Tony Hawk's Proving Ground: First Impressions

I don't actually own an Xbox 360, but I finally had the chance to play Tony Hawk's Proving Ground at a friend's place. For those who know me well, know that I own every single Tony Hawk game released for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. It sucks to have so many new games in the series and not be able to play them.

But I digress. The graphics in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground are absolutely stunning. I was thoroughly impressed with the improvements in this area. There have been others who have commented on this, but many of the pro's faces - especially Tony Hawk - look really washed out. I mean they look like shriveled tanned leather! I know that a lot of the older pros haven't stopped aging, but this is a little ridiculous no?

The gameplay is far more complex than previous incarnations of the game (that is, games in the Tony Hawk series up to and including American Wasteland). There are new tricks, new combos, and new skills that are essential to your success. I was wondering how much more complicated it could get, but obviously it can get a lot more complicated. I was able to figure out most of the new techniques, but it wasn't immediate. Perhaps this had something to do with the fact that I was using an Xbox controller, and not a PlayStation controller.

I also found the goals to be more challenging. Many of the goals involving clearing a gap and pulling a trick usually entail quite intricate button combinations. This gives the game some sense of realism that it didn't have in the prequels. Typically I've been able to rise to the challenge, so all in all I think it's a good thing.

Proving Ground also has a sense of humor. One of the goals I played involved tackling gang members into the river, and I thought that was rather hilarious. The whole gang member storyline is rather enjoyable, if a bit juvenile.

When I have the chance to actually sit down and play this game through, I will update you with my thoughts.