Games this fun don't even need to look good, but Rainbow Studios did a hell of a job with the graphics nonetheless. This is one of the prettiest sports titles I've seen on any system, hands down. No, there aren't tons of breathtaking particle effects or lens flares everywhere (in fact, the water looks downright terrible and not much can be said about lighting), but the character models are extremely fluid, and the level designs are top notch. What else do you need, really? Nothing, that's what.
Now, although the game's sound effects are on par as usual -- peg grinds come off crystal clear, biker grunts are fairly realistic, etc. -- I really have problems with the soundtrack this time around. Extreme sports titles should bring rough, energetic tunes to match the intense action in-game, if you ask me. I was a fan of previous Tony Hawk soundtracks, and most of the tunes from the original Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX were perfectly fitting. Here, though, oomph-less songs like Iggy Pop's 'The Passenger' and Dislocated Styles' 'Unified' seem to drag the experience down, unavoidably to the point of using a custom soundtrack just to enjoy the game. Then again, a few glimmering gems can be found from LL Cool J ('Rock the Bells') and the Dub Pistols ('Official Chemical'), so perhaps there's something for everyone. Check it out for yourself before burning tracks from the 'ol CD collection.
