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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 59 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 33 votes
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Game Info
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Genre(s): Extreme Sports
Players: Multi
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: October 15, 2007
Summary
For the first time, players will have the freedom to define their character, story and style based on the choices they make, the paths they choose and the style of skating they use on the proving grounds from Philadelphia and Baltimore to Washington, D.C. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground features deeper customization than ever before, including a Video Editor with full-featured editing tools and visual effects for creating "epic skate videos," and a fully customizable online Skate Lounge where players can skate with friends in the ultimate pad. In addition, players have the freedom to skate from single player to online seamlessly, as well as utilize new gameplay mechanics such as skateable terrain altering and building, and Bowl Carving. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground also features even more Nail the Trick moves such as Nail the Grab and Nail the Manual intensifying the thrill of pulling off big tricks. [Activision]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Tony Hawk's Project 8
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameFAQs
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...
PGNx Media
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is easily the best Tony Hawk game to date. Everything from the varied career mode, new gameplay features and video editor come together in a great, cohesive package.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
The ultimate evolution of the Tony Hawk franchise. It contains the perfect mix of next-gen technology while holding true to the core skating elements and quality gameplay that has made this the definitive skateboarding title for more than a decade.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine UK
The smoothest, best looking and prettiest Hawk game of the lot. It really has been tweaked to perfection. It's going to be impossible to improve on this one next year. [Dec 2007, p.84]
Read Full Review >Operation Sports
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground does it again. The team at Neversoft has taken a great game and improved it like we’ve seen time and time before.
Read Full Review >Digital Entertainment News
Tony Hawk games have evolved over time, and this title shows that it has an eye on the future, and keeping the franchise fresh. There is a distinct focus to make this game have a certain atmosphere, and it succeeds. This is my new favorite in the series.
Read Full Review >GameZone
There are a lot of things that will keep you occupied for months on end, without even going that in-depth with the “career” mode. If you are a fan of this series then picking up this game is a no-brainer.
Read Full Review >GamingTrend
While I can’t say that all of the modes were a hit for me, there is a great deal to like in this new outing with Tony Hawk.
Read Full Review >GamePro
There's no denying that the Tony Hawk franchise has some life left in it and Proving Ground is yet another satisfying entry in the dominant skateboarding franchise. But here's hoping they start to innovate again next year, because if they don't, their competition might just leave them in the dust.
Read Full Review >Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
It's unbelievably refreshing, liberating even, to jump into a world free from the laws of gravity after being tied down by Skate's restrictive utopia.
Read Full Review >Armchair Empire
While the Tony Hawk franchise soars once again, it certainly hasn’t flown into the same stratosphere of excellence reached by earlier Tony Hawk games.
Read Full Review >Games Master UK
Not a revolution, but still addictive, and different enough from "Skate" to matter. [Christmas 2007, p.82]
Gamers' Temple
Proving Ground isn't the best Tony Hawk title, but it sure is nice to have him come back, hang out and remind us all just how cool he used to be.
Read Full Review >GameTrailers
The big question on everyone’s mind is which is better: EA’s "Skate," or Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground? We’re going with Tony on this one, though by a slim margin. The core of the game is just much stronger with the full complement of tricks, more reliable controls, far more interesting objectives, a vastly superior video editing tool, and a lot more content in general.
Read Full Review >Pelit (Finland)
Proves itself as yet another entertaining instalment of the ever continuing series. All the elements that first made the series great are still there, but the new simplistic visual style with its knee-high camera and the downright ugly surroundings do put a damper on the mood. [Dec 2007]
Da Gameboyz
Although Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is not incredibly ground breaking or innovative it is definitely a solid addition to the franchise.
Read Full Review >ZTGameDomain
A great game; albeit a game in desperate need of a reboot. The series is still fun but it hasn't evolved in such a long time that it is starting to show it's age.
Read Full Review >GameDaily
The Video Editor will keep you busy for hours and the mixture of old and new gameplay components are more than enough to keep it from losing speed.
Read Full Review >Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
Nobody can take away what this franchise did to the genre. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’ve played this before. Tony Hawk’s team seems to be running out of ideas and with “Skate” as a strong newcomer, they really need to change. But it’s still a fun game that old fans of the Birdman will appreciate. [Dec 2007
Official Xbox Magazine
The revolution, this year, belongs to EA's "Skate", but evolution remains Proving Ground's domain. [Holiday 2007, p.76]
Gamer's Hell
Other than a few little issues this game has a ton of things going for it. From the freedom, the tight control, the music, options, impressive cast of pro skaters with some exciting videos, ramps, pipes, and rails, at every turn.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
The addition of the new Aggro Kick, which lets you build up speed with timed button presses, is pure genius. Having the ability to smoothly go online and enjoy multiplayer is absolutely fantastic, but the single-player experience is more chore than score, and brings down the whole experience because of its uninspired design.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
One thing I thought at first wouldn't be really entertaining, the skate video editing, turned out to be truly innovative.
