Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 remake removes free roam option in career mode, disappointing fans

Activision Blizzard's remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 omits the free roam feature in its career mode, disappointing long-time fans of the series.

Activision Blizzard has confirmed that the remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 will not feature a free roam option for its career mode, meaning players will be unable to explore the environments at their leisure, unlike in the original game. This news comes alongside the announcement of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, a collection that includes fully remastered versions of the third and fourth installments in the skating franchise, boasting improved technical aspects, new content, and single-player and multiplayer gameplay modes.

However, not all changes are being welcomed by fans. A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard shared with Kotaku that the structure of the career mode in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 has been heavily modified. It will now resemble that of the first three games, featuring timed missions lasting two minutes. In contrast, the original allowed players to freely roam the levels, discovering challenges and completing them. While many challenges still had time limits, players could explore, try out tricks, and collect cash between tasks.

The early signs of this significant shift were noticed by fans on Reddit through the descriptions available on digital store listings, which state: "Try the new parks or enjoy the timeless ones from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, perfectly recreated in spectacular 4K resolution with focused objectives and an epic 2-minute format." Many users expressed their dissatisfaction with this change, while others indicated that they preferred the more classic and less diluted formula of the series, thus appreciating the modification.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is set to release on July 11 across multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox (available on Game Pass from day one), and Nintendo Switch.