Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4

The series broke its usual formula precisely in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4: the timer that drove the player through the level in two minutes was removed. Instead, there are large free zones and tasks from encountered characters, which can be completed in any order and at your own pace. This change made the game calmer, but not easier - the goals became more varied and more demanding. The levels are built like real city skate parks: college, San Francisco waterfront, Alcatraz, Hawaii, zoo, attractions, Chicago and London. There are plenty of railings, ramps, pools and rooftops that make it nice to string long combos together. We also added new techniques such as throwing over ridges, which expanded the arsenal of tricks. The career leads the player along the path of a professional rider: as the game progresses, new skaters, boards and clothes are unlocked, and your own character can be completely assembled by hand. In addition to the single-player mode, there are competitions for two on one screen and online multiplayer. A special pride of the series is the tasks from real professionals: each skater has his own set of goals, and their tips are written with humor and knowledge of skate culture. Levels get larger the further you play, and sections outside the main park open up gradually and reward curiosity. Between races it's nice to just skate without goals, look for lines and string together long combinations for your own pleasure. The music, humor and atmosphere of the skate culture of the early 2000s are conveyed so accurately that THPS4 is still relaunched for one evening. This is one of those games where it's fun not to win, but just to ride.