Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Hands-On: A Fast-Paced Remix That Mostly Lands the Trick
The return of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 isn’t just a nostalgia play-it’s a calculated remix of two beloved classics built for a new generation. Merging the iconic gameplay of THPS3 and THPS4 into one seamless $49.99 package, Activision and Iron Galaxy Games bring a modern shine to a pair of skateboarding gems while throwing in some unexpected curveballs.
While fans of the classic career mode from THPS4 might be disappointed to find it missing, the focus here is clear: shred hard, combo harder. Instead of quest-giving characters and story progression, players are dropped into parks with the freedom to push for high scores across customizable two-minute, three-minute, or even endless runs. With new difficulty modifiers and assist features, both returning fans and newcomers have room to perfect their lines-or just cruise for fun.
Some of the biggest changes lie in gameplay mechanics. THPS4’s features like grind extensions, skitching, and leveling out are now fully integrated into THPS3’s maps. Classic parks like Airport and Foundry have been reimagined to accommodate the more dynamic moveset, making them feel fresh yet familiar. Yes, you can still bomb through Airport’s escalators or finally conquer the snake run in Kona with modern tricks.
One standout is the expanded Create-a-Park system, now with custom goal creation, and a Photo Mode for flexing your best mid-air moments. Though we didn’t get to try all of these during the hands-on demo, the promise of deeper player expression is clear.
The soundtrack-one of the pillars of Tony Hawk’s legacy-is back, but with a caveat. A new Streamer Mode swaps out licensed classics like Bodyjar and CKY with royalty-free beats. They get the job done, but the energy just isn’t quite the same. Still, the option makes it easier for content creators to share their clips without legal hiccups.
Character-wise, it’s a true mix of eras. While returning legends like Tony Hawk and a slightly different-looking Bam Margera are present, rising stars like Rayssa Leal make their digital debut. Guest characters spice things up even more, including the Doom Slayer for Digital Deluxe owners and Michelangelo from TMNT-complete with his new “Shell Spin” move that’s surprisingly useful for chaining combos.
During our session, one of Iron Galaxy’s in-house pros showed off the new mechanics with a Create-a-Skater maxed out in stats, effortlessly stringing together absurd combos across Airport. The new engine-running on Unreal-looked smooth, but with some strange physics quirks. Players might notice janky object collisions or superhuman grind-jumps. It’s not quite 1:1 with the originals, but once you get used to the engine’s peculiarities, it feels like an evolution rather than a downgrade.
While Vicarious Visions-now part of Blizzard-aren’t leading this project, Iron Galaxy brings experience from porting THPS1+2 to PC. Their work here feels like a love letter with a few graffiti tags thrown in for flavor. The game launches on July 11, but those who pre-order or have select Xbox Game Pass tiers can get early access to a demo featuring the Foundry and College parks, plus the Doom Slayer if you’ve grabbed the Digital Deluxe edition.
THPS 3+4 isn’t perfect, but it’s fast, fun, and full of flair. It might not replace your memories of the originals, but it just might help you make some new ones.