‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5’ Officially Announced For This Year

Playstation And Xbox Booths At The 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) In Los Angeles — IN PHOTO: People walk past the Playstation and Xbox booths at the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los Angeles, California June 10, 2014. Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn

Joining “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” in their comebacks, is another beloved Activision series in “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5.” The game had originally been teased through various cryptic tweets from the pro skater himself, but now the legendary “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” game series is set to return to current-gen consoles sometime this year after a fairly long hiatus.

It seems that the series is going back to its “Pro Skater” roots, back when the game was in its prime before numerous spin-off titles like “Tony Hawk Underground” took over. Now however, the game seeks to re-establish some of its former glory, as Game Informer has confirmed more new additions to the game, like the ability to shoot fireballs in certain missions.

Speaking of missions, “Pro Skater 5” will allow fans to finish missions anyway they please, whether it’s with friends via online co-op or by themselves. Also confirmed is online play, so friends can challenge each other to plenty of skating related activities, though the number of online modes and single-player modes have yet to be confirmed.

There hasn’t been a lot of information regarding the game, aside from the fact that it will be developed by Robomodo, who according to The Verge, also developed the critically panned “Tony Hawk: Shred.” For those unaware, “Shred” was a skating game that tried to implement an actual skating controller, which some would consider admirable, but has since been considered disastrous. Though Hawk himself has defended “Shred” in numerous occasions, most fans decided to stick with “Skate” by EA Games.

While “Shred” was the last “Tony Hawk” game to have a physical release, another game did get a re-release in “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD.” Essentially a remake of the original game, with improved graphics and new levels, the game didn’t set the world on fire, but was considered by many to be a huge improvement over “Shred.”

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5” is set for a release sometime this year, though neither Activision nor Robomodo have given an exact release date. It’s also unclear if the skateboard controller from “Shred” can be used in this game.

Contact Writer at: n.parungo@ibtimes.com.au