Tony Hawk: American Wasteland

Acid drop into a revert manual then ollie over a rusty rail into goofy darkslide grind for a wicked ill combo line that is so fetch! If you understood all that, and avoided the compulsion to vomit in your mouth, then you just might have the constitution to play Tony Hawk: American Wasteland with the sound on. The angsty punk/indie/misfit tone of the game feels strained due to ridiculous dialogue, over-used stereotypes and a soundtrack that pales in comparison to those of the game's predecessors.

Fortunately, the rest of the game is on the mark. Once you accept that the developers were shooting for humor, the impractical missions (most revolve around pestering celebrities and police and stripping L.A. of random pieces of buildings in order to build a giant skate park) become challenging and enjoyable. And while "fighting The Man" can get old, the gameplay never will thanks to tight controls and well designed environments.

Finally, there are NO LOAD TIMES once in game. This makes it possible for a player to string together an unbroken line of tricks from one end of the city to another, and a virtuoso gameplay design ensures he'll have fun doing it. While the best way to play this game may be with the sound muted in favor of your iPod's best, Wasteland is definitely worth the effort.