Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4: A Remake That Misses the Mark

Our immense excitement when Activision announced Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 for the Switch has, unfortunately, diminished due to news that the fourth installment may face some rather significant modifications.

Briefly, as reported by Kotaku (thanks to Push Square), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 will not feature the traditional Career Mode, which previously allowed players to roam freely and tackle challenges at their own pace. Instead, challenges will operate similarly to the earlier three games, providing you with a 2-minute deadline to accomplish as many tasks as you can.

As we know, a Free Play mode will still be available, letting you explore the levels as long as you desire, but challenges will not be incorporated in this mode. Thus, developer Iron Galaxy has “streamlined” the experience to create a more cohesive package, making the transition from THPS 3 to THPS 4 feel more fluid.

We’re not thrilled about this change, however. While it’s true that the first three Tony Hawk games are outstanding, and we have complete confidence that the fourth installment will still be enjoyable despite the proposed alterations, it’s frustrating because the levels in that game were designed with free roaming in mind. It simply won’t feel the same.

We will hold off on our full judgment until we get a chance to play the game for review in July, but this is a major disappointment to fans of the original series. We can only hope that Iron Galaxy and Activision will listen to the community and reintroduce a proper Career Mode through downloadable content in the future.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will launch on Nintendo Switch on July 11th, 2025.

What do you think of this update? Are you disappointed, or would you prefer the fourth game to stick with the same principles as the original trilogy? Share your thoughts with a comment.