There's every reason to believe that 'Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4' will be among the most ... [+] well-received games of the year, and probably the best remaster but it has form on its side.ActivisionAfter being the worlds worst-kept gaming secret for weeks, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4 has finally been confirmed for general release on July 11. Ive never been so convinced that itll be among the most well-received games of the year and maybe even the best remake but it has form on its side.I dont often make eat my hat statements (especially as I have about 55 baseball caps on hand to chew through if Im wrong), but THPS 3 + 4 will deliver what its target audience wants, needs, and expects. No-one can even guess if we can say the same about the other massive remake frontrunner, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, helmed by an unpredictable Konami and supported by Virtuos, whose contributions are to games as varied in quality as Horizon Forbidden West, 2023s Modern Warfare 3, Outcast: A New Beginning, and South Park: Snow Day!.When I covered THPS 1 + 2 back in September 2020, I said it was the best-ever remake to date. Nearly five years later, it felt like it needed to be put into context. It dropped during COVID, when anything vaguely positive seemed like the most exciting thing ever; I also grew up with the originals. Even I wondered in retrospect that I mightve been a bit glassy-eyed and overnostalgic.All it took was replaying Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1 + 2 for a few hours last weekend. Its just as fun, satisfying, effortless, and respectful of its source material nearly five years on. We always knew 3 + 4 would follow, but after nearly half a decade, the trailer will have put thousands of viewers on the edge of happy tears it certainly did for me.The launch announcement was limited, but it already sounds like its doing everything right. First and foremost is the tremendous and entirely unsurprising news for Xbox One/Series and PC owners that Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be on Game Pass from day one the first Activision-Blizzard launch-day drop that isnt a Call of Duty. Of course, its also coming to PS4, PS5, Steam, Battle.net, and Nintendo Switch.If youre buying, all pre-orders of any game edition will get access to a Foundry Demo in June, as well as a Wireframe Tony Shader at launch (Alexa, insert Alan Partridge shrug GIF). Things get a bit spicier with digital deluxe and collectors editions.Buying either of these grants three-day early access from July 8 a bonus Ill never understand but the additional content kinda seems good and might be worth the money to some. In true crossover fashion, it gives a DOOM-themed pack featuring Doomguy and Revenant characters, an Unmakyr board and, perhaps most importantly, music from the series. The Collectors Edition takes things one step further, with a limited-edition full-size Birdhouse skateboard deck with a printed Tony Hawk autograph. If I wasnt in my late 30s, I mightve fallen for that one.Ticking three massive boxesThen, theres excellent news for the big three: music, skaters, and levels.Confirmed throwback tracks include Ace of Spades by Motorhead, Amoeba by Adolescents, Mass Appeal by Gang Starr, 96 Quite Bitter Beings by CKY, Not the Same by Bodyjar, and KRS-Ones Outta Here, alongside new songs. Hopefully, Activision also got the rights to Fight Like a Brave, Blitzkrieg Bop, Cut Chemist Suite, TNT, and My Adidas, but a mix of old and new keeps the Tony Hawk legacy alive, introducing all players to something different.Then, theres everyone you want on the board, and more: alumni include Tony Hawk, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska, Bucky Lasek, Kareem Campbell, Steve Caballero, Geoff Rowley, Andrew Reynolds, Elissa Steamer, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen, Jamie Thomas, and Rune Glifberg; new skaters include Rayssa Leal, Chloe Covell, Jamie Foy, Zion Wright, and Yuto Horigome. Interestingly, theres no mention yet of Forbes 2024 30 Under 30 Tyshawn Jones, who revealed in the Breakfast Club podcast that he was part of a new THPS title; his name was conspicuously absent on initial release materials.The Waterpark level is the first of several all-new skate levels included in the game.ActivisionFinally, on top of all the returning levels, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4 introduces new ones (plural), including the abandoned-looking Waterpark, shown in the reveal trailer; set in the Mojave Desert, it looks about as safe as the ill-fated real-life Action Park, but at least you can respawn after suffering a serious injury. It leaves the door wide open for DLC, too though if Waterpark is seemingly free, maybe well get lucky.Just one more thingDespite all this excitement, all is not quite guaranteed, as theres one small snag to report in the development and perhaps a reason as to why its nearly five years since this sewn-on sequel.THPS 1 + 2 was Vicarious Visions last-ever solo project under its old moniker; the studio has since been consumed by Blizzard and now works on Diablo IV. Instead, Iron Galaxy Studios, a game porting specialist that worked on the Windows release of Tony Hawk 1 + 2 is seamlessly picking up the slack though that presumably means theyre working with the same engine, which is a very good thing to hear.While Ill still inventorize my hat collection from least to most chewy in case of an unforeseen calamity, theres every reason to believe that Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4 will relive the glory days in the same way THPS 1 + 2 did: with arcadey, silly self-awareness, new objectives, punishingly fun challenges, a banging soundtrack, and the airport many of us have spent more time inside than any other.