Tony Hawk's American Wasteland - Reception

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews, with the general consensus being that the 'one level' aspect was a let-down since all of the areas were only accessible from one another via bland corridors that simply masked the necessary loading times. Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot took note of how "shocking easy" the game was compared to previous entries in the series, and how "most of the game feels like a tutorial", adding that "the game really seems bent on holding your hand every step of the way." Many critics also noted the general lack of evolution in the series, although many others saw this as a good thing since the original gameplay was so popular to begin with and didn't need unnecessary tampering.

Many critics praised the game on its story. Chris Roper of IGN praised Nerversoft's decision to "go back to it's roots and make a game about skating" as opposed to "the chaos and destruction of the Underground games." Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot stated "the saving grace of the story mode is that the story it tells is actually pretty good. It follows the standard 'ragtag group of misfits' struggles to save the place they call home from evil real estate moguls' plot that drove such classic films as Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." Adding that "along the way, the characters become a little endearing".