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Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 26 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 16 votes
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Game Info
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Genre(s): Extreme Sports
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Summary
No levels. No load times. Just never-ending action that doesn't stop until you leave the game. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland gives you - for the first time ever in a Hawk game - the freedom to skate, or bike, throughout a rich, expansive open environment. Once you arrive in Los Angeles, the vast city that gave birth to skate culture, the sky's the limit as you progress through the Wasteland story and choose missions that will have you immersed in the action without ever skating the same line twice. New on the board tricks include the Bert slides, Natas spins handstands, and one-footed grinds and manuals. New off the board tricks include wall runs, wall flips, and charged jumps. Choose Board Or Bike: For the first time, you can choose to ride BMX bikes throughout the entire game, with all-new physics, a BMX specific control system and several BMX-specific goals. Customize Like Crazy: Enter and explore dozens of shops in game to customize your gear and your look! Check out skate shops, barbershops, tattoo parlors, and clothing stores as you accomplish goals and earn cash. [Activision]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Tony Hawk's Underground Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
GameSpy
It tries really hard to please both jaded vets and exuberant fanboys, and for the most part, it succeeds, even if the story mode's a little short and on the easy side.
Read Full Review >PGNx Media
A very solid game overall. The tweaks to the core gameplay, the addition of the BMX moves, and the inclusion of a massive city to skate around in are definitely appreciated.
Read Full Review >Nintendo Power
It takes what was great from the Underground games and strips out all the lame antics. [Dec 2005, p.115]
Nintendojo
American Wasteland creates a near-perfect balance that all free roaming games strive to achieve.
Read Full Review >GameZone
The only thing bad about this is that the story is really short especially if you are a veteran Tony Hawk player, other than that this game is a blast to play.
Read Full Review >Next Level Gaming
I can see the series getting a little tired, and it doesn't quite have that magical "aura" that the first couple did. But nonetheless there's plenty to keep you busy.
Read Full Review >IGN
As a whole, the story, attitude and overall focus of the game is much better this time around than what we've seen from the two "THUG" games.
Read Full Review >Stuff
Sure, you can choose BMX bikes instead of traditional boards, and the soundtrack of punk covers is the best freaking Tony Hawk soundtrack yet, bar none, but whether or not you'll love this game completely depends on how full your Hawk tank already is.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
The story mode is fun, funny and yet not absurd enough to wonder what drugs were abused during development time.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
Home to some of the greatest gameplay that you'll ever encounter, but unless you compete online, it mostly goes to waste. [Dec 2005, p.154]
eToychest
With the camera and control issues of "THUG2" corrected, a fresh, compelling story mode, and the highlights of the series up to this point in tow, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland stands as the best game to bear his name thus far.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
While American Wasteland may have the gameplay nailed down, it falls short of being great on the Nintendo GameCube. If you really want to experience the true greatness that is Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland then you’ll need to play it on another system.
Read Full Review >NintendoWorldReport
American Wasteland ends up being yet another sequel that feels more like an expansion pack, but when the levels are this big and well designed, that's not such a bad thing.
Read Full Review >ZTGameDomain
While the Gamecube version is lacking some of the bonuses of the PS2 and Xbox versions, it is still very solid.
Read Full Review >Da Gameboyz
For fans of the genre, American Wasteland will deliver more of the same, with an added beefy story mode option that flushes out a fairly interesting narrative, moving the game up a notch from pervious titles.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
While the gameplay in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland is still sharp, and the game still looks and sounds just fine, this seventh installment just seems to lack that special spark that made the series so much fun in the first place.
Read Full Review >BonusStage
The thought of pulling a combo across an entire city with no load times is very appealing, but unless you have perfect balance, nimble fingers, and patience, you probably won’t pull it off.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
Tony, you are lookin' haggard. Even though I like American Wasteland's country-boy-in-the-city story line much better than last year's World Destruction Tour's, the annual sequels will drive this franchise into the ground if publisher Activision doesn't take a break, and soon.
Read Full Review >Gamer 2.0
With the braindead goals, non-charismatic cast of characters, and relatively limited level list, the game is unfortunately relegated to rental status, with its best points making us reminiscent of the days when you actually had to be good to beat a Tony Hawk game.
