Tony Hawk's American Wasteland review

Gaming's best (and only) skateboarding franchise is still the one to beat

12DOVE Verdict

Pros

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    Terrain is completely skateable

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    Great creation modes

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    Online support

Cons

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    Too much content

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    BMX bike is useless

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    What's with the bugs?

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Ever seen a fat skateboarder? If you're going to pull off flip tricks and delicate balance moves, being light on your feet helps. That's what makes Tony Hawk's American Wasteland such a paradox - it's gained a lot of heft as a franchise over the years, but now it's starting to be weighed down by its own legacy.

Granted, if it ain't broke, don't fix it - the Hawk mantra has always been to extend the skateboarding experience rather than fundamentally change it. And THAW definitely offers extension: a huge, sprawling Los Angeles, yours to explore without loading times getting in the way. (Well, they're there, but you get to skate through them as you travel from, say, Hollywood to Beverly Hills, or Downtown to East L.A.)

More info

GenreSports
DescriptionEver seen a fat skateboarder?
Franchise nameTony Hawk
UK franchise nameTony Hawk
Platform"Xbox","PS2","GameCube","Xbox 360"
US censor rating"Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen"
UK censor rating"","","",""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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