Tony Hawk: Ride

It's A Small World

The board may be the obvious hook, but it’s just a toy without a game to support it. But since the new controller is inextricably linked, the gameplay focuses on the physical act of skating rather than following a cinematic plot. “There is a storyline to link all the locations, but it’s a physical game, you’re standing on the board…do you really want to go through an epic storyline?” asks Tsui. “I’m not going to stand here waiting for something to end.” Some levels are linear, point-A-to-point-B environments, such as the skate nautical-but-nice run through Central Park in NYC or down the Los Angeles river; en route, you’ll find shortcuts and alcoves worth milking for extra points. Other levels are built more like session spots, like Chicago’s Loop Plaza: work the skatepark-style course through speed runs, trick goals, and challenges. There’s also a dedicated halfpipe mode in the game just for vert tricks — obviously a priority to an aerial-trick pioneer like Tony. As you land tricks, you’ll build up a Style meter, which in turn lets you trigger Signature Moments — flashy, personalized tricks for big points.

If that all sounds a bit like the old Pro Skater days of constrained levels full of high-score goals and hidden tapes, it’s not accidental — but it’s not a save-as trick, either. “Our approach is kind of like fashion,” explains Tsui. “Right now, ’80s retro is kind of coming back, but there’s still a modern spin on it. I personally like a lot of the early Tony Hawk games, but I know if we ported that over and slapped a board on it, that wouldn’t cut it. So it’s a deconstructing. We looked at what was fun, and if those elements worked for the board, we kept them in there. And then we started adding gameplay.”

Interestingly, the game’s three difficulty levels govern navigation, not tricks. In Casual mode, it’s Ride on rails: you lean to steer a bit and trigger tricks, but you’re strongly guided so newbies won’t be overwhelmed. “In Confident mode,” says Tsui, “if you’re going toward a trick opportunity, the game will kind of lead you to it. If you’re drifting toward a wall, it will auto-correct a little bit. It’s almost like you have curb feelers out there, so you’re not constantly hitting things.” But Hardcore is what you’d expect: “The gloves are off and you’re on your own.”

One thing you won’t see much of: The Man. Whereas previous skate games have played heavily on pop-shoving it in the face of authority, Ride is more about, well, enjoying the ride. “In our opinion, that whole thing has been a bit played out — it’s almost stereotypical,” Tsui asserts. “We’re not going to have security guards chasing you down. Obviously, we’re not going for Sesame Street, but Ride is strictly about skating. It’s a pretty skate-friendly world we’re envisioning here.”

C'mon, Get Happy

Friendly is a good word for it, because there’s a very positive spirit surrounding Tony Hawk: Ride. Robomodo is utterly psyched to re-establish the franchise with a true innovation; Activision is no doubt thrilled to have one of its most successful brands back on retail shelves, and in a novel, family-friendly format. Armed with a prototype, Tony Hawk himself reportedly called his friends to “come over and see the future of gaming.” Sure, he might be a little biased, but Tony’s gaming credentials have never been in question, and he notoriously sweats the quality of his branded products. If the reinvented Tony Hawk: Ride makes him happy, we’re willing to get on board, too.

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