I Can’t Believe They’re Removing This Mode From Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is set to ollie back onto our consoles this summer, but the latest previews highlight the removal of an iconic mode from the original games. The latest remake in the series of THPS3 and THPS4 launches on 11 July as a combined package, following on from the huge success of 2020’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. This week has seen the latest previews of the game released, with fresh footage captured, additional screenshots to pore over, and good and bad news alike.

The return of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is exciting news from any angle, as it was unclear for a while if the last set of remasters would receive a follow-up. While the initial announcement of THPS 3+4 generated plenty of hype, it’s also been saddled with concerns about whether THPS4 would keep its opening skating world or switch to the 2-minute runs seen in THPS 1,2 and 3.

Career Mode As We Know It Is Gone From THPS 4, Which Is A Real Shame

THPS4 Appears To Be 2 Minute Runs

The Career Mode of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is one of its defining elements, effectively bridging the gap between the early Pro Skater games and titles like Tony Hawk‘s Underground. The first three games in the series all followed the same formula, with 2 minutes to complete as many goals as possible on a level. THPS4 changed this, moving away from 2-minute runs and allowing players to explore each park and talk to NPCs to trigger goals.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 has suffered from mixed messaging on the subject, and in April, the official Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater X account raised hopes again with a tongue-in-cheek post asking “Who said there’s no career?”. Despite this tease, more recent previews and information have confirmed that Career Mode won’t be returning in the same form as the original THPS 4.

In an interview with GamingBible, THPS 3+4 director Kurt Tillmanns reiterated that the Career Mode appearing in the game won’t be the same as the one featured in the original THPS 4. While you can adjust the freshly-applied 2-minute timer to much longer increments if you want, the original mission structure isn’t returning. The Career Mode was one of the main things that made the game my personal favorite in the series, so its removal is a disappointment, to say the least.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Previews Praise Improvements & Upgrades

Visually and Gameplay Look Superb

That being said, a lot of the news coming out of the game’s previews — including Screen Rant‘s time with the game — is a lot more optimistic. Firstly, as expected, the visuals look great. The graphical approach is similar to that of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, but with a different developer behind the game, it still has a look of its own. The parks are all instantly recognizable, but they boast a number of new touches to modernize them, striking the ideal balance for a remaster.

Gameplay-wise, it appears very much the same, which is a great thing. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 absolutely nailed it, and that careful recreation appears to have carried over to the new title. The main new tricks that the original THPS 3 and 4 added were the game-changing reverts and spine transfers, but both of these were already added into the last remaster.

The only confirmed new level, Waterpark, is heavily featured in the new footage. While looking a bit more wacky than some of the levels, it could be a great fit for the series. The idea of skating in a water park hasn’t been used in the series before, and the opportunity to use the slides in combos is a good one.

One feature that has been confirmed with the new previews is online cross-play across all platforms. The game is available across old and latest generation consoles, meaning players can take on friends on whichever version they are playing. Multiplayer was a huge success in the 2020 remaster, and it can hopefully be bigger and better this time around.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Has Surprises Still To Come

The Return Of A Fan Favorite

Despite the disappointing news regarding THPS 4‘s Career Mode, there’s also been a more positive update for fans of the original games, as they were over 20 years ago. The initial batch of skaters revealed for the remaster notably excluded Bam Margera, who appeared in the first go-round. The Jackass star was one of the most recognizable faces of the era, but his well-documented struggles with issues like substance abuse may have pushed Activision to exclude him from the roster.

Thankfully, this week, thanks to the help of Tony Hawk himself, a promo video available on the official Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater YouTube channel confirmed Bam’s ultimate inclusion in the game. This is hopefully a sign of things to come, with further surprises expected before July. While most of the other skaters have now been confirmed, there is still room for plenty more, including possible secret skaters, which is what the series is known for.

One area that’s set for a change is the soundtrack, but that might not be all bad. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 nailed the soundtrack with a sampling of the old classics and some new tracks that fit in. The soundtrack for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is being released in blocks, with the third list of tracks also confirmed this week in a Spotify playlist shared on X by the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater account. It’s a mixture of some old tracks, some different tracks from older bands that featured on the original games, and some new ones from similar genres.

In most regards, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is shaping up to be a fantastic remaster this summer. With so much that seems to be done right, however, the lack of a proper Career Mode for THPS 4 is all the more frustrating, and it could hold the game back from being the definitive way to experience the arcade skating classic.

Sources: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater/X (1, 2), GamingBible, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater/YouTube