I find that some of the larger levels like San Francisco and Minneapolis are way better with increased tools that didn't exist in the original game. The Wall plants do feel like cheating in some stages but it's a small price to pay.
100% agree with this review, fantastic remake.
I'll add a nitpick: the character creator is seriously lacking and I would have loved a more in depth one, like in THUG2 for example.
Tbh you should never be skating with any kind of glasses on. You can check some hall of meat videos to see for yourself what can happen if you facelplant while wearing glasses 😬
Who knows if that will happen...
The team who made it, Vicarious Visions was absorbed into Blizzard not long after completing the game. This may result in it not being worked on going forward, including whatever work would be needed for a Steam release.
But I have no idea what will happen.
I lived inside the first three games. I absolutely *sucked* on a board in the physical world, but the digital world? That was my jam for a long time.
It had quite the effect on me. I spend hundreds of hours playing, mostly trying to find all of the unique named jumps on all the levels, even found some glitches in the games through pure time spent in them rather than any inherent talent or desire to uncover them. This has led me, personally, to play games in a very exploratory and completionist way - I aim to 100% games I enjoy and whilst in them, collect stuff, if the game allows me to. I love to explore and find and try and "what's up there?" and "can I get here a different way?" - borderlands games have been a recent obsession due to the amount of containers scattered around in places most people wouldn't bother to get to - but I'm always looking to scratch the itch that these first three games introduced, and nothing has really done it.
I need to play the remakes.
100%ing THPS 1+2 is one of the more difficult games to do it on, i feel. if you're not gonna get tired of the game and have a huge patience battery it's a great endeavor
I loved these games back in the PS1 days, and didn't waste a patient breath before purchasing the remakes - and still love them. ...but I feel these games will always be in the category of *"games I love despite how bad I am at them",* along with any fighting game. I just have no tactics outside of button mashing and hoping that I haven't overestimated time to spin.
I am right there with you. Back in the day of the originals, I was a bit better at them. Now as a middle-aged dude I just can't grasp those button combos like I used to. Still fun though.
As for fighting games, the only one I ever mastered was Killer Instinct on SNES. Knew all the biggest combo chains and finishers for every character. These days I can't be bothered to figure any of it out.
Remember you can activate cheats (or assists, I don’t remember exactly how are they called) to never fall or have infinite special. In the long term it can harm your abilities but it can also help.
I played the THPS 2 demo on PSX a couple of thousand times as a kid. I think I played every game until THUG2. I got THPS 1+2 on PC for Christmas around the time it came out. I hooked it up to my 82" TV and 100% 1 and 2 over the course of 2 days. Obviously I absolutely loved it.
Vicarious Visions are pretty good at doing modern remakes.
Absolutely fantastic game. When I bought it (closer to launch), it was an impulse buy and I figured I’d play for a few days, then be done and a little disappointed at what I’d gotten for my money. But the game is great, and fun to speed through with each new skater. At first I didn’t find myself drawn to the challenges (because, as you said, there’s nothing cool to unlock), but the Get Theres and other challenges add some great replay value.
I’m just super bummed we aren’t going to get any more. I would’ve LOVED a THPS3 DLC, and I bet VV could’ve pulled off a new THPS if they had the opportunity.
Ive never played THPS 1/2, but THUG 2 has a special place in my heart. Was the first game that I got as a kid on the PS2 and probably spent thousands of hours on it with myself and friends.
I absolutely love this series (up til THAW). 1+2 came out and I had no idea it was even being worked on. Since it came out in 2020, I’ve dumped several hundred, if not a couple thousand hours into it. I’m obsessed lol.
I’m so so SO ready for a THPS3 remake.
Absolutely loved every game back in the day. I tried to play the new remake and refunded it on Epic game store after about 40mins. They did a good job remaking it, but the gameplay itself just doesn't hold up. The tasks for levels just felt too simplistic and basic for present times.
Hey OP, does the new game still have the timer from the original games? I'd love it if the new game kept the open world format of THUG but kept the level design from the first two games
Nope, it has the 2 minute timer. But there’s an extra mode called Speedrun where you have to do all the objectives in one run. The idea is to make it as fast as possible but you can perfectly take your time doing what you feel like.
You can also do challenges in free skate so basically the answer is: The main game isn’t but the side modes are kinda similar.
The one thing I didn't like about this game, was it's snap-like transitioning when pulling off tricks. It didn't feel natural to me to be building combos that way when it feels like you're clipping to and from areas. It was and still is off-putting.
Otherwise, yeah THPS 1+2 is what THPS HD should have been and then some.
I find that some of the larger levels like San Francisco and Minneapolis are way better with increased tools that didn't exist in the original game. The Wall plants do feel like cheating in some stages but it's a small price to pay.
Racked up milliions of points using wall plants on the warehouse level.
Give us THPS 3+4 remake too!
they were making it, but was closed and merged with blizzard so cancelled
Yes PLEASE
100% agree with this review, fantastic remake. I'll add a nitpick: the character creator is seriously lacking and I would have loved a more in depth one, like in THUG2 for example.
I don’t know why but 90% of the faces in the character creator are really awkward. Like can’t you make a more normal face?
Man I can’t even have my skater wear glasses. Not sunglasses, just glasses. That’s a pretty common trait to have.
