Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (2005)

by Nish
written by Nish 5 minutes read

Summary

Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland: A Sprawling Skateboarding Epic

Released in 2005, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland was the sixth installment in the Tony Hawk’s skateboarding video game series. Developed by Neversoft and published by Activision, the game was a critical and commercial success, selling over 2 million copies worldwide.

American Wasteland marked a significant departure from previous Tony Hawk games, with its vast open world environment and focus on exploration. Players could freely skate around the city of Los Angeles, completing missions, finding hidden areas, and challenging other skaters to competitions.

The game’s story follows the player character, a new skater in town, as they join up with a group of local skaters and their leader, Tony Hawk. Together, they must help rebuild the city’s skateparks and defend them from rival gangs.

American Wasteland introduced several new features to the Tony Hawk series, including:

  • A vast open world environment: For the first time in the series, players could freely explore a large, open-world environment. This gave them the freedom to skate anywhere they wanted and discover hidden areas and secrets.
  • Off-board gameplay: Players could now get off their skateboards and explore the world on foot. This allowed them to access new areas and interact with the environment in new ways.
  • Create-a-park mode: Players could now create their own custom skateparks and share them with other players online. This mode gave players endless possibilities for creativity and expression.

American Wasteland also featured a number of improvements to the core gameplay mechanics of the Tony Hawk series. The physics engine was more realistic and responsive, and the trick system was expanded with new moves and combinations.

The game’s soundtrack was also highly praised, featuring a mix of punk, rock, and hip-hop tracks from bands such as Bad Religion, NOFX, and Public Enemy.

Critical Reception

Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland received critical acclaim upon release. Reviewers praised the game’s vast open world, innovative gameplay mechanics, and impressive graphics. Many considered it to be one of the best skateboarding games ever made.

The game was nominated for several awards, including Game of the Year at the 2005 Golden Joystick Awards. It won the award for Best Sports Game at the 2005 Spike Video Game Awards.

Legacy

Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland is considered to be one of the most important skateboarding games of all time. It helped to popularize the sport and introduced a new generation of gamers to the joys of skateboarding.

The game’s open world environment and focus on exploration set a new standard for skateboarding games, and its innovative gameplay mechanics have been imitated by many other games in the genre.

American Wasteland also had a significant impact on the Tony Hawk’s series. It marked a departure from the more arcade-style gameplay of the earlier games, and set the stage for the more realistic and simulation-oriented games that would follow.

Conclusion

Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland is a classic skateboarding game that offers an immersive and challenging experience. With its vast open world, diverse missions, and innovative gameplay mechanics, it’s a must-play for any fan of the genre.

Review Score

9/10

Art

Cover Art

Screenshots

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Nish is a software engineer by day and avid gamer who loves to play video games after he puts his two boys to bed. His insights delve into the mechanics, and storytelling of the games he plays with the aim to share his passion with the audience. He loves to travel back to his native India and travel the country on his restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350, a relic from a simpler time, like some of the games he plays.

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