Tony Hawk's Project 8 for Xbox 360

GF Rating

8

Very Good

Best of the Series

posted by spxyu02 (PITTSBURGH, PA) Jan 24, 2009

Member since Jan 2009

2 out of 2 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

This is the best Tony Hawk game of the series through its time of release (I haven't played Proving Grounds yet), however it does have some persistent issues that keep it from getting a 10.

On the plus side, the graphics are improved, with the in-game skating looking much more fluid and realistic - closer to good motion capture. The controls are solid as always, and the goals are both familiar, and yet entertaining and fresh (especially the chalk goals). I rented to get 1000 GS, and was able to achieve this as a veteran of the series, but even newbies will find it accessible thanks to amateur, pro and sick goals mostly lumped together.

My biggest criticism is the "glitchiness" of the game. Where the different loaded levels of the game are "stitched" together at their borders, things got very jumpy on the screen. Secondly, I found it too easy to accidentally hop into focus mode. It took a very concerted effort to avoid this behavior. Finally, I noticed a significant in-game performance decrease upon applying the game's update from xbox live. Taking the update off resulted in a smoother and faster game.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Great installment in a great series.

posted by blanni (DENVER, CO) Feb 28, 2007

Member since Dec 2006

14 out of 16 gamers (88%) found this review helpful

If you're playing Project 8, you've probably played at least one of the previous Pro Skater games, so I'll try to aim this review at that demographic.

Graphically, Project 8 takes a bigger step than any of the previous Pro Skater games had taken, except maybe the graphical leap between 2 and 3. The character animations are smooth (so smooth, in fact, that it seems to have placed a serious limitation on the create-a-skater design mode). The world you skate in is attractive and realistic, and doesn't at all look like a pieced-together skater playground. The slow-down and bloom effects for "nail-the-trick" and "focus mode" are neat.

Gameplay. This is what really matters for a Pro Skater game. You will instantly feel familiar with the controls when you begin playing this game. The only addition to the game controls is "nail-the-trick," which is done by pressing both joysticks, and allows you to manipulate the board in a custom trick. It's fun, looks cool, and rakes in the points. The map design here is awesome. Unbelievably, there is no loading between zones. Imagine all of the maps in Tony Hawks Underground strung together into one huge city that you are free to skate and even drag combos through from one zone to the next. Goals are set up the way they were in THPS4, with people standing around waiting for you to initiate the goal with them. My favorite new feature in Project 8 is the chalk challenges. You will find chalk marks throughout the maps in four colors; green, orange, blue, and yellow. By grinding, manualing, wallriding, etc. through the green marker and then through the others consecutively you will earn a goal of various difficulty (Amateur, Pro, and Sick). Very spontaneous, very fun. There are a LOT of goals in this game to keep you very busy for a long time.

The music is once again interesting and diverse. You'll find a lot of tracks that you'll want to hear come up again and again.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

First great Hawk title since THPS4

posted by Lamrock (SEATTLE, WA) Mar 10, 2007

Member since Feb 2007

9 out of 10 gamers (90%) found this review helpful

I am a HUGE fan of the TH series. Since THPS 1, I have played each title extensively. Every game seemed to get better until THUG, which was a step down from THPS 4. THUG 2 was even worse, with downgraded graphics, stupid levels and a horrible story mode. THAW was horrible, with uninspired levels, an easy Story Mode (even on sick) and no redeeming qualities. I went into THP8 with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Unlike the past 3 games, THP8 doesn't follow much of a story. Sure, there is a plot to tie things together, but it really has no impact on the game. The game is non-linear, a la THPS 4. You do goals of your choice to boost your rank, which opens up new areas. Your mission is to get into Project 8, by being ranked in the Top 8. You start at 200, but move up quickly by clearing goals. The Difficulty in Story Mode is done really well, because most goals have 3 difficulties: Am, Pro and Sick.How well you do in the mission will earn you your rank. I am a TH veteran, but I can't complete most of the Sick goals. However, the story-related goals that don't follow Am, Pro, Sick are easy.

The Gameplay is similar to past Hawks, but it more grounded now. The tricks look much better, your skater moves slower and you can't pull off combos as big as in previous games. My top scores in the past 3 games have all been around 20 million, but I had a hard time cracking 3 million in this one. Nail The Rick is pretty cool, because you use the analog sticks to control the skater's feet. But this got boring fast, and I never risk big combos by using it.

The Graphics are amazing, with very detailed environments and brilliant lighting. The Soundtrack is like most TH games, with about 60 songs, It isn't bad, but you'll probably use your own. Online Play is a disappointment, because of glitches and the fact that it freezes every hour.

THP8 isn't perfect. There are glitches, a bit of slowdown and lame online play. Still, it is a great TH game and a must-play.

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

Big fan, big loss

posted by protox (LAKEWOOD, CO) May 28, 2007

Member since Mar 2005

5 out of 7 gamers (71%) found this review helpful

This game totally lost out on what makes Tony Hawk fun. Skating. I don't want to pretend I'm in some dinky city, I want sites. I miss the earlier games. This took the cake in awfulness though. I've never seen so many glitches and problems in a Tony Hawk game. As not only a gamer and a former skater I was very let down.