Read Full Review >Kombo
A step up from last year’s sequel to "Underground," but it still has its problems.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
A free-play mode returns Hawk to his origins and here, the game does not disappoint one bit with its go forth and explore approach. [Dec 2005, p.66]
Game Revolution
Kudos to Neversoft and Activision for creating an amazing game, the sole competitor in its self-created genre, and curses upon them for distilling it to the point of absurdity.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
The title is just painfully apt: never has a free-roaming structure brought so little to improve the quality of a game's world. The mooted open-ended environments of Tony Hawk's American Wasteland feel like a fallacy, a bleak repackaging for hocking the game to a jaded audience. [Dec 2005, p.107]
games(TM)
When only a couple of challenges require you to break the million point barrier, only the weakest players will have trouble acing the game in hours. [Christmas 2005, p.107]
Computer Games Magazine
All told, it's no big loss if you decided to give Tony Hawk a rest for a year. [Jan 2006, p.91]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Ryan M. gave it a7:
When the greatest slogan or advertising ploy with this game is the fact it has no laod times, which is completely falso due to the excessive lagging when entering and exiting areas, something ahs gone terribly array. The game is Tony hawk, and truly, nothing else has to be said. I must comment on a few "new" aspects, for they mix up the gameplay a bit. The bike has substantially different controls, which could be rewarding for those willing to give it time. A few new tricks there, various levels which look way too similar, and a slew of lame unlockable skaters, plague this game. The classic mode, surprisingly enough, is actually a sclaed down version of what we saw in the previous 5-6 entries. There are less levels and the goals contain that tony hawk style, yet are way too simplistic for anyone to worry over for more than a few minutes time. Story mode is easy, even on sick, and can be completed in less than 8 hours. All in all, the game is solid. Yes, these flaws run rampant, and bring down the quality of the game, but for Tony hawk fans alike, we have taken these flaws every time and continue to buy each entry. for fans coming in to the series, start here, for lucky for you, story mode is one long and monotonous tutorial which you can take and run with. We all know and it is quite obvious, Tony Hawk needs a revitilization. As for now we have Tony Hawk American Wasteland....THUG 3 with flair.
Jonathan G. gave it an8:
Fun but I feel as though it is time to stop making Tony Hawk games. Either that or change the storyline compley I mean to where it is almost uncomparable to other THUG or THAW.
Alexander O. gave it a6:
I think that this game is really good and all but the levels are poorly made, and the lack of the create a deck option and create a player option in story mode is a real let down, but it's still pretty fun . Also the massiv amount of glitches and the fact that your character gets full stats way to easily in story mode I still found it sort of fun. I guess.
Jesse M. gave it a4:
The gameplay continues to be marred be insane amounts of glitches.
Chris B. gave it a7:
American Wasteland takes the Tony Hawk series and goes two steps forwards and one back. The inclusion of new moves, no loadtimes, BMXs, and a more intresting story goal (Assemble random junk for a skate park) is a step beyond THUG 1 and 2, but the game suffers from more glitches and camera issues (Camera is something I never had a problem with before in the series) than a TH game since THPS3. Some of the goals are litterally impossible, (Eg. Early on you're asked to run up the wall and backflip into a natas spin. Problem is you jump WAY too far to land on the pole!) but most are very easy for anyone who has completed the previous titles. The level design quality is mixed, the Oil Rig, Santa Monica and the final Skate Ranch are all great, but Hollywood and Beverly Hills are bland and boring. Classic Mode is not as good as in THUG2, the levels, while huge, are not well designed either (Except Kyoto) and it all feels like its been done before. The inability to use your created skaters in story mode and your story skater anywhere else is a real draw back, as is the lack of a Create-A-Deck option (Missed since THUG) If you don't have a TH game, or are looking for a new challenge this is worth a buy. The jackass stuff from THUG 2 is pretty much gone, but so is the excelent level design that game had. This is really a game fans will enjoy but new commers would be best looking at older titles.
Josh A. gave it a10:
I think that more games should be like this game and this game deserves a well earned 10
Duncan W. gave it a10:
Another great addition, plenty to do, and a whole new world to do it in.
