Aggressive Inline brings that little something that has been missing from the extreme sports genre for quite some time. While it falls short of knocking the Hawkman off his throne due to some flawed game mechanics; the THPS4 team had better take heed of the numerous improvements made to the level design, game structure, soundtrack, and overall edgier content of Akklaim's gem.
To begin, the greatest improvement to "the formula" by AGI has been, far and away, the elimination of the dreaded clock. Yes, no longer do you have 2 minutes to explore what amounts to a 5 square mile area. Instead, you are free to explore them at your leisure, and the clock starts only when you accept a challenge such as "get 90,000 points in 1:00". As a result, 1 level of AGI is equal to 2-3 of Tony Hawk 3's. Bigger, better thought out levels = more fun for all involved.
Another large improvement would be the elimination of stat points/cash/whatever. No longer do you chase your tail looking for spinning icons. In their seemingly infinite wisdom, the developers added an RPG twist, where the more you engage in one particular skill, the more that skill develops. So if you manual but never grind, good luck trying to complete that "grind the fireworks rail challenge". If you grind but never vert, then you'll never be able to pull off very impressive air combos. It feels much more natural and accessible than THPS's system, and chances are if you can't do something in one level, you should go skate in another to level up the appropriate stats a few times, then come back.
Smaller improvements to "the formula" include the soundtrack, which is probably the finest one I've ever heard in a skating game. The fact is that I've always felt lousy Nu Metal and whiney/crappy emo/ "punk" bands CAN sound good if used properly in the context of a video game. And in AGI, lemons are turned into lemonade, so to speak. Up next are the graphics, which far and away outdetail, out perform, and just dazzle away anything else on the system in the extreme sports category, including Tony 3. Of course, I'm kind of biased to a game that has a playable skater dressed in a schoolgirl outfit that constantly gives you upskirt shots when you skitch a vehicle.
Which brings me to my final piece of praise for AGI: for a genre with the word "extreme" in it, I certainly wasn't feeling it. The truth is, I don't know how AGI got away with a T rating, but it certainly makes me have faith that no holds will be barred on Dave Mirra XXX. Blood splatters absolutely everywhere when you bail, people on the street call you names too vulgar to mention here, and did I mention the schoolgirl panty/bouncy thing? Of course this wouldn't mean a thing if the game wasn't GOOD; but those wishing for a little attitude in their rollerblades will not be disappointed. Kudos to Akklaim for proving that just because a game has T&A, blood, cursing, and other forbidden fruit, doesn't mean it's bad game.
However, as good as Aggressive Inline is, Tony Hawk barely escapes with his crown intact on the basis of gameplay mechanics. In AGI, every trick, maneuver, and nuance from THPS you may have remembered is intact…except that the grab/flip buttons are combined, and the shoulder buttons are used for rotating. This is because the circle button is assigned to several functions that haven't been seen before. First is the "vault" move, which lets you do a flip over a barrier without skating around it. Second is the bail, which, if timed right, lets you avoid a fall, and continue your combo unscathed. Third is the pole vault, which, is more annoying than fun. Sure, it looks cool, but it just doesn't translate well into an actual gameplay mechanic. As a result of the lack of a comprehensive vert element, most of your points will come from various grinds. Good thing that the street skating is well done.
Aggressive Inline isn't quite Tony Hawk 4, but it sets a standard for game design that even that series will have to adhere to from here on out. If you've played the cruise ship to death, unlocked Wolverine and Sorceress, and found every stat point, Aggressive Inline is something fresh, new, and most importantly, fun.
-George
Create an Account
Member Login
