For most gamers and loyal fans of the Tony Hawk series of games, the franchise has slowly been taking a downward spiral back when the second Underground game as well as recent releases such as Wasteland and Project 8. While they were not bad games, they failed to really capture the addictive energy of the games that made the franchise such a joy to play. For those how feel uneasy about Hawk’s latest installment, allow me to put your mind at ease by saying that Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground for the PlayStation 3 is, by far, the deepest and most addictive addition to the long-running franchise.

What this means is that this year gamers will be facing quite a dilemma. On the first hand, skate - a game that was released months in advance - not only proved to be a real blast to play but it also proved to outshine the Tony Hawk franchise in a number of ways. On the second hand, however, Proving Ground manages to pull of some better and far more interesting new tricks that have this new edition stand out a bit more than the realistic skating of its competitor. If all-out killer moves, a huge open playground and an assortment of surprising additions sound good then Proving Ground is your game.

While Wasteland concentrated on doing your thing in the most punk rock way possible and Project 8 focused on doing what you do best to be like a pro, Proving Ground’s Story Mode centers on how far you’re willing to go to make a name for yourself while bring your own individual style to the table. This time you won’t just pick whether you want your style to be mongo or street but every aspect of your own style is decided by you. You even have the freedom to design your character’s style in the fashion sense as well so your skater reflects the style you pick for him. From there you are tossed into the streets of Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. Your mission, of course, is to make a name for yourself by proving to the pros as well as event coordinators that you have what it takes to be a pro yourself.

The story isn’t deep enough that you become wrapped up in its realistic and occasionally funny vibe but it does allow you to make your skater’s career anything you want it to be and this is done by upgrading your skater’s skills much as you do in an RPG. Complete a number of goals given to you by various characters you’ll encounter and you’ll earn points you can use to tweak various skill sets and stats to give your skater his own sense of style that’s either hardcore or career-oriented. Proving Ground’s focus on individualism can also be reflected in your own Skate Lounge - a place you can build and accessorize by adding televisions (to watch your own skate videos) and personalize with a number of set pieces from the Rig-a-Kit menu. Not only can you purchase and use up to 200 pieces to build a skater paradise within your Lounge but also use the pieces in the game’s massive environments. If you want to add a ramp to jump over a vehicle, all you have to do is bring it up in the Rig-a-Kit menu and pick a set piece like a ramp to be placed near the car you want to jump.

Proving Ground’s various environments also seem to have more believable places to skate whether it’s the steps just outside a library or a very small section of the street that is under construction. There are a number of challenges in each of the cities you’ll be skating around and various pros such as Jeff King, Rodney Mullen, Vanessa Torres and even Tony Hawk himself. There are various characters that will aid you on your way to making an impression on the pros (which will lead to invites to events). For example, you will meet Rube early in the game who takes it upon himself to film your first set of challenges such as nailing 10 grabs or performing a set number of grind tricks. Speaking of tricks, the new Agro Kick is a helpful new trick that allows you to gain extra speed by pressing the R1 button in synch with your foot movement. Also, making its return is the Nail the Trick and Nail the Grab mode that slows things down to allow you to pull off a custom trick after performing an ollie.

Aside from manipulating your environment to complete challenges, the game introduces a Video Editor feature that lets you edit replays while adding visual effects to the footage such as colored filters, film grain and making necessary cuts using a trimming feature. This editing tool is actually quite professional in nature and by the time you master all the available tools you’ll have some interesting videos. Another great feature is the online multiplayer mode that can easily be switched from the offline single-player to the online multiplayer for up to eight players. You can even use a headset for chat.

The game’s graphics are actually quite gorgeous at times and watching your created skater hit the pavement will not fail to produce a wince since character movements look more natural this time around. Each character model looks nicely detailed on the PS3 and the environments are beautifully detailed. Sadly, there’s still some horrible clipping problems, some of them that are actually too pronounced to ignore. At one point, my skater’s entire head disappeared in a wall when I performed a climbed a pipe to reach a roof. Even if you’re standing next to a wall your limbs will disappear into a wall or any other surface. It certainly has no place in a PS3 game but with visuals this good you can look past the clipping.

As far as the music is concerned, the soundtrack isn’t bad at all and its eclectic mix of genres (everything from punk to alternative rock) just works well within the game. There are also some great environmental sounds that are just as detailed as the graphics. The voice acting is also pretty decent and there are moments when the dialogue is actually witty.

Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground for the PS3 reshapes itself to become one of the most enjoyably addictive thrashing games to come out in a long time. As a gamer who has long loved the Tony Hawk series and was let down by past editions, Proving Ground is simply a completely new step forward for the series and, overall, a game worthy of giving it’s competitor a run for its money. Yes, skate is an amazing game and the realism makes it quite a gem but those who love more outrageously stylish and fun skating antics will find this one to be a game well worth the money.

Gameplay: 9.2
The controls are perfectly balanced in Proving Ground, thus allowing you to have enough freedom to pull off the tricks in your own unique way. Your career track will take you through some challenging events in an open-world environment you can alter. You’ll even have your very own place to hang out with your friends online as well as offline.

Graphics: 8.9
The visuals also see some improvements on the PS3 as well as returning glitches like heavy clipping issues and the occasional frustrating camera angle. Still, the character models look amazing and the massive environments will not fail to impress. There’s even real footage of each pro when they’re introduced to you.

Sound: 9.0
The collection of tunes range from alternative rock to classic hip-hop and it isn’t bad at all, really. There’s some decent voice acting and some hilarious lines from some of the pros and other assortment of characters you meet along the way. The background sound effects are also nicely detailed.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
The various challenges will most certainly do just that and you’ll be working hard to perfect everything from your manuals to your own stylized bowl carving skills. Since you are in charge of building up your own set of skills, the game can be moderately challenging to very tricky.

Concept: 9.5
An impressive assortment of delightfully deep and entertaining features heads up the most complete entry in the Tony Hawk series. The video editing tools alone are straight out of Final Cut Pro and you can even modify the playing environment by adding a little over 200 pieces. You’re in complete control over your skater’s changes and online the game plays like a dream. Plus, there are arcade machine that allow you to play Classic mode.

Multiplayer: 9.2
The ability to seamlessly jump from a single-player offline game and an online multiplayer one is actually quite brilliant. You can hang out with friends and other gamers to skate and chat or compete in seven different multiplayer games. Online, the game runs at a very steady framerate even with eight players on screen at once.

Overall: 9.2
Proving Ground not only proves that there is still life in the Tony Hawk franchise but that there is room for improvement as well. It’s huge open world environments, loads of tricks, and stellar new additions (including a deep video editor tool) make this a fun skating game with a lot to offer new and returning gamers.