After the failure of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, the famous series dedicated to Birdman has decided to be reborn starting from its origins. The remake of Vicarious Visions di Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (of which we have written an in-depth review) arrived last September in the most spectacular way possible. As well as any good skater who, after a fall, gets up to throw himself on the street with new tricks, the series with the remake debuts on next-gen thanks to this new update, which improves its technique and performance.
The next-gen update launches Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 in 4K at 60fps in dynamic resolution su Xbox Series X e PlayStation 5, While the performance mode will allow us to spin at 120fps (1440p on Series X and 1080p on PS5). The owners of Series Sinstead, they will be able to count on a solid picture of 1440p at 60fps. The improvements of this new incarnation of the title, fortunately, do not end there. So let's go into detail in our review.
The Half-Pipe has never looked so bright
The first improvement we notice in this next-gen version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is certainly recorded on a visual level. The lighting system has been revised, giving the surfaces of the slopes a decidedly more realistic look, especially between one evolution and another, thus making the outdoor sessions even more spectacular. Not only that, the improvements also concern the cosmetic implant, with one background cleaning of textures, which make skaters more alive and real than ever.
By giving up 4k and choosing 1080p of the performance mode, then, the graphic sector of the title benefits from one unprecedented fluidity, allowing us to move from one trick to another with a dynamism and realism that are a real pleasure for the eyes. Sure the dynamic resolution mode is more beautiful to look at, but in a title focused on precision and speed, we feel like advise you to opt for performance.
Pad in hand, the improvements are also evident from the gameplay side. First of all uploads got faster: it goes from 15-20 seconds of the previous version to 5 of this next-gen. In a title where trial and error is king, the speed of moving from one stage to another to unlock the different objectives has been drastically reduced. Controls are now smoother and more precise, and performing intricate stunts just got easier and responsive. On PlayStation 5 (console on which we tested the title), then, they were also implemented some functions of the DualSense: the vibration changes according to the contact of the board with the surfaces, while the adaptive triggers respond differently according to the trick we are performing.
A decidedly cumbersome update
If the improvements of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 are evident on the technical side and on the gameplay side, the ways to obtain this next-gen update have however made us turn up our noses. First of all, for the cost. In a historical moment in which almost all the titles that update on next-gen do so for free, the update for the title of Vicarious Vision is instead available only for a price of 9,99 euro, unless you own the Collector's Edition. Beyond the subjective choice, the problem is elsewhere: if on PlayStation the update of the Standard edition is possible both in case you have purchased the digital and physical version of the game, on Microsoft console the matter is more complicated, since it is no longer possible to upgrade if a physical edition is purchased.
But the complexity of moving to next-gen does not end here, and it also passes from transfer of bailouts. You must first run the game on PlayStation 4 (or in PlayStation 4 mode on PS5) after updating it to the latest patch which introduces the possibility of upload the save to Activision servers. At that point, and only at that point, install the next-gen update, or the whole game from scratch. Once launched, the save that synchronizes the two campaigns must be downloaded from the options menu. A slow, cumbersome and obsolete process.
Net of these complications, the update is important and the improvements evident. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 takes a leap in quality which goes to improve a title that was already splendid. The cleansing of the textures and the addition of better lighting give the settings a decidedly breathtaking impact (Venice Beach at sunset is definitely evocative), while the faster loading and the performance mode give the title a fluidity that will keep you glued to the screen until you have beaten all your records.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 arrives on next-gen in great shape, although the difficulty in transferring the saves and the cost of the update could be an initial barrier for some users, who should ask themselves, after reading our review, whether or not it is worth updating an already excellent title.
