The return of the Activision skateboard saga will not be the only bet of this little resurgence of skateboarding in video games.
The first big announcement of Summer Game Fest, the program led by Geoff Keighley as a digital alternative to E3, unveiled this May his first big surprise: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2. No matter how filtered the return of the starring saga was For the considered best skater in the world, there were many fans who celebrated with their fists raised that this September we were going to listen again to the legendary Police Truck of Dead Kennedys. Apart from the Activision remake compilation, we will have more skate in 2020. We roll over.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
We start with the protagonist. Activision already warned in February: they had "remastering" and "reimagining" ready. The name of Tony Hawk rang loud and finally, this September 4 we will return to the first two installments of the saga for PS4, Xbox One and PC through the Epic Games Store. Remarkable, the classic gameplay will remain intact with subtle tweaks to adapt the mechanics to the current generation or the commitment to maintain at all times the desired 60 FPS even in 4K resolution.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
We will have available all the game modes of the original works of PlayStation published in 1999 and the year 2000, so we can create our skater, create parks, unlock a multitude of content (all without micropayments, says Activision, who wants everything to be achieved). Playing). The remake is being carried out by Vicarious Visions, connoisseurs of the saga, who have promised additions such as online rankings and local multiplayer mode on split screen.
We won't have to mourn the loss of any characters, so Tony Hawk will be joined by others like Steve Caballero, Geoff Rowley, Bucky Lasek, Elissa Steamer, Kareem Campbell, Andrew Reynolds, Bob Burnquist and Chad Muska. To finish, the soundtrack of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 has already been fully revealed and can be heard on Spotify. It has been necessary to say goodbye to some songs, but it has been possible to rescue a total of 18 songs from the original installments: Guerrilla Radio by Rage Against the Machine; Papa Roach's Blood Brothers; You from Bad Religion; o Cigar from Millencolin.
Those who are truly fans and have some savings available will be able to get a collector's edition available in Spain on the GAME portal for 99.95 euros with a copy of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 game (PS4 / Xbox One); the contents of the deluxe digital edition (not yet determined) and a life-size skateboard from Birdhouse Falcon 2 Design.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 | GAME
Session
The name of Session has been ringing for several years in the sector. Since its launch in November 2017 as an ambitious project on Kickstarter, the game's overwhelming reception in this collective crowdfunding campaign has led the small Canadian team Crea-ture Studios Inc. to raise their expectations somewhat more than initially estimated. He stresses that it was not presented as a multiplatform game, but was born with the purpose of reaching PC and Xbox One if they got the $ 53,000 necessary for its development.
After a month where the name of Session was accompanied by hundreds of mentions to EA to announce the much-demanded Skate 4. Meanwhile, this independent proposal focused on the most realistic simulation convinced 3,405 sponsors with more than $ 160,000; more than triple what they needed.
Session
This response to fans of the Electronic Arts series appeared in style in the subsequent Microsoft conference of E3 2018, although it was delayed to 2019 and finally to 2020. But already last year we were able to taste it in early access through from Steam and, shortly after, on Xbox Game Preview. From that playable demonstration many things could be clear; for example, that the game was not bluffing and that these delays were translating into a more than solid proposal in the visual and playable aspects.
This February it was specified that its launch would take place in the spring of 2020 on Xbox One, while in that window —even without specifying— the early access of PC would also be abandoned. There was a change, yes, since the Xbox One version is no longer being developed by Crea-ture Studios, but they have delegated the responsibility of the port to Illogika, so that they can focus on the main version for the computer.
Skater XL
Before Tony Hawk we will receive Skater XL in July, another experience in search of realistic simulation for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. The team at Easy Day Studios, based in Long Beach, California, announced just a few weeks ago that the final version of the title was to be ready this July 7 with playable characters such as professionals Brandon Westgate, Tiago Lemos, Evan Smith and Tom. Pole.
Skater XL
Self-styled experts in the world of skateboarding, this development team aims to mark “a revolution in skateboarding games” with gameplay based on stunts and depth when it comes to running combos. After drawing the attention of some well-known brands of the sport, they have not only received the yes of some reputed skaters, but also that of companies that will lend their image for ingame content in the form of clothing and other outfits such as boards and sneakers; Highlights: DC Shoes, Almost, Bones, Crupie, Grimple Stix, Grizzly or Element.
There will be a physical version on PS4 and Xbox One, so there is very little left to travel to Los Angeles and start doing tricks in this realistic bet, which unlike Tony Hawk will move away from arcade mechanics. Its direct competitor will therefore be Sessions. "We will stand firm in our consideration of engaging the community in every step forward we take in development, and we will communicate those we do that can be key to the title," they promised.
What do we know about a possible Skate 4?
Despite the desire of the fans, Electronic Arts has not confirmed or hinted that it is working on a possible Skate 4. Far is that third numbered installment for the previous generation of consoles that was published in 2010. Skate 3 was also one of the great people affected by the youtuber fever five years ago, when well-known content creators on the Google platform published videos of the game and caused sales of the work to skyrocket; once again increasing interest in a sequel.
Skate 3
But there is nothing to fall back on. At least for now. A small scare accompanied by the awakening of an incipient desire occurred in June 2018 when, without prior notice, Electronic Arts reopened Skate 3's online servers just before that year's E3 conference. But nothing was announced.
We will have to wait until June 12 at 01:00 in the morning to know if the already announced EA Play Live gives us a surprise related to skateboarding; be it in the form of a remake of the third part, a fourth installment, something totally new or, as in recent years, a long silence.
