Support NeoGAF

[impirius]

I picked up my copy for PS2 today, and after a couple of hours of play, I'm not really feeling it. There's certainly a lot here to discover and unlock, but the game itself just doesn't feel as tight as some of the earlier entries in the THPS series. Maybe it's me, maybe it's the controller, but traversing the levels and doing tricks doesn't feel as controlled as it did in, say, THPS2. Classic mode is a welcome addition that works fairly well, but it's obvious that the stages were made for free exploration, not two-minute runs.

There are a few camera and tearing issues, as well. I'm not sure if these are specific to the PS2 version or not.

This game seems like it has a lot of great stuff to offer; I'm just having difficulty getting into it on a basic level.

 

[worldrunover]

Every THUG needs a lady.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

I'm not gonna bother. Actually, I barely played my copy of THUG 1.

 

[Ronin]

I heard they got rid of most of the pros. What the fuck!? Muska better be in there.

 

[vibribbon]

I have been playing for the last few evenings, and I am really enjoying it. Most of the rough spots from THUG1 (caveman combos, climbing and jumping) have been improved quite a bit. Some of the levels are outstanding. Skatopia is one of the best THPS levels since Alcatraz in THPS4. There are a lot of imaginative additions to the levels as well (the exploding garbage pile launcher w/ flaming skateboard comes to mind right away).

That said, the story mode is fairly useless and the Classic mode gets really hard. I've hit a difficulty spike in Berlin that has shut me down for two days.

It's clearly an incremental improvement. Fans will probably like it, haters will still hate it. It's a huge amount of product for the money, and I am looking forward to unlocking the classic levels.

 

[M3wThr33]

Chad Muska is still in it. I selected him as my buddy skater.

 

[Coen]

But... but... but... GameInformer gave it a 9.75! How can this not be earthshattering good?

I haven't played a Tony Hawk game since Pro Skater 3, favorite still being part 2. THUG and it's free roaming aspect doesn't appeal to me in the slightest way. I even really enjoyed the simple bowl levels in Tony 1 and 2 over the more complex street-type levels with all kinds of useless interactive stuff.

 

[B'z-chan]

THing i'm most pissed off about is the fact that ladders seem not to work for me =? but other than that its enjoyable so far. It doesnt feel like a TH game its more of a crazy button mash.

 

[isamu]

I hear the darkslyde glitch has been fixed...is this trew?

 

[WarPig]

To use ladders, you have to hit R1. At least on PS2. It's not very clearly explained.

THUG 2 is a whole fucking lot of Tony Hawk. More than I could ever master. Watching Neversoft's testers play the game is a humbling experience, no lie.

Pros: Muska, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen (my fave), Mike Vallely, Hawk, Bam, and Bob Burnquist until the second level of the story mode. Natas Kaufas also gets a cameo appearance. I think that's all, but I'm probably forgetting some.

DFS.

 

[b00duh]

is anyone else going NUTS with the fact that you have to use that crap "view goals" thing to locate what you are meant to do. This is as opposed to using the "view goals" and being able to simply click on the goal and do it, they've made it such a chore this time around.

there is also an abundance of "key finding" missions (really annoying)

plus, I'm not really feeling the Bam overdose

 

[demi]

The story mode sucks. THUG1's was way better!

Classic Mode is where it's all at.

Pros: Muska, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen (my fave), Mike Vallely, Hawk, Bam, and Bob Burnquist until the second level of the story mode. Natas Kaufas also gets a cameo appearance. I think that's all, but I'm probably forgetting some.

Ryan Sheckler makes an appearance on the final level.

Oh, and Eric Sparrow! *teehee*

 

[Mejilan]

I picked it up for the GCN and GBA. Considering I played THUG1 twice, I probably won't even unwrap it anytime soon!

 

[Chony]

I only buy one Tony Hawk per Generation (Tony Hawk 1 and 3 is all I own)

 

[Matlock]

I picked it up for the GCN and GBA. Considering I played THUG1 twice, I probably won't even unwrap it anytime soon!

Give me some of your money, since you're obviously swimming in it.

 

[wipeout364]

After Tony hawk 1,2,3,4,2X, matt Hoffman, that surfing game and wakeboarding Activision literally has burned me out on this genre.

THUG was the first tony hawk game I didn't buy on release, I actually picked it up several months later for 15 dollars, played a couple of hours and never went back. I am sad to say I think this genre is done for me at least for a few years.

 

[Mejilan]

I actually liked THUG GBA more than THUG Console. I wonder if THUG2 will change that.

 

[TekunoRobby]

I played THPS1, THPS2 religiously, and THPS3 but I skipped all the others. Would this game be a fantastic welcoming experience for me? I was kinda in the mood for some skating action and the commercials make the career mode seem pretty fleshed out with some zany action.

