TL;DR: As a speedrunner, THPS veteran, and die-hard fan of the franchise for 20+ years (12 being speedrunning), this game is not nearly as bad as lot of people are saying. If you liked 1+2, you will probably like this game. But, honestly, I'd say wait for a sale. I am happy with the game; not even a year ago, we thought we'd never get this. While it doesn't excuse its misgivings at all, this is a fun game (some veterans are way over 30+ hours already, just as an indicator of how much they like the gameplay already. Casuals: I'd suggest waiting for some sort of sale (up to you based on what you're looking for). If you enjoyed 1+2, you have a good chance at enjoying this game. Veterans: It is harder to say, since we have such a very diverse community. Some would be off-put by the soundtrack, but others may approve of it being 1+2 with 3 and 4 levels. Do your own research, we have a lot of veterans giving their feedback at the moment. Gameplay If you liked how 1+2 played, you will enjoy 3+4. It plays almost the same, save for some small things here and there. I don't know what else to say tbh. Some tricks are still weird-looking, and some tricks aren't in the game. To me, it isn't the end of the world. Soundtrack Okay, this is a major pain point for some people. A lot of the original soundtrack is gone. While that is a very valid complaint, the soundtrack is not as atrocious as some people have alluded to (have you LISTENED to the Robomodo soundtracks?). I get that the music of the games are very ingrained with the identity of THPS games. We played these games at lot 20+ years ago and have fond memories. They definitely could've added more (remember, this is a game published by Activision and owned by Microsoft). Only a handful is not a good look, either way. I do agree on this point. That said: there are some misses, but a lot of the new tracks are quite good! But, music is very subjective. You may hate all of them. But, you may also find something new that you do like! I think a lot of people forget that these games helped introduce you to a new genre or a new band when you first played these 20+ years ago; this is a new way to see new music from new bands. Hell, some might even be your new favorites! If you aren't sure, they are on Spotify. Just listen to that first, I guess. Levels Waterpark, Pinball, and Movie Studio are introduced as new levels. They are fine. Just fine. Not nearly as bad some other levels, and not NEARLY the worst (again, have you SEEN Robomodo's? or even Treyarch's levels in 2x???). If Iron Galaxy continues to make games, they need a veteran to help figure it out. In the returning levels, there are some oddities here and there. Some rails don't connect, some ramps don't transfer properly (or you will hip transfer into oblivion somehow), and some of the NPCs are kinda annoying. For some levels (namely some of the THPS4 levels), they removed some of the content for various reasons. I am fine with some of it being removed, but they could've re-imagined it in other ways too. All and all, not the best. But, certainly not even close to the worst. If you really want terrible levels, go play Construction Site or Club London from 2x... THOSE are bad levels. Goals For THPS3, it is largely the same. In fact, out of all of these remakes, 3 is the closest we got to a real remake of the game. 1's remake added new goals to equal the 10 of the series going forward; 2's remake removed cash icons as a goal; and 4 is just an entirely new thing. If you really enjoyed OG THPS3, you will most likely love the remake of 3's. For THPS4, went with a 2-minute timer for all of the levels. And, honestly, they could've also used a veteran to help. A lot of collectibles are in weird locations, skitch goals in the middle of a run is stupid (not to mention skitching is very stupid in this game), and I could go on and on. I don't necessarily hate the THPS4 goals, but I don't like them either. This complaint also feeds into the "pro goals" - they aren't very good. In fact, they are annoying. And some of them are not QA'd properly at all. They get introduced to the career mode and solo tours after completing all of the goals the first time around. And, honestly, the biggest grievance is that "pro goals" ruin the ebb and flow of the game. They aren't challenging; they are just annoying, not fun, and not needed. Just get a series veteran to help next time, please (especially if it is THUG1+2). Stability I have a fairly good rig, and I can play this game 144 FPS nearly flawless. Sometimes, randomly, there are spikes. And, I have crashed a few times (always in competitions for some reason). But, after ~15 hours, I am happy with the performance of the game. Steam Deck plays decently well. It isn't always 60 FPS on lower settings, but it is still easily playable. Replayability This is where the game truly shines. THPS 3+4 - just like 1+2 - is addicting. Speerun Mode is back and very addicting. A lot of speedrunners are already in the "one more run" mentality that we had when we played through 1+2, just to show how much we like it. It also helps that the speedrun mode does NOT include "pro goals" (thank GOD). Scoring and improv is still very fun. Just like with 1+2, all of these new tricks and abilities in these remade levels allow you to truly show your own style. No two players are the same, since we all do scoring differently. And, just like 1+2, you can showcase your own way of play. And, just like for Speedrun Mode, there is a leaderboard that is addicting to get higher on. For Career/Solo Tours, it is also very fun. Again, some goals are not good, but a lot of the gameplay is still fun. The fact I can also play this on my Steam Deck and kick back and relax is an added bonus. Each skater style (Street, Vert, Vert) also gives some different options for goals (just like in the original THPS3). So, there will almost always be something different to do. Plus, there is a HUGE roster of skaters (and some secret skaters) to choose from. While THPS4 suffers from the lack of a true story mode, the 2-minute timer allows for the "I got a few minutes to play" mentality. And, of course, Free Skate and Single Session are in the game too. Conclusion I may have complained a lot, but I do it out of love for the series. I've adored this series and the games for a long time, and I am defender of some of the lesser-enjoyed games (I am a THP8 enjoyer lol). I have seen this series at its height, and I have also seen how it fell. It was a sad time to be a fan, knowing the series is dead. Do not get me wrong - there are issues (I named the biggest ones above), but I really do enjoy the game. Contrary to popular belief, you can complain a lot about a game and still love it. That is where passion for the series lies. That is where your love for something comes alive. Because, in the end, I just want the best THPS game possible. And, while this isn't close to that high bar, it still does the job well enough. And trust me when I say this - this is NOT the worst it has ever been, NOR is it the best. It is a fine game. It could've easily been a DLC pack for 1+2. I do not agree with the pricing, and I fully think this should be a "wait for a sale" if you are a casual fan; BUT, if you are a veteran and willing to look past the misgivings I've given, it is a good game. I'll end on this: if you truly believe this is a bad game or has the worst levels, go play Ride, Shred, THPS5, THPS HD, or like a few mobile games. This is NOT a terrible game. Now, go skate!
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