Read Full Review >Talk Xbox
It’s odd that a game with so much new content could feel so familiar, but such is the case with Proving Ground. I think it’s time for Neversoft to go back to the drawing board and seriously attempt to innovate if they ever expect this Hawk to fly as high as it once did.
Read Full Review >MS Xbox World
Sure, some of the new features are nice; the editing films feature is the best thing about this game. If you’ve only just recently gotten into skating games, then Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is worth checking out. However, for Tony Hawk’s veterans, it may be time to start looking elsewhere.
Read Full Review >IC-Games
The Tony Hawk's series is still in a dire need of a complete overhaul no matter how good the small and subtle improvements to the series are. Since EA and Black Box brought us .skate the bar has been raised and if Neversoft are going to compete they need to start thinking out of the box rather than further improving features that already worked so well in Tony Hawk's Project 8.
Read Full Review >Team Xbox
Although Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground definitely falls into the “good” game category, there’s no denying that the franchise is getting more than a little stale.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
From the two-minute, almost completely useless tutorial that pretty much expects you to have played Tony Hawk games before to a wide range of difficulty on many of the goals and new features that just plain suck, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground simply fails to be much fun and will definitely frustrate new players.
Read Full Review >IGN
A relatively solid game, but it really doesn't do anything new and significant. We've seen all of the good parts from the game multiple, multiple times now, and it really just feels like we're playing a large expansion pack.
Read Full Review >games(TM)
Does Tony Hawk want to be score attack game – and a very good one at that – or does it want to take on Skate? If it’s the latter, then sadly, it’s going to lose. [Dec 2007, p.110]
Eurogamer
It falls short of its predecessor, which succeeded thanks to cheeriness, simplicity and fluidity. However, it still stands out ahead of its own worst Jackass era, and many of the new inclusions, especially the video editing and Nail The Grab, deserve your attention.
Read Full Review >GamerNode
Solid gameplay, which you'd expect at this point in the series' life, but it just doesn't bring enough new or innovative features to keep you interested, especially with a competitor as good as skate.
Read Full Review >DarkStation
This however is still a very good Tony Hawk game and if you enjoy a bit more arcade flair to your skateboarding adventure then this is a title you should check out.
Read Full Review >360 Gamer Magazine UK
This is a definite improvement in the series, but not a particularly large one as it’s very much as case of sticking with a successful formula. Better visuals, a few new tricks, features and more career options are all great for the franchise but Skate has laid down a new challenge that Proving Ground hasn’t quite risen to.
VideoGamer
Predictably, Proving Ground falls into the 'more of the same category'. When that means more of the same of something brilliant and proven, there's reason for both contentment and disappointment, but if you know you like Tony Hawk, though you'll not be blown away you should certainly feel comfortable here.
Read Full Review >My Gamer
Everyone who has bought every Tony Hawk game thus far knows what they’re getting; a game about skateboarding, and that’s all. And when it comes to that, it is pretty good.
Read Full Review >Boomtown
The series has had a good run, but it just hasn’t really evolved much from it’s initial outing and unless they can do a complete reinvention on the next installment then Actvision should just call it a day.
Read Full Review >GamingExcellence
Proving Ground feels like filler in the end. It has great ideas and a great start on all areas like visuals and audio, gameplay and replay value, but they’re rushing these ideas and the end product is suffering.
Read Full Review >GameShark
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a game that is stuck in the rut of its predecessors.
Read Full Review >Extreme Gamer
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground doesn’t have the impactful and feel it once had. Last years Project 8 seemed like the right path for the next-generation Tony Hawk franchise to follow instead of this year’s fragmented version.
Read Full Review >PALGN
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground does many things right, but frustrating goals and unrefined gameplay mechanics seriously dampen the experience.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground gets most of the Tony Hawk formula down, but the parts that stray from that formula are the parts that don't work out so well.
Read Full Review >NZGamer
Skate will definitely appeal to the serious skaters out there. Tony Hawks’ Proving Ground is better suited for the casual gamers who enjoy the speed rush and gravity defying tricks.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
Feels like the same game that we've been playing for years. The developers have certainly taken some steps in the right direction with the class system and a couple of new moves, but the game is plagued by frustrating and boring challenges, weak presentation and a glitchy level editor.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
The nuts and bolts of Tony Hawk still provide some fun, but at this point it's just ancient left-overs of what used to be something special. [Holiday 2007, p.68]
Console Monster
Overall Proving Ground has enough content and challenges to keep any Tony Hawk enthusiast busy, with an impressive online mode, and plenty of ways to complete the game, but for others it may just come across as the same tired game in another guise.
Read Full Review >Planet Xbox 360
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground feels like the videogame equivalent of tail grab after getting a few feet of air - nothing special. You have played this game before, many times, and were probably much happier at the time. Games in a series are supposed to get better, not stagnate and die a slow death.
