Neversoft and Activision never cease to amaze me with this series. I thought we had seen it all back when the franchise was in its second iteration. Admittedly, Tony Hawk 3 lacked the advances that were evident from Hawk 1 to Hawk 2. However this year, with Hawk 4, everyone, including Tony, has outdone themselves.

Almost every aspect of the game is flawless. Instead of churning out the same thing, the game’s developer Neversoft looked at how the series could be pushed to the maximum. Then we add in the online component, which I had my doubts about, and it ends up being an entire experience on its own, not to mention flawless.

Tony Hawk 3 really set the benchmark in the series in terms of the visual package. Neversoft has taken that engine and refined it as much as possible for Hawk 4. Each stage is brimming with life thanks to variants used to colour and texture the areas. The character models have also been revamped to utilize more polygons and skin texture tools to give them better than ever-realistic tendencies and more importantly realistic and fluid movement. There is no draw-in or slow down evident in this game and that is an incredible feat when you see everyone skating all over the place in the online modes.

Once again, Neversoft and Activision went the distance to secure the necessary artists to deliver an incredible soundtrack. Kudos to both for getting some new tracks in the mix instead of using the same tired songs that have been overused in skating games as of late. This year you skate to the sounds of AC/DC, N.W.A., The Cult, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Iron Maiden, Goldfinger, Toy Dolls and many more. The sound effects and environmental effects are also solid thanks to the work of sound god Tommy Tolichero.

Pretty visuals and banging tunes do nothing for a skating game if the controls and design and crappy. Some would argue that Tony Hawk 3 had issues in this department. Neversoft has shown its true dedication to the series by not only remedying the problem but going ahead and thinking of ways to take gameplay and options to the next level. The result is a deep control system and so many game play options to keep one busy for months on end. The controls are tight and completely immersive. Pulling of multiple combos and manuals takes skill and timing but yet not impossible.

I like how Neversoft has rethought how the game is played. For example, in Tony Hawk 3 you had to play through the game with each skater to complete each goal. In Hawk 4, this tedious task is unnecessary. Instead, when you complete a goal within a level, that unlocked goal will be completed for all available skaters.

The goals in Hawk 4 require movements that are more precise and some mental thought to complete. Neversoft has also ditched of the two-minute timer. Now you can free-skate until your heart’s content. The most incredible aspect of Hawk 4 is the way it immerses you into the world of skateboarding. Whether you are a veteran or newbie to the sport, there are so many things to unlock that give you a nice historical look at the sport and the men and women who have shaped it over the years. This is accomplished by completing the 190 unique challenges that await you.

As if the 190 goals were not enough, Neversoft went and put Hawk 4 online. They could have simply made a multiplayer arena to show off skills, but instead they created a completely new game. The online components of the game are masterful to say the least. Online options include: Goal Attack, Graffiti, Capture The Flag, Score Challenge, King of the Hill, Combo Mombo, Slap! and Trick Attack.

While all equally engaging, we played Capture the Flag and Goal Attack the most. Capture the Flag allows you to break into teams and try to steal the opposing teams’ flag and return it to your base without getting caught. Once you have cleared goals in the Career Mode, you can then make those challenges available for online play. Pick the ones you like and your team has to complete all of them before the other team does. Very addictive and completely fun with no slow down or lag issues. Flawless.

There may be some players out there thinking that Hawk 4 is nothing more than Hawk 3 with the addition of online play. Do not be fooled. Tony Hawk 4 makes Hawk 3 look like child’s play in all comparisons. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is the definitive skateboarding game, period. I do not really see how the series can be taken any further. The series has come full circle and it will be most difficult to top this year’s title. Regardless, it's a no-brainer purchase for every PS2 owner.

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