After over four years, we finally have confirmation of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 remake I’ve been dying for since the incredible Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake released in 2020 - but they could be coming with a major change.
While Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and its sequel followed the same format (albeit with extra goals being added for the original maps in the remake), Pro Skater 3 and 4 were very different games. While the former followed the original two-minute run to complete as many goals as possible formula, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 ditched it for a free-roaming structure that allowed you to take on specific missions one by one by talking with NPCs.
Upon the announcement of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, players noticed an interesting line in the blog post released alongside the announcement of the remake. “The parks from THPS3 and THPS4 have been authentically remade in jaw-dropping 4K resolution with streamlined goals in a two-minute format.”
While that makes total sense for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, which followed that format, it seems to imply that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 has been reworked to follow the classic formula as opposed to its original free-roaming style despite claiming to be "authentically remade".
This wouldn’t be the first time the series has adapted free-roaming to the original format, as later games in the series like Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 and American Wasteland featured a ‘Classic Mode’ option that did just that.
Personally, I really wanted a classic mode option for Pro Skater 4 for this remake, as I much prefer it, but I’m not sure it’s worth having at the expense of the original formula. Of course, this panic could be all for nothing, as Activision hasn't confirmed the specifics just yet.
One thing that is returning from the original games is the appearance of the Doom Slayer, who is available in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Digital Deluxe edition