Read Full Review >Video Game Talk
Despite the vast variety of gameplay features to explore in Tony Hawk: Proving Ground, I found myself wanting a less skill-specific, more rewarding experience. The controls were too unforgiving and the difficulty was set far too high in many cases.
Read Full Review >G4 TV
Proving Ground is far from a bad game, but it's a disappointment nonetheless. That's what happens when creativity gives way to complacency.
Read Full Review >Thunderbolt
Think of it this way: skate is to Tony Hawk as The Bourne Identity was to Die Another Day. The Bourne series didn't kill the Bond series, it just challenged it. And what happened? We got Casino Royale, an awesome Bond flick in a completely new style.
Read Full Review >X360 Magazine UK
Standing just a little too still, which in the face of "Skate" ain't very good we're afraid. Though they cater for different markets, we know which one we'd rather be playing. [Issue 26, p.78]
Edge Magazine
Proving Ground is, at best, a functional sequel. It gives the fans what they want, throws in a handful of awkward or undeveloped ideas, and leaves it there. At worst, it’s a poor entry to the Tony Hawk’s lineage. [Christmas 2007, p.91]
GameSpy
In spite of its solid online multiplayer, good video editor, and fun arcade game, the overall experience can't rise to the level of the game's great predecessors.
Read Full Review >Xbox World Australia
It seems the guys over at Neversoft never got the memo. You know, the one that said, "Hey all, there is this other game called Skate coming out around the same time as ours so we better do our best to make this Tony Hawk game as good as we can.”
Read Full Review >GameTap
Tony Hawk brings a mixture of joy and frustration to this reviewer. On the one hand, I still find I always have room to improve. On the other hand, this really is the same game we've been playing for nine years.
Read Full Review >Game Positive
Proving Ground is not a terrible game in most of its execution; it's just that what essentially amounts to a third of the game is irreparably broken, and what's left is recycled from previous years.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
I spend so much time criticizing this game only because the core mechanics are so good.
Read Full Review >Game Almighty
The layout of the levels is classic Hawk as well. The cities do a good job of recreating the east coast habitat they’re meant to mimic, but the dingy and gritty style makes it all look kind of ugly. In an over-the-top whimsical game like this, I’d expect a little more lighthearted style because this doesn’t exactly work.
Read Full Review >1UP
It's unpolished, unfocused, and proves nothing more than the now undeniable fact that the series needs a serious makeover and a lengthy vacation.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 4.9 (out of 10) based on 33 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Blake B. gave it a1:
Biggest disappointment. THPG is by far the worst TH game since Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. I dont know how else to say this game is the biggest waste of time and money.
Job A. gave it a9:
This game is truly incredible.The last Tony Hawk project 8 was great but this just tops it with no doubt.Everyone is talking "Skate" this and "Skate" that and that game cant even compare to this game.It is a completely different game to begin with.That game is basically a simulation of skate boarding.Its a very boring game and I played it for 2 hours and I returned it the same day.Tony Hawk's Proving Ground just has so many things to do and it never feels repetitive.It is basically Project 8 with smoother game play and much more to do.For everyone reading this I recommend that you go right away and pick it up cause it is a just about as perfect as you can get for skate boarding.I do not see how they will top this next year,but I'll be waiting to find out.I score it a 9.6.
Robert J. gave it a5:
More of an exercise in anger management than a video game. the challengers are frustrating, the controls feel off and while the levels are good, it's actually unlocking this that makes me want to throw large objects at the screen.
Kevin R. gave it a6:
A hugely disappointing entry into the Tony Hawk franchise. They can't seem to decide whether or not they want an actual story or just some generic skateboarding, and it doesn't help that the games are becoming far too easy.
Nick D. gave it a10:
This is a great game. It has greatly improved since THP8. You can stream from single player to online play quite easily and customization options are pretty good. Building your own park in your lounge is a fun bonus too. It's a long game with some difficult achievements that will take some time to get. This is definately a great sequel to the series.
Ian I. gave it a2:
Adding a video editor doesn't make it a new game. If you bought all the TH games up till now chances are nothing will stop you from getting this one, the bottom line is its almost identical to all the other Tony Hawk games that have been made in recent years which is fine except that it is incredibly lacking in the graphics department and as a next gen sequal to a regular series that truly is the bread and butter...TH games are becoming more and more like sports games...nothing realy changes from year to year but a slight graphical upgrade...only that upgrade is extreamly deficiant here.
Marie S. gave it an8:
When you break it down, EA's game is a Sim and Activision's game is Arcade. I own both and I enjoy both, but for different reasons. This one does offer a "create-a-park-esque" system of rigging, which is really cool, because you can put skate pieces (rails, kickers, etc...)anywhere, which is one thing I really like that Skate didn't have. This game is really good!
