Are the Tony Hawk Remasters Testing the Waters?

We’re just a few days away from the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 remasters. Given the excitement around these games, it’s crucial that these are received well. After the mess that was THPS 5 and its lackluster release before Activision lost the license, I’m hoping for the best. In the best-case scenario, this release of the remasters could test the waters for a brand new game entirely.

It’s not uncommon for a game series to give its fans time to breathe after a bad release. I think the dust settled plenty ahead of these remastered games. The real question now is whether or not this leads to something else. The mobile game released last year was, well, a mobile game. These, however, are a full-fledged Tony Hawk experience from the good ol’ days. Some gamers might not recognize this style of experience because they played Underground or Project 8.

Those titles lent themselves to the open-world preference many gamers have today. It’d be wonderful to see that return to the next-gen consoles. Likewise Skate, EA’s skateboarding series, is making a return in the next-gen as well. We could be full well into the return of skating games and it’s a glorious thing to see. Ideally, this would mean that we’ll get a return to the arcade-style gameplay so many look back on fondly. That’s all in the hands of developers.

What I do know is that a fanbase exists for the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games. If this remaster goes well, then it could be a huge sign that a well-done original is a must. Give it a few years, work hard on it, and it’ll pay off. Rush it and fans will abandon the series like they have when things get rocky. It’ll be a big release in an otherwise quiet summer, so all eyes are on the remasters releasing this Friday.