The voice acting was great and I was even surprised by the Jason Lee appearance. I thought he separated his ties to skating. The commercials he did were great too. But the character models were horrid and gross looking. First, Tony Hawk looked like a 60 year old claymation version of himself. The skin-tones for all the characters were bad and the animations were ridiculous.

The new tricks and the world graphics were pretty nice for the most part, but it lost its flavor in slow-downs and bad character creation. You are anything but free to create your own character in this one. One of the fun points of the series is now a cookie-cutter approach. You pick a default, then pick what's on them. No more changing your face to look like yourself. That and you can only pick from about 8 hairstyles.

The glitches are really bad. They happen all the time, even in your lines during a challenge. I'll be skating and suddenly hit the ground or bail while I'm in the air. I've had crashes where I'll randomly go flying across the screen for no reason and slam into objects causing over $100k in hospital bills. I've fallen through buildings and objects and randomly appear somewhere else.

This is the worst Tony Hawk in my opinion. The game is improving but the character models, glitches, and ideas are both lacking and getting worse.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

On the right track again.

posted by sosick (PITTSBURGH, PA) Mar 8, 2007

Member since Oct 2003

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

The game looks great, and since THPS3, I haven't been impressed with too many of the TH games. Personally I was tired of all the 3rd grade humor and ridiculous goals. This game is back on track, plays just as you'd expect too. The nail a trick feature in my opinion is a great addition and can really add a cool new dimension to combos. The stat building system I found to be really fair too (the more you do something, the better you get at it) Its pretty near perfect as far as TH games go. Don't be expecting to bang out all the achievements though, unless you have an insane amount of time and are absolutely sick at the game.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

SCHWEET

posted by bob132 (FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA) Nov 14, 2006

Member since Oct 2005

8 out of 17 gamers (47%) found this review helpful

I love this game. I've played all the Tony games and this just tops them all off. I love the online mode, it is a total escape from reality. If u love the Tony series, PLAY THIS GAME.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Interesting Play

posted by BG7007 (VALLEJO, CA) May 12, 2009

Member since Jan 2009

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

As with all of the other Tony Hawks, you can do crazy tricks that are obviously impossible, but also impossibly fun. The lack of realism helps this game in my opinion. It gets progressively harder to earn respect as you go along, but it still is possible to go pro.

Decent game, but the area is a tad cheesy

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

finally.....

posted by selfshethr (EL CAJON, CA) Jan 29, 2007

Member since Oct 2006

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

this is the first game i've enjoyed playing in its series since the first one. this game advances in challenge smoothly, and does not tire easily. it is a good game for beginners and newbies alike, because of the three levels of difficulty for each and every stunt. there are, however, many glitches in the game that are distracting. i wish the developers focused more on preventing the layers of graphics from intertwining...(ie often your avatar glides through other characters or walls, and i've twice experienced the ground color clear. other than that, no complaints here! definitely high replay value, and not "fast to beat". :)

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Best of All Hawk Games

posted by JGilliam (HOUSTON, TX) Dec 4, 2006

Member since Aug 2006

7 out of 16 gamers (44%) found this review helpful

This has to be the greatest Tony Hawk game yet. Great graphics, no load time and intense Live game play this game gets a perfect in my book!!

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Why?!?

posted by sena1234 (TAMPA, FL) Nov 30, 2006

Member since May 2005

3 out of 11 gamers (27%) found this review helpful

Why does this game have to be so hard? Really, this is ridiculous.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

really good game

posted by Clickart02 (LAFAYETTE, LA) Nov 7, 2006

Member since May 2005

5 out of 21 gamers (24%) found this review helpful

This is a really good game I really love it it has alout of new moves.Improvement to the griphics gameplay is kind of better.If you love tony hawk games I recomend ya renting this game

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Awsome

posted by jeremy96 (SAN JOSE, CA) Nov 7, 2006

Member since Oct 2006

3 out of 16 gamers (19%) found this review helpful

THIS GAME IS AWSOME.I thought this game would be the same like the others but this game has new skaters.New places to skate and an awsome new story line to be number 1.You have to play this game and whoever doesn't I feel sorry for them.I also heard they are coming up with another Tony Hawk game called"Tony hawk Skate in 2007."

