Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 review - A bag of tricks teeming with style and fun

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is finally here, following on the blazing hot success of the previous entry, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2. Developer Iron Galaxy has taken the reins from the previous studio, Vicarious Visions. This new package aims to deliver an experience that recaptures the nostalgia of the originals while bringing it up to a new standard set by the previous remakes.

From the much-beloved Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 to the polarizing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, these two iconic games come together in one sleek bundle. Find out how they fare in our review of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4.

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 puts sick tricks back on the menu

Pick your favorite Skater (Image via Activision)

Fundamentally, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is what it says on the package: a skateboarding game. The premise is to perform cool tricks on a skateboard across a bevy of urban environments to rack up points. It's very old-school in its design, but that is the main appeal here. Immediately after entering the main menu, players will be assaulted with a slew of options to choose from.

The star of the show, the Career mode, allows players to indulge in various levels picked from the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4. From the serene, orange-hued Suburbia and the classic Foundry, to the vibrant Waterpark and concrete pathways of Alcatraz, there is no shortage of ramps, rails, and walls to trick across.

This can be done with any of the game's three dozen packed Skater roster, each with distinct stats and skate styles, ranging from the titular Tony Hawk himself to Doomslayer and the Revenant from DOOM Eternal via the Deluxe Edition DLC. If that isn't enough, players can also freely create their own custom avatar with a limited but satisfactory-enough character creator.

Grind across the College in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (Image via Activision)

Each level is packed with detail, like NPCs, and features a set of objectives, many of which are unique to its setting, to be completed within a two-minute time limit. This ranges from basic ones, like obtaining points, to more specific ones, such as grabbing letters that form the word "SKATER." For newcomers, that is easier said than done; thankfully, players are not left to their own devices.

The extensive tutorial is filled with basics that all players should familiarize themselves with if they want to chase the highest scores and perform the coolest tricks in the book.

From basic Ollies, No Complies, and Nosegrabs to Reverts, Wallplants, and even more complicated Special Trick combos, mastering them all will be quite difficult, in part due to the complex and quick control inputs. The other part has to do with keeping the momentum and landing on the ground the right way after gaining airtime or rail grinding, which forms the basis of gameplay in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4.

Once players get a grasp of the fundamentals, things slowly start falling into place, as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 turns into a puzzle game of mentally mapping a way forward to keep up the score without faceplanting on the ground.

This is important, as trick combos help raise the SPECIAL meter, which allows boosted airtime and speed for even flashier tricks.

Aim for the skies and the highest scores (Image via Activision)

Overall, while this format is fine for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, the successor game's rendition in this remake may turn off some players. The original 2002 rendition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 ditched the time-limit formula for sandbox levels, allowing players to free-roam and tackle objectives freely.

This is no longer the case in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4; the fourth entry has been relegated to being Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 2.0, as it also gets the timer treatment. The levels have not been customized to fit this new makeover either, which can result in arenas that feel emptier and more lackluster than usual.

While the open-world aspect did make the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 controversial, this new change goes against the core mantra of a video game remake staying true to its roots. It would have been interesting to see how developer Iron Galaxy adapted the fourth installment's sandbox design to modern platforms instead of homogenizing the structure, but alas.

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The gift that keeps on giving

Earn rewards for completing Challenges in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (Image via Activision)

Those who find themselves tired of the Career mode should not worry, as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 has quite a few treats. First, there are the Challenges. Laden across a variety of categories ranging from Career to Skater, Tricks, and more, the game offers many unique objectives and targets to complete and meet.

Obtaining a specific score with a specific trick included, landing specific combos, destroying certain objects in the environment, and so on, will keep players busy. They will also be handsomely rewarded with either money or customization options to use for Skaters.

Unlocked cosmetics can be equipped under the Skater screen, with many options to customize both the player character (like headwear, torso, legs, etc.) and the skateboard itself (including grip tapes, decals, wheels, and more). As if that wasn't enough, Secret Skaters also await unlocking, either from the shop or other in-game means.

Then there are all-new levels (like the Pinball one), a Create-A-Park mode to craft custom levels and upload online for others to use, and Multiplayer featuring various modes to engage in with friends and randoms online. This is without even touching on Free Skate mode, Competition mode, Leaderboards, unlockable Movies for each base game Skater, and more.

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Graphics, performance, and sound

The Unreal Engine-powered visuals are stunning (Image via Activision)

Built upon the foundation of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, this new entry is not a visual powerhouse, but it still boasts striking, vibrant levels that shine the brightest in the Photo Mode. The performance is also solid with no hitches or bugs. The soundtrack may be a tad controversial among returning fans, as many of the tracks from the originals are missing due to licensing reasons.

Still, the selection of metal, punk, and hip-hop tunes present in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 does a great job of capturing the early 2000s vibe that remains a key factor of the franchise's aesthetic. That said, some classics return, like 96 Quite Bitter Beings from CKY and Not The Same from Bodyjar.

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In conclusion

Despite its setbacks, there is a fun game here (Image via Activision)

For the most part, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 gets things right. It expands upon the successful foundation of its predecessor entry, which is what fans wanted. Great visuals, tight skateboarding across a solid selection of levels, tons of extras and side content, plus a banging soundtrack make for a solid overall package.

Yes, the butchering of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 and its open-world formula is unfortunate, and regardless of players' thoughts on the original, what we are getting here is an arguably inferior version. Despite that, there is a lot of fun to be had here for those who are patient enough to learn the ropes of the complex trickwork foundations.

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4

Our final verdict for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (Image via Sportskeeda/Activision)

Reviewed on: PC (Review code provided by Activision)

Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

Developer(s): Iron Galaxy Studios

Publisher(s): Activision

Release Date: July 11, 2025