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Good: No load times, level design

Bad: Minor improvements

Just Plain Wrong: Pop-punk covers of classic Punk songs

After seven years and seven games Activision's Tony Hawk franchise has more than proved itself as not only a major commercial success but also the forerunner of the extreme sports genre.

Their newest offering, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland is no different.

American Wasteland takes place in a large, free roaming version of the Sunshine State where combo opportunities abound and load times are nonexistent. You can literally skate from combo from one end of the game to the other without suffering through a single load screen.

Truly a step up in level design over previous Hawk games where levels were often hit or miss, the design of American Wasteland is fantastic from end to end. Areas are multi-tiered, allowing for plenty of acid drop and vert trick opportunities and almost every edge in the game can be grinded on, opening up even more exploration via combo lines. In previous titles there were obvious lines the designers created for specific objectives. This time you're given complete freedom to make your own line and there's always more than one way to get from Point A to Point B.

The free-form trick system the series is known for is still intact. A few additions have been made to the system like the Bert Slide, which gives an alternative to the manual when chaining flatland tricks, but it is largely unchanged.

The rest of the additions to the trick system are most noticeable when on foot. Apparently the skaters took gymnastics lessons in hiatus between Tony Hawk's Underground 2 and American Wasteland because it is now possible to run up walls, monkey crawl, back flip and ninja roll. The on-foot moves don't really effect gameplay and are a bit unwieldy at times thanks a camera that refuses to be repositioned.

The only other new addition to the series is the inclusion of BMX biking. Since it's a different type of extreme sport it only makes since that the bikes control differently than the skateboards. Biking incorporates the use of the right analog stick to perform certain tricks. Disorienting at first, these tricks soon become second nature allowing for some interesting, although low-scoring combos. It's nice that biking is optional because the trick system isn't anywhere near the complexity or fun of skateboarding. All and all biking is a nice distraction when skating gets old, but a distraction and nothing more.

Like last year's THUG 2 Single-player gameplay is divided into two modes: Story and Classic.

In story you choose one of five characters and set out to make a name for yourself on the underground skating circuit. At the outset of Story mode your trick set is limited to only the core grabs, flip tricks and grinds. No Manual. No Special. No Revert. These tricks are learned through progression of the story. Luckily, most of these skills are unlocked within the first 30 minutes of play.

Once you've learned these key skills the game is business as usual. Accomplishing various objectives given by characters in the city advances the story. There are skate competitions and landmarks found in the different areas can be added to your skate park, aptly named American Wasteland. That's the game in a nutshell: skate around a wide-open California, performing various tasks that are asked of you by the locals and build the perfect skate park.

Classic Mode is fun and is a nice break from Story mode, but many of the objectives were designed without taking the ability to get off your board into consideration. As a result, many "difficult" objectives that were designed around timing and precision are made much easier by merely wall running and climbing.

Classic Mode is also fairly easy on the default difficulty setting. It takes about an hour to finish and maybe an additional half hour or forty-five minutes to go back and complete any left over objectives.

Create-a-Modes all make their return as well. Largely unchanged, familiars with the series will find themselves right at home with the Create-a-Park and Create-a-Skater modes.

Create-a-Skater offers even more customization options than last year's THUG 2. The learning curve on this mode is nonexistent. Anyone should be able to create their own character no problem. Create-a-Park is equally self-explanatory, but may take a few attempts before a good, fully functional park is achieved.

Create-a-Graphic is also intuitive. For a simple graphic system the amount of creative freedom is impressive. Unlocking additional graphics as you progress through the game allows for even more creative options.

Create-a-Trick still needs work. The interface is difficult to understand and the game often offers no explanation for why a trick won't work. More often than not, it's better to just start with a pre-made trick and go from there.

Often known for their soundtracks, an eclectic mix of underground and classic Rock and Hip Hop, the soundtrack for American Wasteland is easily the worst of the franchise. This year Activision thought it would be a good idea to release a soundtrack for the game that featured today's Top 40 Pop Punk groups covering hallmarks of old school Punk. The result is a grating, whiny soundtrack that will make any fan of The Dead Boys or the Misfits sick to their stomachs. There's still some old school stuff (Black Flag) and some pretty cool Hip Hop (Public Enemy), just not enough.

American Wasteland's biggest problem is that there's not much to say about it that couldn't be said about any of the past four installments in the series. The graphics engine is competent, the trick system is rock solid and the level design is fantastic, but after being spoiled by the series' previous commitment to quality these points almost feel moot.

All the game types here are expected, there's nothing here that feels unfamiliar or new. Online mode is straightforward, Classic Mode returns, all of the two-player game types are present and accounted for and the Create-a-Modes are back.

The biggest and best addition is the lack of load times. The creation of a seamless skating experience is a welcome one, but that just isn't enough to warrant slapping a new picture on what is essentially last year's game. The result is a title that feels less like a sequel and more like an expansion pack and that doesn't warrant the $50 price tag. If Activision isn't careful they're going to milk their cash cow dry.

Graphics: B+

Sound: C+

Gameplay: B

First Play: B+

Last Play: B-

Overall: 86% B