Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
- September 29, 2015
- Robomodo
- 2h median play time
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 offers a fresh take on combo-driven skateboarding, the most advanced online multiplayer experience, and a state-of-the-art skatepark builder. Ride, build, and repeat!
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- The game captures some nostalgia from the original Tony Hawk games, providing a fun skating experience for fans.
- Create-A-Skater mode and customization options are enjoyable, allowing players to personalize their experience.
- Despite its flaws, the gameplay can be entertaining, with some players finding joy in pulling off tricks and combos.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, leading to crashes and frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Graphics and overall presentation feel outdated, reminiscent of earlier console generations rather than a modern title.
- Many essential features from previous Tony Hawk games are missing, such as local multiplayer and a robust career mode, leaving players disappointed.
- graphics25 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers noting that they feel outdated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles rather than a modern release. While some appreciate the cel-shaded style and vibrant colors, the overall consensus is that the visuals lack detail and polish, leading to a disappointing experience on current-gen consoles. Additionally, numerous bugs and glitches further detract from the graphical quality, making it feel like a rushed product rather than a polished AAA title.
“Exactly like the originals but the graphics are 3x better.”
“The cel shaded visuals allow for instances of vibrant colors and the sense of speed and movement are solidly animated.”
“With lots of moves you pull off you will feel rewarded by playing this tour-de-force of a simulator with the incredibly realistic graphics which will make you feel every bump and graze on the stunt course.”
“The levels are small, the graphics are bad, and the 'missions' are not enjoyable.”
“The graphics themselves feel dated, reminding me a bit too much of the older games and reinforcing the notion that this title is not the kind of true AAA release Activision is probably hoping it will be seen as.”
“The graphics are PS2 era, with all kinds of defects like texture pop-ins to boot.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous glitches and crashes that disrupt gameplay. While some users find the game enjoyable despite its issues, many agree that the bugs significantly detract from the overall experience, making it feel clunky and unfinished. Overall, the game requires substantial polishing to address its stability problems.
“Clunky gameplay full of glitches.”
“Crashes; highly buggy.”
“I will say this, all the negative reviews have come from the fact that the glitches are so terrible, it ruins the flow and experience of the game.”
- music13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the variety and nostalgic elements of the licensed tracks, while others criticize the overall selection as lackluster compared to previous installments. Many users reported issues with music cutting out during gameplay, detracting from the experience. Overall, while the soundtrack has its moments, it fails to meet the high expectations set by earlier games in the series.
“The Tony Hawk games have leveraged a lot of truly memorable songs over the years, and with a few dozen new titles playing in the background here, the collection is not perfect, but it does complement the action of the game by and large.”
“The variety of audio coming from the moves made and the environment around your skater shows more creativity than the visuals generally do, and it avoids becoming repetitious, especially when one considers the varied music.”
“The game holds up still with its great soundtrack, fun game modes, and the glitches can make for a good laugh.”
“It's so boring; the Activision screen skips and the music cuts out.”
“Where are Activision's testers or quality control? The only good thing about this game is the licensed music (but that's when the game lets you hear it). Sometimes the music just drops out of nowhere. Even when this game hits the bargain bin, save your money for anything but this. It's horrid in every possible way. Shame on Tony Hawk for allowing a game this broken and outdated to be put out there with his 'brand' on it. Don't even rent it; it's a waste of $3.00. Buy gas or lottery tickets instead. The gold standard for cheap: 1.5/10.”
“No fun missions, no good nostalgic music; levels are boring and uninventive.”
- story12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with players expressing disappointment over the lack of a dedicated story mode. Instead, the missions are described as basic, repetitive, and uninspired, failing to engage players or enhance the overall experience. While some acknowledge that a story mode might not significantly improve the game, the overall sentiment is that the narrative elements are lacking and do not contribute positively to gameplay.
“I'm not sure if a story mode would have improved things too much because I was never a big fan of the stories in the Tony Hawk games.”
“Just a few things such as the poor online and repetitive missions keep it from being truly great, but the maps make for a fun time.”
“I thought there'd be a story mode of some sort; disappointed there wasn't.”
“There's no story mode.”
“The missions aren't too great and they become repetitive as they are basically the same thing in each level.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling it lacks essential mechanics and features expected from a full-priced title, making it feel more like a demo. While there are improvements, such as the new stomp mechanic, the overall experience is marred by static environments and occasional framerate issues. Despite these drawbacks, fans of the series may still find enjoyment in the core gameplay and online features, though it requires some patches to address its glitches.
“There are some improved gameplay aspects like the Y button which allows you to stomp grinds.”
“At its core, returning fans of the series should feel relatively at home with the mechanics here.”
“Overall, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is a fun game to pick up if you're a fan of the series or not. Even though it needs some touch-ups and work to fix some glitches, the gameplay mechanics, awesome soundtrack, and online play make the game fun.”
“There are so many THPS-essential game mechanics and features missing from this that it totally feels like a demo and not a full $60 title.”
“This is not 2015 gameplay.”
“Instead of focusing on tight gameplay and lots of quality modes, the Tony Hawk games began to focus on gimmicks.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics, citing a lack of customization options for tricks and controls, which limits gameplay flexibility. Additionally, issues with the physics and the inability to smoothly transition between tricks detract from the overall experience, making grinding feel cumbersome and unresponsive.
“The grinding mechanics are frustratingly limited; you can't change your tricks once you're in a grind, which makes it feel stale and repetitive.”
“The lack of controller customization is a major drawback; I'm stuck with button sequences I don't like, which ruins the flow of gameplay.”
“The physics feel off during grinding, leading to moments where I crash into obstacles despite timing my moves perfectly.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5" offers solid replayability through its engaging gameplay features like create-a-park and large online sessions, despite some technical issues and a dated art style. The fun soundtrack and game modes contribute to its lasting appeal, making it enjoyable to revisit despite its flaws.
“The game holds up with its great soundtrack, fun game modes, and the glitches can make for a good laugh, and yes, it's replayable in my opinion.”
“With the release of THPS 5, I was hyped about this game and went to my friends to play. It's a fun game with features like create-a-park and 20-player online sessions that make it enjoyable to replay.”
“Despite some minor issues, the overall experience is fun and engaging, making it a game that I find myself coming back to time and again.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates deeply with players, particularly those who grew up in the 90s, as it evokes nostalgia and a sense of loss for a beloved franchise.
“It's heart-breaking because Tony Hawk is one of the greatest franchises of the '90s generation.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization of this game is criticized as a blatant cash grab by Activision, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in its quality and performance. Players feel that it fails to deliver a true next-gen experience, instead resembling outdated titles, which further fuels the perception of it being a poorly executed attempt to capitalize on nostalgia.
“This game is a cheap cash grab by Activision. It's broken and full of bugs, and the graphics look so generic, resembling PS2 quality. It's not at all next-gen.”
“The monetization in this game feels exploitative, making it clear that the developers are more interested in profits than providing a quality experience.”
“I feel like the game is designed to push players towards spending more money rather than enjoying the gameplay. It's frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
Critic Reviews
Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
50%Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 Review
Don't play this game.
20%Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 Review
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 had the potential to be awesome. Instead, we're left with a game that's solid but is buried beneath so many issues that it feels like it's still in beta. If you've never been a fan of the franchise, then this one certainly won't win you over. However, die-hard fans yearning for some Pro Skater action will find that, despite all of its problems, there's still some enjoyment to be had here – even if it should have been so much more.
50%
