Tony Hawk's Project 8

"Why'd they even bother?"

If Neversoft is gonna make it's name by making one of the most polished and fundemental game series ever, then why would even consider releasing such a piece of trash like Project 8?

I've been a fan since I bought the first game when it was released. I was really into skateboarding for a while but I've stopped now. Anyways, I know how skateboarding works, and what it's supposed to look like. The first one was great, second one amazing, still playable today, third one an improvement, and forth the best.

Then there was the demise of the series. When a storyline was introduced, that was the dagger to the series. I can cope with Underground, but Underground is the biggest sellout of a game I've ever played. This is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, not Pro Mechanical Bull Rider or Booger Flicker or whatever. No spinning wheel of fortune is ever involved with the skating community. Then Wasteland came around and I thought they would revive the series by making the SKATING GAME about SKATING again. but then came Project 8.

I was really looking foward to this game because of the improved graphics, and I heard something about the mapping of the pro's style into their characters.

Boy was I wrong. They MURDERED the series. First off, there's a LOCKED camera angle that is definitely different than the previous 7 games, why not only they would change the default angle but then LOCK it so you can't change it is beyond rationality. This is my biggest gripe because the game went from bearable to just a BAD GAME. They really screwed this one up.

The levels of the games do have improved graphics but still have grown worse and worse since Underground 1 with CLUTTER. If there's one thing anyone that's ever skated before hates about the past few games it's the levels. From levels that seemed like actual real environments where you c ould run up to obstacles and let you feel like you're pulling off real lines with fillers in between, to these absolute atrocities of OBSTACLE COURSES where you're no longer navigating a level, you're trying to dodge street lamps, planters, cars, portapoties, gardens, whatever. Less is more when it c omes to this. When the objects that are to be skated become more of obstacles, getting in your way so you feel like you're going through a gauntlet just to cross a street, there's issues.

Sound is fine, I don't really think there was a way in the world they could screw that up since they probably wouldve if it was possible.

Gameplay is a huge down grade. Starting and stopping has been revamped for the worse. By hitting the up button, you take off like a rocket into whatever wall you're around and go faster and faster. And getting Special nets you nothing but more Mach 30 speed. Personally myself and everyone I know prefers slowed down speed where you don't fly 100 feet past the object and being able to hit the object where you want. i.e, grinding a 20 stair all the way through, not kissing a bs noseblunt on the corner. In the 4th installment, you could use a Challenge Mode I think it was called, where you'd play with close to real physics (what a revalation), like closing faster to the ground when you ollie. Don't know why they didnt do that for EVERY GAME.

Overall, this game play much more like a bad imitator rather than the real thing.

DONT BUY IT, DONT RENT IT. And if you're devout fan like I've been, that's even more reason to cover your eyes when you see this game because it's an absolute disgrace, I put it down and l ocked it away 3 days after playing it. and I can say ill never play it again except on accident.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/07