Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 First Impressions

Activision stopped by the GameSpot offices to show off the PC sequel to the highly acclaimed console game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Like its console counterparts, the PC version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is shaping up to be a highly entertaining gaming experience.

Even though PC gamers missed out on the original Tony Hawk game, Activision is hoping that the immense success of the original game - combined with the new features offered in the sequel - will be enough to get PC gamers excited about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. Thanks to the added pixel-crunching muscle provided by PC 3D cards, the PC version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 runs at a much smoother frame rate than the PlayStation version of the game does, and the textures are of a much higher quality. In the version we played, there were still some issues with polygon clipping and pop-up, though Activision assured us that these problems would be fixed before the game's release.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 can be played through the use of either the keyboard or a controller device. Aside from a glitch involving spin moves - which will also be fixed before release - control seems to be excellent so far. Console fans may find themselves gravitating towards the use of a controller, but Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is still quite easy to control on a keyboard, even with the default setup. In either case, players will be able to edit the button setup to their liking.

Currently, Activision and Neversoft - also responsible for the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater - are aiming for a simultaneous PC/console release late this summer. We'll have more in-depth preview coverage on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 soon.