‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5’ Gets New Cel-Shaded Art Style

THPS 5 graphics — The new look for "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5."

With less than two months away from its official release, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5” has gone through a massive graphics overhaul. Multiple screenshots have shown that the game now sports a cel-shaded look, ditching the semi-realistic approach of the graphics seen in the previous version of the game. No reason was given for the game’s change in art style thus far and it seems that none will be given as the game’s release date draws closer.

One possible reason for the graphics overhaul: fan complaints. According to Eurogamer, plenty of fans felt that the game looked too much like an old and dated “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” game. While the game is trying to capture the old-school feel of the previous games, it appears that no one wants the new game to look like the older ones.

Reaction to the game’s new art style has been mixed. VG24/7 noted that the graphics actually look worse than the original art style of the game. The cel-shaded look seems to have made the skaters look like cartoon characters, thanks to the black outlines around them.

Graphics aside, the gameplay brings enough nostalgia to attract hardcore fans of the series. “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5” plays very much like the older versions of the game, which means pulling off multiple skateboard tricks with ease. Much like the older “Tony Hawk” games, players will also be tasked with pulling off high-score combos and collecting items around the areas.

The game’s online play will supposedly attempt to capture the feeling of being in a skate park. Up to 20 players can go online and participate in a number of challengers or simply grind for fun, just as in actual skate parks. So far the only downside is that the online play limits gamers who can actually participate, since it's only available on current-gen consoles.

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5” will be released on Sept. 29. The game will be available on the PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360.