"Enjoy it this year. Enjoy it while it lasts."

For the past five years, like clockwork, you could expect to find the newest Tony Hawk game in stores by the middle of autumn. Ordinarily, five games in five years is a gradual slide into mediocrity for any series. Not Hawk. The now well-known duo of Activision and Neversoft have made sure of that by adding and improving in every way possible for each new game that came along in the series. THUG is no exception, but this time around it's a whole different story, literally. While most of the game is an improvement, albeit a slight one, over the fourth entry into the historic skateboarding dynasty, it just feels like the game is lacking the energy that made the previous games shine. The shoes to fill have become increasingly larger, but now it seems the feet may have finally stopped growing.

When the career mode was completely revamped into the free-roaming, dialogue-filled beast we know it as now, we saw the first signs of a story in the series. There wasn’t much to it. Actually, when I say story, I mean two sentences in the manual challenging you to take one of the game’s skaters and turn pro. Nevertheless, it was the tadpole that would quickly evolve into the full-blown drama it is today, complete with twists, turns, and one very irritating jerk you’ll want to choke before it’s all over. Your dream is to go from the ghetto streets of your hometown in New Jersey to being the best new pro in the world as you tour and compete from Tampa all the way to Moscow. The story is easy to follow and the cut-scenes flow quite smoothly from chapter to chapter as they highlight your struggle to reach the top. The voice acting isn’t the best, expectedly, but it successfully conveys the feeling of achievement and disappointment the creators were aiming for.

With the entire focus on the game shifted to the life of underground skating, unknowns, and wannabes, you’re naturally the star. You start from scratch and build from the head down with the improved Create-a-skater, but how improved it actually is I find questionable. Sure, the face-mapping ability is an excellent addition and easily improves the entire story mode experience, but what if you don’t have that Network Adapter? Well, you’re left with an above average, if not mediocre, way of bringing yourself into the game. With 5 different white guy faces to choose from, it sure was easy to find the one that resembled me. And why can’t I just choose a solid color instead of fiddling with sliders until I get something close enough? The clothing options are decent, and you do have a nice amount of accessory options, but I’m tired of hearing the CAS hyped so much when so little of it is changed from year to year. It works, but I know it could be so much better.

Now that the timer is long-gone, I honestly don’t think I could ever go back to it. The amount of freedom to just mess around with combos or explore the level will often have you wasting away in front of the television for hours at a time grinding and tricking before you even attempt one of the goals. It’s hypnotic in a way, but completely understandable when you start completing some of the goals and realize how lame most of them are. The single greatest goal the series has ever had, collect the COMBO letters, has been removed in favor of more ‘collect this’ and ‘do the tricks I yell out’ garbage. I’m so sick and tired of being asked to collect items that don’t require any sort of skating or skill at all. If I want that, I’ll switch to some Mario. Nailing the tricks people yell out is still very boring and incredibly easy. These types of goals are repeated so often during the game they feel like some type of filler the developers threw in just pump up the number of goals in the game. Speaking of which, there are only 129 now, which means we’re losing gameplay, the foundation of this series, in favor of what? A story? Definitely a disappointment.

The controls are what make the gameplay, so it’s no surprise THUG has one of best schemes ever. Grinds are assigned to triangle, flip tricks to square, and grab tricks to circle. That’s the gist of it and obviously it gets more complicated than that, but the basic formula is genius and should never be tampered with. It hasn’t failed us yet, and until it does there’s nothing to do but build on it. Continuing with that tradition, a couple of new moves have been added in an effort to expand the already infinite combo possibilities. The more important of these is the ability to get off your board to walk around and explore, and eventually have the chance to drive around the game’s levels. When I first heard about this feature, I had my doubts. The last thing this game needs is a lowered emphasis on skating, and after experiencing the new feature first-hand, I’m absolutely sure the driving part could have been left out. Not only do the bumper car physics make it feel as though you’re driving a Hot Wheels car, but every time you’re forced to get in the driver’s seat it feels completely pointless and is a total waste of time.

However, getting off the board is actually somewhat useful in that you can now climb ladders and reach spots you ordinarily would have a hard time getting to. It also gives you yet another way to lengthen your lines by jumping off the board mid-combo and changing direction or taking your combo to the rooftops. There’s a time limit on how long you can be off the board, so there isn’t much chance for anyone to abuse the system. In addition, you can now wallplant off of any wall or obstacle in your path and fly in the opposite direction to save your combo, and while it can be very useful in tight or cramped spaces, you probably won’t use it a whole lot (like the skitch).

