Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Video Game Review

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a good game, but it's been getting bashed left and right in reviews. The reason? Well, it's more of the same. There are a few things to spice it up, but 9 straight years of 9 Tony Hawk games is just ... well, a lot! But to be fair, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a GOOD game. If you like Tony Hawk games, you'll probably love it. It adds a few new things here and there, and a couple of them are seriously very cool, but mostly Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is simply the next installment of the Tony Hawk series, and is a good game.

Tony Hawk games have gone through a lot of different phases, and taken on a lot of forms. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground takes you through the story of a brand new skater, making his name. You can design your own skater, progress your own story as an aggressive street skater, as a creative skater who likes to engineer his own obstacles, and as a professional skater entering competitions. You can also take your skater online to play, and use the skills you've developed.

The new features to the Tony Hawk series include the Aggro Kick - you can actually pump yourself along on your board, like a real skater. It's a small addition that actually makes a huge difference, and it adds a lot of fun.

You can also video tape your tricks, edit your recordings and upload them so that the world can see what you can do, both with your skating skill and video editing skill. It's a great idea, but limited to the Xbox 360.

The character development aspect of the game is interesting - you have three different paths to follow, and can bounce between them as much as you want. The drawback is that the storyline is very much focused on giving you those skills, and doesn't really develop into the feeling of a larger narrative. You end up skating from challenge to challenge, and the fact that you are skating around the city is more or less lost on the experience. I mean, sure, you can go follow one of the other two storylines if you want, but that means that at any given time, you simply have to pick between three challenges. There are other minor challenges you can try around town - just places marked with colors and symbols. They add a lot of fun, but they don't add to your story. The story isn't very compelling, so mostly, it's up to you to find your own motivation.

I have to say though, this is a HUGE improvement on the last few Tony Hawk games - the ones that were all focused on Bam Margera, and what some people call the "extreme" side of skateboarding. I got really sick of that. Really, really sick of it. I just wanted to skate! Strangely though, those games had a story that pulled you in more ...

To be honest, it's hard to slight the Tony Hawk games. Years ago, the designers got the formula right. The core of the Tony Hawk games is just plain fun, and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is no exception - in fact, it's the next big deal! You get to skate around in the same way as the last several games, with just a little bit more.

One of those extras is the way that the pro or famous (they aren't all "pro", not at all) skaters you interact with are introduced in the game. You get to see little video clips of the skater, and then they teach you to do something. If you love skateboarding, you'll appreciate the way they work, and if you are a new skater you'll learn something about some famous faces in skateboarding.

Personally, I really liked Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, but I can't see myself spending too much time with it in the future. There's just not enough to pull me along, and I really feel like I've played it before. Plus, there are a couple of other little things that bug me:

First off, the graphics. They look beautiful. But the people look creepy. Tony Hawk is kind of scary looking. I think it's an Uncanny Valley sort of thing, where he looks CLOSE to a real person, but something is just not right. Whatever the reason, it's creepy to watch.

Secondly, once again there is no 4 player multiplayer on one device. I've complained about this on the last several Tony Hawk games - if you have friends (as in, more than ONE), and want to play SKATE, you have to play Tony Hawk 2. That's sad. Interestingly, EA Skate has 4 player on the same machine, so it CAN be done!

I know other reviewers have other thoughts - you can read the About Xbox review for another perspective. But those are my personal frustrations.

But all this aside, I still think that Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a lot of fun! It's just hard not to compare to past games, and hard to not wish for this or that that aren't there. The truth is, this is the best Tony Hawk game yet, and if you've liked them before, you'll like this one!

So, if you have been a long time lover of the Tony Hawk games, or if you are looking for a great skateboarding video game, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a great idea. For more info on the stats and mechanics of the game, read Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Key Features.