Most importantly the gameplay is fun, fast-paced, and responsive- sticking true to THPS1+2 commitment to the core feel of the series. The maps are all visually well designed, with vibrant colors that defines a distinct style. Compared to their THPS3/4 counterparts the maps are largely the same and feel great, save for Zoo which has been overhauled into an alright competition map. The new maps all play well and are a welcome addition, especially Pinball. The move from free roam to 2-minute trials for THPS4 may feel odd at first, but it helps keep a definitive gameplay loop between the two games that I feel may have felt a tad jarring otherwise. THPS4 is wonderful as its own game, and I remain optimistic for a future THUG1+2 to do justice with open levels, but the bundling with THPS3 makes this a different situation.

I suspect Carnival and Chicago (among licensing rights for the latter) would not translate well to the new format, which makes their removal less disheartening. I likewise find complaints regarding the soundtrack to be rather obtuse as the most iconic tracks from the original games are preserved, and the new tracks remain in the spirit of the game (not to mention it's never been easier to play with your own background music). What I do miss is the regretful omission of the many pro challenges from THPS4, as there is little in the way of rewarding difficulty for experienced players. THPS3+4 offers expanded "pro goals" in the 2-minute format alongside a "solo tour" mode once completing all stages normally, which is satisfactory I guess- but many of these are in-line with the challenge of the ordinary goals. Even the "legendary map score" expert challenges have been severely reduced from 10m+ in THPS1+2 to ~2m.

As a "remake" it feels unique and tailored to fans of the series as a whole, rather than a true 1:1 "remaster" for fans of THPS4 specifically. As a sporting game the gameplay is what makes-or-breaks the title, and if you enjoy THPS you likely know you'll have fun with this title- consider picking it up during a sale.

Super fun, creative. and stylish game with simple mechanics that flawlessly connect together. The basic flow is as follows:

Skate around and shoot enemies -> Do tricks to reload your weapon -> Get kills to regenerate health

The weapons that get added throughout the campaign don't change that loop much, but open up interesting possibilities to use the multiple tools together in novel ways. Each of the four weapons play unique enough to warrant their additional slot, allowing for versatile and dynamic approaches to the stages and their various enemy types. The starting dual pistols may give you the impression combat is rather up-close, but later weapons greatly increase your kill range extensively (at the expense of guaranteed accuracy).

The campaign is admittedly short- expect around four to six hours- but the sandbox is addictingly replayable (I have an additional 20+ hours logged on console). While I feel the challenges present are serviceable, I do wish there were more "tactical" challenges (one I really loved was "Complete this stage without using the Dual Pistols"- more like these!). I was pleasantly surprised that a fair amount of the middle stages don't hold back with difficulty, as to challenge the player to accommodate to their new weapons. The high point rankings are also a welcoming challenge- do not expect to S rank many, if any, of the stages on your first go around.

Couldn't recommend this enough to anyone looking for a short-but-sweet, quality action experience that offers something truly different in the Arena and Skating genres its melds together.