The levels don’t appear to have grown too much since the last game, but they definitely have a different feel in the way they’re constructed. For one, almost every single level is built on the flow of traffic through a system of streets that form a square around the city. My only theory for this is an attempt to increase your opportunities to skitch. Whatever the case may be, the similarities in design tend to blend the levels together and lessen the variety found in the previous games. However, the changes in scenery and architecture are so drastic you will definitely notice the change of location. Also, it seems like the levels have been put together with a greater focus on nice, long combo lines. Every object has a purpose, and it’s easy to spot your options as you scan for ways to continue your combo.

One of the new features this year is the addition of different difficulty levels that adapt to your skill factor and make it easier on newbies. It’s a nice touch, but anyone even remotely familiar with the previous games will derive very little challenge from anything but Sick Mode. Fewer goals mean a decrease in playing time, so expect around two or three days for completion. For total completion, it will take quite a bit longer if you plan to go gap hunting. Gone are the cash icons of THPS4, but they’ve been replaced with secret tapes and hidden levels for you to seek out. Some of them are very well hidden, but if you want those sick bails videos you’ll find them. The rewards for your hard work are nice, and the secret characters easily top those of last year.

The more I think about it, the more the name change makes sense when you consider how invisible the pro skaters are in the game. You can only use them in free skate and for a brief period during the story, and you can’t even customize them like before. What’s up with that? Why pay the licensing fees and then not utilize them to their potential? Three new skaters were added this year, but you could probably play for days without noticing. Kareem, Elissa, Steve, and Rune are all missing videos, and it’s a real let-down when you realize it after working through the game.

A variety of different create-a-anything modes help make this the most customizable game to come along in a while. Don’t like the goals in the game? Me neither, so pick a level and create your own set of challenges with the create-a-goal mode. Tired of the same old special tricks? Combine up to six different flips, grabs, or spins to create your own with the create-a-trick option. Always wanted a great custom deck? I know I have. Now you can paste logos, letters, and 4 layers of designs to give you that added touch of personalization. The create-a-park returns with a few more options like the ability to completely customize any rail you make. This isn’t as useful as, say, a GOOD gap creator would have been, but any bit helps. Go nuts with it, then upload it for others to test out.

Everyone knows THUG just isn’t fun without a second controller and a buddy. Now that the online thing has taken off so quickly, you don’t even need that any more! Old favorites like H.o.r.s.e and King of the Hill return, along with a new game, Firefight. Think of as Mario Kart on skateboards with fireballs… Odd, right? It’s surprisingly fun, though, because nothing’s better than frying someone to death as they slide along a rail in front of you. Stats are kept and ranks are held, but don’t forget to bring your skill because some of the guys online will annihilate you then piss in your face.

The graphics remain largely unchanged from THPS4, but I did notice some improvements as far as textures go. Everything is very clear and detailed, from the streets and porches you skate on to the bottom of your board. Scratches are clearly visible now, so don’t get attached to that pretty logo on your deck because it probably won’t last too long. The trick animations flow seamlessly from flip to grab to grind, although the same can’t be said about the ups and downs of the framerate. It coughs and sputters often when completing goals, but is relatively smooth as you glide around the levels. Jaggies are at a minimum and the character models are smooth and well rounded. Pop-up is nearly non-existent as the clean graphics shine and impress.

This series has always been known for its excellent soundtrack, and this year that reputation stands. Don’t expect to find anything mainstream, though. The underground music fits right in with the game, and the number of tracks to choose from is constantly growing. The rap music blends in perfectly with the atmosphere and is very calming and soothing as you skate. If Imaginary places doesn’t stick in your head for days at a time, there must be something wrong with you. The punk, while not my favorite genre, is many times better than some of the garbage I hear today (Good Charlotte, anyone?). As mentioned earlier, the voice acting isn’t of the best quality, but with so many voices it’d be hard to get everything right. The sound effects are right on the money, though, with surface specific sounds as you grind and trick everywhere in the game. The boards have pop and the rails have clang.

Despite the story mode stumblings and apparent lack of effort in some areas, THUG will still be an excellent game when everything has been said. The gameplay is so fluid and solid it’d be hard to bring it down if you tried. The additions give it a healthy lifespan and the addictiveness threatens your social life every time you turn the game on. Creation and customization give you control over every aspect of the game, truly personalizing the experience. But behind the smooth, clean looks of the exterior lies a franchise that is dangerously close to exhausting its creative resources. They hit the mark yet again this year, but how much longer can they continue to polish and shine before it rusts? Maybe it’s time to give this hawk a much needed rest.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/25/03