The June issue of the UK OPS2M has some new info about Tony Hawk’s Project 8. Here is a rundown of what was revealed:

Firstly you can break bones in THP8. And you get awarded ‘Ball Points’ for doing so in a combo. I wanted more realism & it looks like I won’t be dissapointed.

So you can intentionally cause as much damage to your character earning yourself ‘Ball Points’. The damage will be portrayed by using rag doll physics. Brian Bright, a developer on THP8, says:

“Some objectives will actually require you to smash 20 bones, but what we really want to do is get back to what was good & fun about the early games & bring them up to next-gen standards.”

I’m a little sceptical about intentionally crippling your character to earn points but I’m pleased he acknowledges that the series has went downhill since THUG & THAW, I just hope they look at THPS 3 for inspiration.

The game will definitely be a lot slower with a focus on building momentum to gain more speed which in turn helps you to achieve greater air time & boosting your chances to perform some sick tricks & combos. Just like the earlier THPS games on PSone.

The game world will be one massive environment with rolling hills, suburbia skate ramps & huge skyscrapers. You can go anywhere you want at anytime without the game loading or ‘streaming’ areas while you travel through bland environments like it did in THAW.

The game world will also include pedestrians going about their business & other skaters messing around pulling combos & the like. You can also earn ‘Stokens’ by pulling off a big trick in front of crowds of pedestrians that have gathered to watch you. There’s no confirmation of what you will use the ‘Stokens’ you earn for but I’m assuming you will spend them on new clothes, boards, tricks etc.

You no longer improve your character by earning Stat points like you did in THUG, instead the more you grind on rails the better your character becomes at grinding. So your character will improve by simply playing the game.

Classic touches like finding the letters SKATE will be in THP8 aswell as a new mission called ‘Filmer’. These involve a guy filming you while you skate & you have to pull the tricks he calls out to you. You’ll also be able to see what he is seeing through his video camera, by a little inset window positioned in the corner of the screen. Sounds cool!

The Park Editor now forms part of the main game. For example in order for you to plant stickers on tall flag poles you need to position a ramp in the right place & once you’ve dropped an item on a piece of scenery it stays there permanently.

The biggest change to the gameplay is the balance system. You can now clearly see the changes in your skaters balance especially when you lose speed. You can also clearly distinguish between street skaters like Eric Koston & Rodney Mullen compared with ramp specialists like Bucky Lasek.

It looks like they’ve ditched the Jackass style of THUG & THAW & plan to take the TH series back to it’s Pro Skater roots & for this I salute you Neversoft!