When a new console hits the scene, developers inevitably face flak for churning out updated versions of old games with a barely-noticeable visual facelift. But for the PS3 version of Tony Hawks Project 8, Neversoft has actually made the game .
Although the PS3s Sixaxis can be used to play using motion sensitive controls, balancing your skater or performing tricks never feels as precise as using the normal thumbstick, the jittery set-up wasting an opportunity to bring something fresh to the familiar Hawk experience. Even worse, the PS3 edition of Project 8 has been stripped off the online eight-player capabilities seen on the Xbox 360, restricting the action to your living room and preventing players showing off their skills to a global audience. And while the action in the lightning fast Xbox 360 version flowed smoothly, the PS3 version looks choppy by comparison and often judders when a lot is happening onscreen.
Besides its specific PS3 disappointments, Project 8 is still one of the weakest entries in the Tony Hawk series, expecting players to backtrack constantly to improve their skaters skills and forcing experts to struggle with feeble moves until they unlock a selection of sick tricks. But as another Hawk game is sure to grind into stores by the time summer comes around, its worth saving your pennies until the chairman of the board gets his act together.