Great Over-The-Top Fun
The Tony Hawk series keeps on adding new features every year that totally change the way the game is played. THPS2 brought in the manual to link your moves, then THPS3 added the Revert, using both these moves, you could do endless combos getting huge points. THPS4 holds to that tradition.
While the only extra move in THPS4 is the Spine Transfer, which is relatively useful, but not revolutionary, the whole Tony Hawk series gets revamped in this one.
in the previous games, you started with a 2:00 timer, and you would attempt to beat as many goals as possible, then repeat when the timer ran out. This system worked, but wasn't very flexible. In this one, you can now free skate as long as you want, then ride up to a character/skater and they'll give you a goal with it's own timer, and you just go around doing goals. This works much more efficiently.
Along with the new way of playing, they started going in the direction of mini-game-ish goals, such as playing tennis with your skateboard as a racket, or racing down a hill in a cart. These have their ups and downs, but they're still fun.
-GAMEPLAY-
9/10
Same Tony Hawk as always, crazy over-the-top skating. If you're looking for a realistic skate simulator, you're in the wrong place. EA's Skate will be more for you, but if you want crazy high-flying action, Tony Hawk is the best way to go.
-GRAPHICS-
7/10
this is the weak point. Sure, back when this came out, they were decent, but now, they just look terrible. All the character models look really blocky, and their faces are totally flat. The Skaters aren't bad, but the NPCs are a pain on the eyes.
-SOUND-
8/10
Every time you start a goal, the NPC gives you info and instructions, and even though some of the skaters are really bad at it, this is the best voice acting in the Tony Hawk series. It gets absolutely terrible in the later ones. The sound effects are great. The board/grind sounds are crisp and clear sounding, and the DJ sounds for completing goals, doing specials, etc. are great sounding. The sound track isn't the best, it has some songs that you're gonna want to get rid of ASAP, just a total pain. But the ones that are good make up for it, they really fit in with the game.
-VALUE-
10/10
With a price tag of $5.99 at Gamestop, this is definitely something to pick up. You'll get something around 50 hours of gameplay for $6! Just a little more than a dollar ever 10 hours.
-TILT-
9/10
Depending on your attention span, you'll get 25-75 hours of gameplay. Then after that, there are 5 more Tony Hawk games, which are great, too. If you really like the series, you'll be playing the series for years.
OVERALL - 8.5
If you love skateboarding, or are just looking for a nice game, this is definitely a must-buy.