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Project 8 is Amazing

posted by Crowing334 (BALLSTON SPA, NY) Nov 25, 2006

Member since Apr 2005

1 out of 5 gamers (20%) found this review helpful

ok project 8 for 360 is freakin insane, i played it for xbox first then got a 360 and the game, it is really different. there is so much more in the 360 verison i was amazed. they can do so much more with the strengh of the 360 and they proved it between the 2 versions of the game, if you have a choice get the 360 verison it wont let you down. no doubt 10 out of 10

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Physicz

posted by Brohammer7 (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA) Nov 9, 2006

Member since Jul 2006

3 out of 21 gamers (14%) found this review helpful

Da physicz r amazing! manualz hav nevva looked so gud. Da "Nail the Trick" feature iz a great addition, but i find myself bored by it after da firt hundred tymz, lol. Itz a great game, but if grabz could be incorporated into da "NTT", den it would get a 10

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

8

posted by imnonerd (CANTON, GA) Nov 15, 2006

Member since Oct 2005

1 out of 7 gamers (14%) found this review helpful

nail the trick is really really cool, it looks better, and the missions are much more fun

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

good

posted by smiley21 (CANYON LAKE, CA) Nov 8, 2006

Member since May 2006

3 out of 26 gamers (12%) found this review helpful

A good game

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

its the same thing

posted by jimmy2006 (SAN JOSE, CA) Nov 13, 2006

Member since Oct 2005

1 out of 12 gamers (8%) found this review helpful

all u do is the same the over and over again..gets really boring after 2 hours

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

awsome

posted by funman3 (GURNEE, IL) Apr 3, 2010

Member since Jan 2010

ive played it over at my friends house we wish we could do it in real life its fun :0

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Just gets worse and worse...

posted by Celor997 (FREDERICK, MD) Nov 16, 2009

Member since Jan 2009

Look, I'm not saying this game doesn't have its moments--because it does. You'll have times when you're laughing out of sheer glee because you just did some trick so insane that it's mindblowing. However, the Tony Hawk franchise is just becoming repetitive. It's the same game, over, and over, and over, and over again. Yeah, there's some polish, and yeah, there's new features.

Now, before you go thinking I hate the Tony Hawk series, I'm going to doubt you have a working N64 with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Pro Skater 2, and Pro Skater 3, and still play them from time to time. I still believe that THUG was the best incarnation of the Tony Hawk franchise, despite this.

Now then.. the game has nice graphics, retardedly insane tricks--as I just got through saying, and the exact same gameplay as in the previous TH games. Y or Triangle--depending on whether you're on 360 or PS3, or PS2 for that matter--is still grind. X / A is still jump. Square / X is still fliptrick. And O / B is still grab trick.

I won't say that the game is bad, because it isn't. However, I still believe the Skate franchise has a more intelligent design, and a far more interesting control scheme--when you nail your first 37 trick combo in Skate, you're gonna be like "HOLY. FREAKING. CARP. I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT." In Tony Hawk, you'll have done probably a 217 trick combo by that time. But, this is all opinion, as all reviews are.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 is by no means a bad game... but it's the exact same thing as the previous ones. (Also, if you're going "Psh, I doubt he even played through the game" .. I got Gold on all challenges and beat it twice. Though, I'm not one to brag. :P)

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Suprised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by john77713 (DANVILLE, CA) Aug 24, 2009

Member since Aug 2008

It was actually Pretty awesome! 8 out 10.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

project 8 is cool

posted by bigtrey021 (Leesburg, GA) Apr 26, 2009

Member since Nov 2006

this game was off the chain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i would of bought it.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Tony Hawk Strikes again

posted by Crowstew (STOCKTON, CA) Oct 25, 2008

Member since Jul 2008

This was a pretty good game at first I was excited to play and spent a great deal of time playing it.
The achievements are pretty hard to get from this game and the realism is..well what realism? just like most of the tony hawk games you fly threw the air like a twirling ballerina with a skateboard. the multiplayer is fun, but you can only play for a short period of time before the repetitiveness overwhelms you. The controls to the game were a great addition to the Tony Hawk franchise and the graphics were really good, I was delighted to seem some old skating buddies, in the video games.. and 'ey wait is that Brody?!

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

awsome game, dc what anyone says...honestly

posted by Cameron360 (LAKE JACKSON, TX) Aug 30, 2008

Member since Jul 2008

I have read reviews and don't agree with most of 'em. Yes, the game may be hard...if you don't play any tony hawk games. I actually had a blast. Loved getting my rank up, customizing my skater, playing against the pro's, just great package.

Online is pretty fun too. I play Time Attack, get most points before timer ends, and get like 2,000,000 pts in 3min. I just love the game. And someone said something bout graphics not being great or as good as skate. Let me tell ya that Project 8 came out 8-10 months before Skate, so then we had Tony Hawk Proving Grounds, which was a great game also, beat it within a day. And to me, it had better graphics then skate. Anyways, if you like the tony hawk series, you'll love this title.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

same old same old

posted by wolf95 (EVERGREEN, CO) Jul 10, 2008

Member since May 2008

the game was pretty much the same as all the other tony hawk games

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Too Easy

posted by VANDYFAN06 (HENDERSONVILLE, TN) Jul 6, 2008

Member since Jul 2007

This game well can i say i started at 200 like everybody else, and it took me less than a day to get into the project 8 The graphics are okay not as good as skate.If i would have to choose between tony hawk series and skate.

SKATE!

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Tony Hawk's Project 8 for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

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