Casually, for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, the choice of studio was crucial. There was no question of returning to Robomondo after the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 fiasco, and since Neversoft was absorbed by Infinity Ward in 2014, the original creators were no longer available. Activision therefore turned to Vicarious Visions, a studio known for the Skylanders series but whose expertise in porting (Destiny 2 on PC) and remake (Crash Bandicoot N. SaneTrilogy) is well established. From the first moments, we feel the respect vis-à-vis the original work. The game opens with the mythical theme of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater ("Superman" from Goldfinger), before displaying all the skaters with whom we did and redo the tricks - Tony Hawk, BuckyLasek, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska or even Steve Caballero.
The graphic overhaul is present: the skaters are more real than life, the textures have gained in consistency, not to mention the lighting which works wonders on certain skateparks (Venice Beach in particular).
But in order to stick to the current era, we note the arrival of younger athletes as well as a certain feminization of the roster, with the arrival of Lizzie Armanto, Leticia Bufoni and AoriNishimura alongside Elissa Steamer. Better, we now have the possibility of creating a character from scratch and storing up to four different characters, in order to be able to juggle the specialties. If you've never played a game in the series, know that the riders all have a specialty, whether it's ramp (aerial tricks), flat (manuals, grinds and other heelflips) or park (a subtle mix of the two). Our avatar can of course be improved with the essential skill points (to go faster, ollie higher, perform flips more quickly), not to mention the cosmetic aspect. To do this, we will have to go to the shop where clothes, decks, trucks and other wheels are piled up, and spend our cash earned through the challenges of the game.
A GAME THAT DIDN'T TAKE THE MELON
On the content side, we find the traditional “Exploration” modes with their different objectives, such as recovering the SKATE letters, the hidden VHS, or the famous signature figures. On this point, everything is faithful to the old games, and if you remember the secrets and hidden areas of certain parks, you will find them here identically. The first thing that jumps out at you when you fire up Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is of course all the graphical improvements. If it is not the most beautiful game of the year either, the result is quite impressive, especially when compared to the rendering of the original episodes. The lighting has been particularly neat, and the skateparks that we walk through with a sunset (Venice Beach, for example) are simply sublime. The modeling of skaters is not to be outdone, their facies now corresponding to their more advanced age. Gear lovers will also be able to enjoy the nice decorations for the different decks and wheels in the catalog of many brands such as Split, Flip, Element, Birdhouse or Powell Peralta.
When it comes to gameplay, know that the game is incredibly similar to what you could feel on Nintendo 64 or PlayStation. The tricks are still as easy to perform, and we can now take advantage of the mechanics of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in the first opus, which allows you to chain crazy combos by taking advantage of manuals and reverts. Do not panic for purists: it will always be possible to return to the original gameplay by going for a walk in the options, just as we can activate the cheats including the perfect grind, the perfect handplant, the eternal special, or downright absence. falls to pass all the tricks. Moreover, if the official skaters have a defined set of tricks, we are totally free to modify it. As for the avatars created, they have no limit: you can make them into real chameleons capable of passing 900s and McTwists on ramps, while chaining darkslides on the rails.
It's true that we would have liked the multiplayer to include a few more new features, but we guarantee that most players should find their account, thirty or not.
If ever the twenty skateparks available are not enough for you, there is the excellent editor of parks which allows the most creative to have fun, before sharing them online and possibly downloading them. The other advantage of online is obviously multiplayer. There, we are entitled to all the classic modes, including the “Graffiti”, the “Combo Mambo”, the “Tag”, or the “Trick Attack”. Nevertheless, we feel that the online game has been integrated in a hasty way, because it is impossible to choose precisely its mode of play. In fact, we must limit ourselves to opting for the "Jam" or "Competitive" modes, the first mixing all players on all modes, while the second classifies skaters according to their experience. Another small disappointment: the "HORSE" mode which remains limited to local multiplayer for the moment. Because yes, there is always a way to share the sofa with a friend to play split, whatever the machine. The most amazing thing is that the online games follow each other quickly, without downtime, and without the slightest lag.
THE BODY OF CHRIST AIR
However, the dressing of the events remains minimalist, we can just take a look at the score of the competitors. We would have loved to be able to benefit from a replay with the best combo of the game, for example. Of course, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 retains those punk rock sounds with classic tracks from Dead Kennedys, Rage Against The Machine, Suicidal Tendencies or Goldfinger. That's not all, because we are entitled to 37 new music, including a song by Machine Gun Kelly, since the latter abandoned rap for rock. What to reproach this compilation finally? Well, not much to be honest, other than a hell of a lot of laziness. We're dealing with a well-done remaster here, but one would have hoped that Activision would do a real remake, as was indicated in the title of the game at one time.
