Most PlayStation fans have fond memories pulling off crazy tricks in the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Its publisher, Activision, not only sold millions of copies but also transformed the title into a franchise that spawned multiple sequels and spinoffs that capitalized on skating culture.
For whatever reason, the Tony Hawk series disappeared, but now it’s back with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, set to debut on the Xbox One and PS4 later this year.
Activision did not have much to say about the game, and we expect a huge blow out at this year’s E3 show in June, but it seems like this title has one virtual foot in the past. The developers at Robomodo and Disruptive Games went back and captured the features that made the original PS One hit entertaining, with high-flying tricks (along with the usual manuals and reverts) and imaginative environments.
Where Pro Skater 5 differs from its now ancient predecessor is with online play. Gamers will be able to drop in and drop out with their friends and others worldwide. They’ll team up to complete objectives, unlock stuff and level up their skaters to presumably transform them into shredding machines.
In addition, the game will come with an editor that’ll allow fans to create their own skateparks and then upload these levels for the Tony Hawk community to enjoy. There will also be power-ups and projectiles that’ll change the usual skating experience, but we don’t have further details.
The fact that Pro Skater 5 comes with a park editor suggests there will be an option to build a character from scratch, but for now, Activision confirmed that pro skaters Tony Hawk, Riley Hawk, Ishod Wair, Chris Cole, Nyjah Huston, Lizzie Armanto and Andrew Reynolds (among others) will appear.
What we don’t know is whether this will be a full retail release or a download only game. There’s no trailer yet, but images of Pro Skater 5 will give you an idea what to expect. No official release date, but we expect to see the game in the fall.
We’ll have more info on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 in the weeks ahead.
Published: May 7, 2015 03:10 pm