The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series defined a particular kind of early-2000s gaming — fast, musical, technically rewarding, and broadly accessible. The 2020 remake of Pro Skater 1 + 2, handled by Vicarious Visions, was received well enough that a follow-up felt inevitable. That follow-up arrived in July 2025, developed this time by Iron Galaxy and published by Activision. The result is largely excellent, occasionally divisive, and worth owning for anyone with any interest in what the franchise became at its peak.
The Stronger Half: Pro Skater 3
Pro Skater 3 is handled with real confidence. The two-minute challenge structure, the park design philosophy, and the combo-chain progression all survive the transition intact. Iron Galaxy modernized the controls and visuals without erasing what made the original feel good: the speed, the gap notifications, the satisfying rhythm of a well-constructed run. Three new levels have been added across both games; Waterpark, designed for THPS3, is the standout, smartly built and clearly made by people who understand what these arenas are supposed to do.
The original game’s soundtrack is partially restored. Six tracks return from THPS3, including a handful of the tracks most closely associated with that era of the series. The replacements are competently chosen but carry none of the associative weight of what was cleared. If the original music mattered to you, the gap will be noticeable from the first session.
The Divisive Half: Pro Skater 4
Pro Skater 4 is where the game becomes more complicated. The 2002 original was structurally different from the rest of the series: no two-minute timer, open-ended level exploration, and quest-givers who handed out objectives organically across large spaces. Iron Galaxy replaced all of this with the standard two-minute format used across the rest of the game and removed the quest system entirely. Game Informer’s review described it as “skating it safe,” which is fair.
The outcome depends on what you valued about the original. If the open pacing and mission variety felt dated in retrospect, Iron Galaxy’s approach will likely read as an improvement. If those elements were the point, something has been genuinely lost. Only four of THPS4’s original tracks were cleared for this version, making the audio situation even thinner than it is in the THPS3 half.
Multiplayer and Longevity
Online multiplayer is functional and well-implemented. It holds up across sessions, is lag-free in most circumstances, and supports the kind of casual competitive skating that made the series a social staple in the early 2000s. For players with a group, this extends the value considerably.
Verdict
New players have no reason to hesitate. This is the best-controlling, best-looking skating game in the modern revival, and the learning curve is short. Series veterans should know what they are buying: the gameplay is the best it has been in this era of the franchise, but neither the soundtrack shortfalls nor the THPS4 structural changes are subtle.
Metacritic puts it at 82 from 56 critics; OpenCritic at 85 with 89% recommending. Both feel accurate. The game is good, sometimes great, and annoying in specific and predictable ways.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC | Developer: Iron Galaxy | Publisher: Activision | Released: July 11, 2025 | Metacritic: 82 (PS5)