rewards so it pays off playing it again. The classic mode is a best of and really every year it has been this way. They may not have tried to cover it up as much this year. American Wasteland is a nice change for the series, but some will find the offline mode a little short compared to past games in the series. Throw in the online mode and all the different game types and it seems worth it to me. Fans have waited a long time for an online mode and now it’s here. The single-player mode offers some new things and some of the classic gags and humor fans have grown to like. Die-hard fans will get the most from this one but even those new to the series should enjoy the game. If you have XBL and do not take it online, you’re not going to get the total replay value out of the game this time around!

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.3/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

It was great to finally have an online mode and also some nice choices of modes added. It plays well and keeps the feel of the series while opening the door for some new stories which are needed. I did miss Bam, because I thought the two fit together well. It may be time for the developers and Tony to give the series a rest and come back with something totally new. Who knows, they just may have something that will really bring the series new life. This was a great start and most players will enjoy it.

Related Links

Filed under: Reviews

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!