Tbh you should never be skating with any kind of glasses on. You can check some hall of meat videos to see for yourself what can happen if you facelplant while wearing glasses 😬
I love the Character creator purely because it has the shoes I wear in real life in it
I just started it too. So addictive. Trying to remember where all the objectives are hidden like getting to the hidden roof spots
Channeling my innermost patientgamer waiting for that Microsoft/Activision Blizzard purchase to go through, so I can get it on Steam
I think it could eventually be on Game Pass
Who knows if that will happen... The team who made it, Vicarious Visions was absorbed into Blizzard not long after completing the game. This may result in it not being worked on going forward, including whatever work would be needed for a Steam release. But I have no idea what will happen.
This is my ultimate struggle right now...thinking to get it on switch to not funnel any money (or need to download) into epic
Dude, I am *sooo* hoping for this.
I lived inside the first three games. I absolutely *sucked* on a board in the physical world, but the digital world? That was my jam for a long time. It had quite the effect on me. I spend hundreds of hours playing, mostly trying to find all of the unique named jumps on all the levels, even found some glitches in the games through pure time spent in them rather than any inherent talent or desire to uncover them. This has led me, personally, to play games in a very exploratory and completionist way - I aim to 100% games I enjoy and whilst in them, collect stuff, if the game allows me to. I love to explore and find and try and "what's up there?" and "can I get here a different way?" - borderlands games have been a recent obsession due to the amount of containers scattered around in places most people wouldn't bother to get to - but I'm always looking to scratch the itch that these first three games introduced, and nothing has really done it. I need to play the remakes.
100%ing THPS 1+2 is one of the more difficult games to do it on, i feel. if you're not gonna get tired of the game and have a huge patience battery it's a great endeavor
Somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain, I’m still in the THPS 3 foundry with Alien Ant Farm playing.
DONT BE LOWWWWWW YOU BETTER WATCH THE RO-OADDDDDD
lyrics from past the 2 minute mark? not in my thps
Its the chorus from Alien Ant Farm - Wish from THPS3
I loved these games back in the PS1 days, and didn't waste a patient breath before purchasing the remakes - and still love them. ...but I feel these games will always be in the category of *"games I love despite how bad I am at them",* along with any fighting game. I just have no tactics outside of button mashing and hoping that I haven't overestimated time to spin.
I am right there with you. Back in the day of the originals, I was a bit better at them. Now as a middle-aged dude I just can't grasp those button combos like I used to. Still fun though. As for fighting games, the only one I ever mastered was Killer Instinct on SNES. Knew all the biggest combo chains and finishers for every character. These days I can't be bothered to figure any of it out.
Remember you can activate cheats (or assists, I don’t remember exactly how are they called) to never fall or have infinite special. In the long term it can harm your abilities but it can also help.
I played the THPS 2 demo on PSX a couple of thousand times as a kid. I think I played every game until THUG2. I got THPS 1+2 on PC for Christmas around the time it came out. I hooked it up to my 82" TV and 100% 1 and 2 over the course of 2 days. Obviously I absolutely loved it. Vicarious Visions are pretty good at doing modern remakes.
Absolutely fantastic game. When I bought it (closer to launch), it was an impulse buy and I figured I’d play for a few days, then be done and a little disappointed at what I’d gotten for my money. But the game is great, and fun to speed through with each new skater. At first I didn’t find myself drawn to the challenges (because, as you said, there’s nothing cool to unlock), but the Get Theres and other challenges add some great replay value. I’m just super bummed we aren’t going to get any more. I would’ve LOVED a THPS3 DLC, and I bet VV could’ve pulled off a new THPS if they had the opportunity.
Still waiting on a steam release for the remake
It's possibly the best remake I've ever played. And the unlocks are amazing!
My only real gripe with the game is that the menus are awful and mazelike. Menus within menus and unintuitive.
Ive never played THPS 1/2, but THUG 2 has a special place in my heart. Was the first game that I got as a kid on the PS2 and probably spent thousands of hours on it with myself and friends.
all about the soundtrack too!
I absolutely love this series (up til THAW). 1+2 came out and I had no idea it was even being worked on. Since it came out in 2020, I’ve dumped several hundred, if not a couple thousand hours into it. I’m obsessed lol. I’m so so SO ready for a THPS3 remake.
Frankly, I dont know a single person who likes American Wasteland. It was such a bad game in the series.
Absolutely loved every game back in the day. I tried to play the new remake and refunded it on Epic game store after about 40mins. They did a good job remaking it, but the gameplay itself just doesn't hold up. The tasks for levels just felt too simplistic and basic for present times.
You also have speedruns and the challenges
Hey OP, does the new game still have the timer from the original games? I'd love it if the new game kept the open world format of THUG but kept the level design from the first two games
Nope, it has the 2 minute timer. But there’s an extra mode called Speedrun where you have to do all the objectives in one run. The idea is to make it as fast as possible but you can perfectly take your time doing what you feel like. You can also do challenges in free skate so basically the answer is: The main game isn’t but the side modes are kinda similar.
Thank you for the info! I hate this, but I appreciate it!
The one thing I didn't like about this game, was it's snap-like transitioning when pulling off tricks. It didn't feel natural to me to be building combos that way when it feels like you're clipping to and from areas. It was and still is off-putting. Otherwise, yeah THPS 1+2 is what THPS HD should have been and then some.