 

[snapty00]

I picked it up for the GCN and GBA. Considering I played THUG1 twice, I probably won't even unwrap it anytime soon!

Why? I wouldn't do something stupid like that even if I had the money.

 

[Mejilan]

Cuz I have all the rest.

 

[snapty00]

Cuz I have all the rest.

Okay...

 

[isamu]

I just bought the game, but haven't unwrapped it yet. Impressions l8tr.

 

[isamu]

MoistforJews69...Delta was right....you are on fucking drugs! I just played a couple of hours of THUG 2 just on the first Barcelona level ALONE!. This game reminds me of why I love THPS so much. I haven't even seen or played the other levels but just screwing around in classic mode getting the "skate" letters and finding new stats, etc is just too much fun.

There are a few things with the way classic mode is presented that they took straight out of part 3...which is a good thing....like the goal cameras and even the little sound effects that goes off when you get a goal. Infact the whole classic mode format is almost identical to 3.

The barcelona stage has so many fucking good lines and hidden areas I'm in awe of some of the various places you can skate. Very well done level design. Control is fantastic and I had no problem jumping right and busting special grinds and airs with ease.

Last but not least, the soundtrack...good god....best Tony Hawk soundtrack...BY FAAAR! What? You disagree? How about:

# Frank Sinatra - "That's Life"
# The Doors - "Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
# Johnny Cash - "Ring of Fire"
# Ramones - "Rock 'N Roll High School"
# Sugarhill Gang - "Rappers Delight"
# Metallica - "Whiplash"
# Red Hot Chili Peppers - "The Power of Equality"
# The Stooges - "1970"
# X - "Los Angeles"
# Violent Femmes - "Add It Up"
# The D.O.C. - "Whirlwind Pyramid"
# Jimmy Eat World - "Pain"
# Rancid - "Fall Back Down"
# The Explosion - "Here I Am"
# Melvins - "Sweet Willy Rollbar"
# Distillers - "Beat Your Heart Out"
# Less Than Jake - "That's Why They Call It a Union"
# Faith No More - "Midlife Crisis"
# Ween - "It's Gonna Be a Long Night"
# Joy Division - "Warsaw"
# Dead Boys - "Sonic Reducer"
# Brand Nubian - "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down"
# Cut Chemist - "Drums of Fire"
# The Germs - "Lexicon Devil"
# Disturbed - "Liberate"
# The Living End - "End of the World"
# Fear - "I Love Livin In The City"
# Audio Two - "Top Billin"
# Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth - "Soul Brother #1"
# Das Oath - "Awesome R***"
# Libretto - "Volume"
# Handsome Boy Modeling School - "Holy Calamity"
# Zeke - "Long Train Running"
# Lamb of God - "Black Label"
# 3 Inches of Blood - "Deadly Sinners"
# The Hiss - "Back on the Radio"
# 25 Ta Life - "Over the Years"
# Nebula - "So It Goes"
# Aesop Rock - "No Jumper Cables"
# Living Legends - "Night Prowler"
# Atmosphere - "Trying to Find a Balance"
# Suicide Machines - "High Anxiety"
# The Casualties - "Unknown Soldier"
# Diverse - "Certified"
# Ultramagnetic MC's - "Ego Trippin"
# Camaros - "Cheesecake"
# Steele Pulse - "Born Fe Rebel"
# Ministry - "No W"
# Grand Puba - "I Like It"
# Operatic - "Interested in Madness"
# Mike V & the Rats - "Never Give Up"
# Dead End Road - "Sin City"
# Melbeatz feat. Kool Savas - "Grind On"

I mean fucking put Audio Two "Top Billin" in there for crying out loud!!! Incredible shit! This is the first soundtrack in a Tony Hawk game where there is only one or two songs that I DON'T like or recognize! The rest of them are classics!

Anyway if you're on the fence and enjoyed any of the previous THPS games, pick this up ASAP!

My co-worker is going to run out and grab this up, as he does every Tony Hawk game.

[snapback]312509[/snapback]​

Funny you bring up your co-worker buying every Tony Hawk game. It's safe to say I'm just like him. There are some game franchises that people will buy every year no matter how many lame reviews it gets, no matter how little hype it gets, and no matter what additions/changes are made/not made to the franchise...I'm one of them. And my (Madden-ish)franchise is THPS. I'll continue to buy the game every year no matter what they do to it. Why? Because I've grown to accept and love the gameplay so much that just putting new levels in a game would be worth a full purchase each year. Bring on THUG 3.

 

[LakeEarth]

Cuz I have all the rest.

Why don't you just wait for the price to go down then?