Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

"One of the best Tony Hawk games out there"

When compared to the 360's launch lineup, this is definitely one of the best so far. Its graphics may not be as next-gen as some of the other launches, but its a still a great game.

Story: The story in THAW is easily, one of the best stories Neversoft has created in the Tony Hawk series. It's interesting and even has some plot twists. The story sometimes seems too basic, and easy because you have to "learn" all of your moves. It is a bit frustrating that the game advertises all of these new moves and you cant even use them until you unlock them. Besides that, its a good story.

Graphics: Now, the graphics aren't stunningly beautiful, but they are quite nice. Each character is detailed and looks surprisingly realistic. However, it almost seems that the xbox and ps2 graphics are as good as these, but if you look closely, the textures and shading are better than them.

Gameplay: The gameplay in THAW is so far, the best skateboarding game ive ever played. The controls are tight and they are very responsive. This is especially noticable when performing a bert slide. It turns well doesn't screw up a combo. My only complaint is when riding the bike. It's not as fun as I thought it would be. The controls are much harder than the skateboards and its hard to transition from bike to the skateboard and back. The best part of THAW is definately the fact that you can skate all over L.A.. It may seem that your in one city the whole time and it may get repetitive, but each area is different with different layouts which keeps the gameplay fresh. Classic mode is also fun traveling around from city to city collecting S-K-A-T-E and trying to get that Sick Score.

Multiplayer: The multiplayer in this game is just as fun as the other modes and provides a nice change of pace from story mode. The matches are fun and competitive. Seeing who can get the most points is the game of choice for most players on LIVE, but the other games, including the classic graffiti and fire fight, are just as fun.

Overall, this is one awesome game. You should definately buy and not rent.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/20/05