One of many nice surprises of the Change 2 launch was how nicely the {hardware} managed large video games not made by Nintendo. It’s one thing the corporate’s underpowered consoles have typically struggled with, however the Change 2 is an efficient place to play technical showpieces like Cyberpunk 2077 — although that initially debuted in 2020. Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3+4, which is launching concurrently on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and each variations of the Change, makes for an attention-grabbing check case of what’s potential on the Change 2 with a new sport. I’ve been taking part in it on each the PS5 and Change 2, and from what I’ve seen, the remake bodes nicely for the way forward for Nintendo’s latest console.
For the uninitiated, the most recent Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater is a sequel of types. In 2020, Activision launched a remaster of the unique two video games within the iconic sequence, sustaining the tone and construction but in addition modernizing the expertise with up to date graphics and controls, on-line options, and an expanded solid that includes the present technology of skateboarding stars. It did a outstanding job of holding one of the best components of the video games whereas additionally making them really feel present. THPS3+4 does the identical factor, however for the third and fourth entries within the sequence. There aren’t too many surprises if you happen to’ve performed the unique, although THPS4 has a extra inflexible construction in comparison with the open-ended nature of the unique model.
Efficiency is a crucial facet of any skateboarding sport. These titles are all about linking tips collectively in inventive methods, which might be laborious to do when the sport chugs or the body charge stutters. So the factor that struck me essentially the most with the Change 2 model is simply how easy it’s. It might sound boring, however one of the best half about it’s that it simply works. I haven’t skilled any technical points in handheld mode, and that’s true whether or not taking part in in a easy indoor stage or one thing extra elaborate, just like the light-up present that’s the Tokyo course from THPS3.
Plainly the builders at Iron Galaxy — who’ve taken over the sequence after the unique studio, Vicarious Visions, unceremoniously grew to become a Blizzard studio — prioritized substance over model, and it was the precise alternative. THPS3+4 appears advantageous on the Change 2, however the primary distinction you’ll discover on a platform just like the PS5 is how rather more detailed all the pieces is. The backdrops really feel extra energetic, although you may not discover it a lot as you’re rushing by means of ranges. The largest distinction is the characters. On the PS5, skaters like Tony Hawk and Aori Nishimura appear to be themselves; on the Change 2, they’re barely blurry approximations of their real-world counterparts.
The variations between platforms are largely beauty, although, which makes them a lot simpler to tolerate, even in a style the place model is an extremely vital a part of the expertise. I’ll be aware that the varied decks and garments you’ll be able to unlock nonetheless look fairly good on the Change 2, so it’s not such as you’re completely sacrificing the cool skater vibes. Extra importantly, THPS has at all times been a wonderful sequence to play on the go — the Recreation Boy Advance iterations of the franchise don’t have any proper being pretty much as good as they’re — and that is still true right here, the place the brief runs are completely fitted to moveable play.
That being mentioned, whereas THPS3+4 is an efficient showcase for the Change 2, it’s not precisely a “next-gen” sport. It’s a uncommon expertise that was constructed to span a number of generations of {hardware} from all the most important platform holders. So it’s not precisely an indication that Grand Theft Auto VI or different tentpole blockbusters will make their option to the Change 2. However the newest Tony Hawk sport at the very least reveals that the console gained’t at all times be left behind in relation to the most recent releases.