Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

"Without a doubt the pinnacle of this great franchise."

In this day and age, when we have games such as Tony Hawk's American Sk8land and T.H.U.G. and all the rest, sometimes we have to step back into the past and take a look at the game where a franchise really shined and how it came to be what it is today. THPS3 is, without a doubt, that game.

Graphics:
Where I would usually go on about all the effects and textures a game has to offer, for THPS3 I'll just lay down the facts. They're bland, and can sometimes really bring the game down. Water looks like paint with milk mixed in. Buildings look nigh-on identical. You can play ‘Count the Polygons' with the cars. It's not all bad, though. Some of the skater animations can be impressive, and skating around a cruise ship with at least a dozen NPCs on screen there can quite often be no noticeable slowdown. This brings me to my next point, the levels. Full of imagination, well-designed, a pleasure to skate in. Who can forget the first time they pull a Boneless on top of a building in LA? Absolute magic. If only more time was put into the textures...
6/10

Sound:
THPS3's sound really has to be praised. Each time you hear the little sound effect that you've found a level's secret tape or completed all the goals, it warms your heart. Pulling of a successful grind, manual, revert etc. sounds very realistic. The voice acting is top-notch, too. Well, as good as it can get for a skateboarding game. One of the game's biggest delights, however, is the soundtrack. It contains songs to cater for every man's taste now, as there are hip-hop, rap, metal, techno, punk tunes on display. RHCP, Motorhead, the list goes on. Truly memorable stuff.
9/10

Gameplay:
I won't delve into this too much, as I'm sure most people have been able to sample at least one of the games in this series before. You, either a custom or pro-skater, must use your skateboarding tricks and skills to complete goals in various locations across the world and compete in skating competitions to win medals. What makes this different from previous games of the series is that there are many, many more tricks on display, more characters (Darth Maul owns) and a downright legendary Create-a-park mode. So many hours can be spent tweaking your park, testing out your custom goals and gaps. The goals are very memorable, too. ‘Impress the Neversoft Girls'! ‘Stop the car chase'! ‘Catch the pickpockets!' Extremely over the top, this is what gives the game its charm. Finally, there's a multiplayer mode. I'd imagine its good, but I haven't had the chance to sample it yet. If it's anything like single player, you'll be hooked for weeks.
10/10

Final Verdict:
Without a doubt the pinnacle of this stunning franchise. If just a bit more effort was put into the graphics, this would have got a perfect 10. Any gamer with a sense of fun should play it immediately if they haven't.

Overall:
10/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/10/06