More E3 coverage, since that’s what’s on my mind these days. If you’re not wanting to read about games you can go on and skip this one, I won’t blame you. It’s another high-detailed bit like the Kingdom Hearts II post, and I can understand if you simply don’t care. This is primarily a webcomic critblog, but yeah I’m gonna talk about games here and there. But for the non-game inclined, I’ll keep this one behind a cut.
A title I got to watch a comprehensive demo of while I was at E3 was Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. I know some of you would love to get info on the next gen consoles, but I say fuck the next-gen consoles. At least until next year. I’m not concerned with them right now; I’m concerned with the consoles I already own. Namely PS2, GBA and… uh, N64. But yes, I’m a pretty big fan of the series. Been a Tony Hawk fan since THPS2 (I missed the first one, but played every one since then).
Now for those familiar with Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, you’re probably scratching your heads wondering how much they could possibly expand on. I mean, there were a lot of things you could do in THUG 2. But amazingly enough, they’ve added MORE. Now there�s those little turny swoopy things you can do that makes you look like your surfing (that old school shit, I forgot what it’s called), you can several tricks during a Natas Spin, and one-footed manuals. That’s getting really detailed there with one footed manuals, and you can choose either foot you please.
Also a fun bit is you can toss your board. You can toss it out in front of you and jump onto it as it rolls to start a combo off the bat, or you can just chuck it at that guy. Yeah, you can just toss your board into that guy. Which guy? Doesn’t matter. Any guy. Toss your board at them. And speaking of off-the-board movement, they’ve improved the controls and buggyness there. Also you can do wallruns up the side of a building into a backflip as a combo piece or whatever you like. I appreciate them improving the on-foot mobility, I spend a lot of time on foot setting up tricks and accomplishing goals.
Character creation was always my most favorite part of the series. I don’t want to skate as Tony Hawk or Rodney Mullen. I want to skate as me. Not true to life of course. The character creation has taken a fantastic leap forward in story mode. You do your initial creation, and then you can go to the clothes store or the barber to make alterations with the cash you’ve earned as you please. I made note to ask if there was an inventory system with the clothes and they confirmed: All clothes you buy are saved and available for use on call. So I can do the classic Hoodie Phil with Bandana, or the T-shirted Phil with long hair, or whatever I want. I also imagine buying decks, grip tape and wheels are part of the same idea. It’d be nice if they could inventory hairstyles… but that wouldn’t make a damned lot of sense.
The storyline of the game is in the typical Hawk vein (a refreshing relief from the Jackass stuff… I like Jackass, don’t get me wrong, but it’s time to change the subject): You and your buddies decide to build the skate park of your dreams. And how do you accomplish this? By taking bits and pieces of Los Angeles. The story mode takes place over one massive map of three key areas of LA, and several goals and missions around it. You can take the bus or the subway for quick movement between neighborhoods, but the point is that it’s one big massive stage, and a wink of load time in between them. Anyway, as you do your missions and complete your goals, some of them will involve destroying some piece of landscape to be dragged off by a truck to your park. They said the “Dream Park” your story is based on will constantly be built as you do missions, available for testing during the story. So it acts also as an interactive trophy room of sorts. Classic mode is still present; with I believe they said 12 locations for classic THPS goal-oriented-in-a-time-frame method. Sounds good to me.
Oh, but of course I’ve saved the biggest news for last. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (or THAW, which is a great acronym) has fully integrated BMX Biking. That’s right. It’s now essentially two games in one. And they made it a point to give the Bike and the Board separate(ish) controls. The demo guide pointed out how the right analog stick was used to do tailwhips and the like, but I imagine I’m going to have a lot of fun doing flatland tricks. That’s been my personal style of play ever since they introduced flatlanding (I think it was in THPS4). But yes, some goals will require the use of the Bike, but not too many I hope. The Board’s where it’s at.
Anyway, it looks good. And I’m digging what seems to be this game’s theme song, which is the Dead Kennedys’ “California Uber Allies.” I love that song every goddamn time I hear it. But yes, THAW looks good. I’ll definitely play it, just like I’ve played every other damned installment of the series.