Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review

Introduction

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 bundles remakes of the third and fourth games in the franchise onto the same engine that powered 2020's widely praised Pro Skater 1 + 2 remake. Developed by Iron Galaxy Studios, taking over from Vicarious Visions, and published by Activision, it released 10 July 2025 to a "Mixed" reception: 828 of its 1,244 English-language reviews recommend it, a sample of which this review reads 100. Where 1 + 2 was near-universally adored, this follow-up lands in far more contested territory, largely because of how it handles Pro Skater 4's most distinctive feature.

The core skating still feels great

Almost no reviewer in the sample disputes that the underlying skating mechanics remain excellent. One reviewer flatly states "the mechanics of the game are there, and the graphics are awesome. Seriously, the actual skating is every bit as fun as the originals," a sentiment echoed throughout even the harshest critical reviews. Another describes the gameplay as "effectively identical to pro skater 1+2," treating that continuity as a genuine strength rather than a lack of ambition. For players whose primary interest is simply skating through well-designed levels, the sample is broadly in agreement that this collection delivers.

Pro Skater 3 lands, Pro Skater 4 does not

The sample draws a sharp, consistent line between its two halves. Pro Skater 3's recreation earns comfortable praise, with one reviewer calling it "a flawless recreation" and another noting it "feels true to the original." Pro Skater 4 fares far worse. Its signature open-world, mission-based career structure is replaced with the same two-minute timed-run format used in the earlier games, a change one reviewer summarizes bluntly: "THPS 4 is just simplified maps and a 2 minute timer. You know the whole reason 4 was big. It was the first game to go away from that formula." Specific levels and features are called out repeatedly as cut or altered, including the Zoo, Carnival, and Chicago maps, alongside removed crude humor the series was historically known for. One of the sample's most-upvoted reviews argues this isn't a remaster at all but "a glorified map pack for 1+2," a characterization that recurs across dozens of reviews in different words.

A significant soundtrack loss

Music has always been central to the Tony Hawk identity, and its absence here draws consistent complaints. One reviewer states plainly that "over 90% of the OG sound track is missing," while several others specifically mourn the loss of songs that shaped their memory of the originals. A few reviewers find workarounds, with one joking they'll "just run spotify in the background," but the general consensus treats the reduced soundtrack as a real, avoidable loss rather than a minor omission.

An undisclosed AI-generated content controversy

A distinct and recurring thread throughout the sample's negative reviews concerns the game's use of AI-generated assets, which multiple reviewers say was not disclosed until shortly before or after release. One reviewer states the developers "kept any mention of AI involvement quiet until the last few days so that people against generative AI couldn't refund the game upon finding out," calling it "an incredibly scummy business practice." Another writes they are "disgusted to find out this game has AI generated slop art as assets," framing it as a betrayal of the series' history of collaborating directly with real skaters on deck and level design. This controversy appears to have meaningfully depressed the review score independent of how players otherwise felt about the gameplay itself, with several reviewers explicitly noting they enjoyed playing the game but still down-voted it over the disclosure issue.

What the achievement data shows

The game's 32 tracked achievements show a broad player base engaging mainly with early content: the most common sits at 85.0 percent, likely tied to an early tutorial or first-park objective, dropping into the 20-30 percent range for mid-tier unlocks, and down into single digits for full-completion and mastery-tier achievements, several of which sit below 2 percent. That curve reflects a game many people pick up and enjoy on a surface level without pursuing its deeper completion goals, consistent with a collection whose core appeal is casual, replayable skating sessions rather than exhaustive 100-percent runs.

Value

At a full price of NZ$79.99, already discounted 45 percent to NZ$43.99 barely two months after launch, value is one of the sample's more consistent sore points. One reviewer notes it's "never a good sign when the game is on sale only a month after it came out," and several argue the package would have been better received, and better priced, as add-on content for the existing 1 + 2 remake rather than a standalone $70-80 release. Reviewers who focus specifically on the Pro Skater 3 content, or who came in without deep attachment to Pro Skater 4's original structure, are considerably more forgiving of the asking price.

Final Verdict

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 proves the skating itself remains as fun as ever on Iron Galaxy's inherited engine, and its Pro Skater 3 half earns genuine, consistent praise. But a heavily restructured Pro Skater 4 that strips out the open-world career mode fans specifically wanted back, a noticeably thinner soundtrack, and a late-disclosed AI-generated asset controversy combine to produce a "Mixed" reception that undersells the strength of its core gameplay. Recommended for series fans focused on Pro Skater 3 or simply craving more of 1 + 2's feel, but a real disappointment for anyone hoping for a faithful Pro Skater 4.