One of many nice surprises of the Switch 2 launch was how effectively the {hardware} managed huge video games not made by Nintendo. It’s one thing the corporate’s underpowered consoles have typically struggled with, however the Swap 2 is an effective place to play technical showpieces like Cyberpunk 2077 — although that initially debuted in 2020. Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3+4, which is launching concurrently on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and each variations of the Swap, makes for an fascinating check case of what’s attainable on the Swap 2 with a new sport. I’ve been enjoying it on each the PS5 and Swap 2, and from what I’ve seen, the remake bodes effectively for the way forward for Nintendo’s latest console.
For the uninitiated, the most recent Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater is a sequel of types. In 2020, Activision released a remaster of the original two games in the iconic series, sustaining the tone and construction but in addition modernizing the expertise with up to date graphics and controls, on-line options, and an expanded solid that includes the present technology of skateboarding stars. It did a exceptional job of holding one of the best elements of the video games whereas additionally making them really feel present. THPS3+4 does the identical factor, however for the third and fourth entries within the sequence. There aren’t too many surprises in the event you’ve performed the unique, although THPS4 has a extra inflexible construction in comparison with the open-ended nature of the unique model.
Efficiency is a crucial facet of any skateboarding sport. These titles are all about linking methods collectively in inventive methods, which will be exhausting to do when the sport chugs or the body fee stutters. So the factor that struck me essentially the most with the Swap 2 model is simply how clean it’s. It could sound boring, however one of the best half about it’s that it simply works. I haven’t skilled any technical points in handheld mode, and that’s true whether or not enjoying in a easy indoor stage or one thing extra elaborate, just like the light-up present that’s the Tokyo course from THPS3.
It appears that evidently the builders at Iron Galaxy — who’ve taken over the sequence after the unique studio, Vicarious Visions, unceremoniously grew to become a Blizzard studio — prioritized substance over type, and it was the fitting alternative. THPS3+4 appears tremendous on the Swap 2, however the principle distinction you’ll discover on a platform just like the PS5 is how far more detailed all the pieces is. The backdrops really feel extra full of life, although you may not discover it a lot as you’re dashing by way of ranges. The most important distinction is the characters. On the PS5, skaters like Tony Hawk and Aori Nishimura appear like themselves; on the Swap 2, they’re barely blurry approximations of their real-world counterparts.
The variations between platforms are largely beauty, although, which makes them a lot simpler to tolerate, even in a style the place type is an extremely necessary a part of the expertise. I’ll notice that the assorted decks and garments you may unlock nonetheless look fairly good on the Swap 2, so it’s not such as you’re completely sacrificing the cool skater vibes. Extra importantly, THPS has all the time been a superb sequence to play on the go — the Recreation Boy Advance iterations of the franchise don’t have any proper being nearly as good as they’re — and that is still true right here, the place the quick runs are completely suited to moveable play.
That being mentioned, whereas THPS3+4 is an effective showcase for the Swap 2, it’s not precisely a “next-gen” sport. It’s a uncommon expertise that was constructed to span a number of generations of {hardware} from all the most important platform holders. So it’s not precisely an indication that Grand Theft Auto VI or different tentpole blockbusters will make their solution to the Swap 2. However the newest Tony Hawk sport at the least reveals that the console received’t all the time be left behind in the case of the most recent releases.