Despite their shortcomings the Tony Hawk games have always meant quality. So how about Tony Hawk’s Underground 2: World Destruction Tour (THUG 2) (phew that’s long) is it a revolution, an evolution or just a yearly update?
Don’t be confused about the title, THUG 2 is actually the sixth title in the series and yet again the game has been refined. The pressure is consistently on Neversoft to “reinvent” the series. All the moves have been perfected and the physics of the game are spot-on. THUG 2 is the best skating simulation you can play on any console, but it also feels very repetitive, even from the outset.
Looking familiar?
So what is new this time to warrant the 2 on the end of the title? Well, the story mode has been reworked and this time the underground competition pits Tony’s team against Bam Margera (and yes Phil does appear) in a skating challenge that leaves a worldwide wake of chaos. The back of the THUG 2 claims there are actually “2 games in 1” and this is true, to an extent. Classic Mode is a welcome addition to the game and brings back the 2 minute time limits and SKATE challenges.
Online play returns for Playstation 2 owners and contains ranks and multiplayer modes such as Elimiskate. The online options are much more diverse this year and have been honed well to include online exclusive modes. Players can also upload content such as Parks, Tricks, Skaters, Goals and Created graphics which should extend the lifespan significantly for those with a network adaptor. The freak out mode is also a new addition to the game. When you bail a meter comes up showing your level of frustration, press fast enough and your character will crack a trantrum. This is a novel addition which wears off after a couple of tantrums.
As THUG 2 takes players around the world they have the opportunity to “tag” the area they are skating in. This adds a little individuality to the game, but once again is based on novelty. Last year player’s could use a bonus included digital camera to map their own face in the game. Eyetoy support has been added and players can include a photo of themselves and place it in the game, this is a great little addition and it’s great to see other developer’s taking advantage of the capabilities of the Eyetoy.
Tagging the wall: One of the new features of the game
As mentioned above the main mode of THUG 2 is the story mode. Players are transported across the world as they try and create as much havoc as possible. The story mode last approximately eight hours, it contains three difficulty levels including one which is for the Tony Hawk masters. The game is a little harder than THUG as well and does feature more diverse challenges.
The classic mode is exactly how it is described. Two minutes to complete goals to cross off your checklist. Classic mode isn’t anything new, nor is it trying to be but it does well to extend the lifespan of the game.
The gameplay and playability in THUG 2 is fantastic. We aren’t surprised as Neversoft have had ample opportunity to perfect their franchise. The controls are especially good on the Playstation 2, however to be honest if there were still problems with the game play mechanics we’d be very disappointed and surprised.
We estimate that to get through the entire game will take about twelve to fifteen hours. The classic mode shouldn’t take to long if you’ve already completed the story mode though. There are literally hundreds of customization options which also add to the replayability of the game. Players can create custom parks, custom skaters, custom goals and custom graphics. The diehard Tony Hawk fans will find plenty to do in this game.
One of the hundreds of customisation options
The graphics in THUG 2 haven’t received much of an update from when we saw its predecessor last year. Character models look decent, if not a little clunky and environments look detailed but very similar to last year’s effort. The Tony Hawk series has defined it’s own unique “look” which has been retained and improved upon.
Tony Hawk provides the main speech throughout the game along with Bam Margera, both of these voices are definitely the men themselves and they get a decent amount of dialogue which is great. There are fifty three songs included in the game, Neversoft was claiming that gamers will be “rocked” by the soundtrack, honestly, it’s not that great but serves its purpose. Bands in the game range from Frank Sinatra to Metallica, all the songs are fully licensed and most people will find at least one song they like.
We can’t exactly find anything to wrong with the game so why are we giving it 7.5? Tony Hawk is really getting on and the overall familiarity of THUG 2 is disappointing. The next game is going to need a major overhaul or the scores will keep getting lower. A “best of” Tony Hawk collection or ultimate collection would be fantastic, but as it stands THUG 2 is only a minor upgrade to last year’s version.
Why pay $99.95 for THUG 2 when its predecessor is half the price? Gamers are going to eventually wisen up to the lack of innovation in the Tony Hawk series. Sure, the first few titles were revolutionary as Neversoft tried to perfect their physics. Now the they’ve mastered it and Tony Hawk is a really fun game to play but we think asking full price for the game is a bit much. Neversoft need to go back to the drawing board and revolutionise the series, if they do that, we’ll eat our skateboard.
Loading...
