The newest installment in the iconic “Tony Hawk” series comes to us in a combined form of the two classic video games “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” (1999) and “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2” (2000).
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 gives fans of the first two Tony Hawk games a major dose of nostalgia as every iconic level has been given a 4K remastering.
From the legendary gaps and rails of School II to the graffiti ridden concrete jungle that is Venice, every single detail from the first two groundbreaking games in the THPS series is brought to you with more fluidity and clarity than ever before.
For die hard fans of the series, THPS 1+2 will not taint the iconic status of the first two games. Rather, this installment merely touches up the visual aspects of those games while adding new features.
These new features include a brand new online multiplayer mode, that puts players in a contest to see who can gain the highest score, as well as new skaters and an updated soundtrack.
Classic controls, sound effects and special tricks are also present in this remaster making it feel and sound exactly the way fans remember.
The retro arcade-style format from the THPS series also makes its return with the familiar S.K.A.T.E letter and secret tape challenges sure to keep players glued to their screens for hours.
THPS 1+2 makes it feel as though nothing has changed while at the same time feeling fresh and rejuvenated.
This feeling is helped by the addition of the Unreal Engine which helps the gameplay act and feel as seamless as possible.
Glitches and stiff mechanics that caused the previous THPS series installment “Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5” to be a commercial failure and send the series into a five-year hiatus are no longer apparent.
THPS 1+2 immediately immerses players with beautifully restored graphics and a rebuilt soundtrack making sure to keep flaws to an absolute minimum and rarely ever straying away from what made the original two games great.
Older fans and newer fans will not experience a single dull moment playing this sophisticated remastering with touch-ups that no doubt add new life to a series that was in desperate need of a saving grace.
THPS 1+2 is in many ways the ultimate video game remaster by making sure to keep things familiar with classic controls, skaters, levels, songs and challenges and modern by adding fantastically updated graphics, new songs and fluid gameplay.
In case that doesn’t sell the game for you then the exclusion of microtransactions that have been the downfall of many games for over a decade surely will.
THPS 1+2 does not look to take your money just to unlock new clothing or skateboards, giving the game that extra throwback feeling to when games weren’t even able to do that.
There is not much more to say about this game except that it is one of the shining moments from a year that has not had many of those.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 has put the franchise back on the map and is undoubtedly one of the best video game releases of 2020.
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