Competition is always the best motivator. I wasn't expecting big things from Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, this year's installment of the Tony Hawk franchise, though I was expecting a modest step-up when compared to last year's Project 8 given the release of skate. Though it shuffles a few things around, Proving Ground does little to shake up the formula, resulting in a flat skating experience.

Proving Ground looks similar to Project 8, though with a few improvements. Both the skaters and environments have received makeovers that make better use of the capabilities of current-gen systems, though environments are clearly the big winners here. The texture work isn't all that grand and still blurry in a few areas; though at the same time, they tie together really well, especially considering their size. Skaters, while recognizable, are outright creepy to look at. I couldn't put my finger on the exact problem, but most of the skaters have a pasty, washed-out zombie look.

Sound sticks to the now-standard franchise formula. The soundtrack is a mix of genres, ranging from rock to rap. All of the skaters provide voices for their in-game counterparts. It isn't the best voice acting I've heard, but it suffices.

Gameplay takes a light RPG approach by splitting different challenges into three "lifestyles": Hardcore, Career and Rigger. Depending on which skaters you accept challenges from, you'll have to do everything from causing problems with Mike Vallely in each of the game's three locales to filming skate videos with Arto Saari. Challenges follow the same pattern as previous games and require that you complete certain moves or reach certain point totals. As you complete challenges, your skater's style will alter to meet the skills emphasized with each style. Skills also increase by meeting in-game goals such as grinding, wallriding and making specific jumps.

Each of the two skate styles is well-balanced, so one isn't better than another. The intent is to give you more choices based on what type of game you a looking for. The Hardcore path is a little more in-line with later games in the series where you skate around and generally cause chaos around the city. Career, on the other hand, is a little more like previous games and is more about you sticking certain moves.

Of the available styles, the oddball of the group is Rigger, which plays more like a puzzle game than a skating game. Most of the gameplay here involves the Create-a-Park elements to modify levels in order to create new areas to trick from. By description the mode sounds great; it is also the game's weakest link. Even if you enjoy making skate parks, the mode is poorly implemented and not much fun.

Outside of the lifestyle tracks, Proving Ground is also broken up into skater-specific goals. Each skater's goals fit their styles and, in a roundabout way also work as something of a tutorial which will help you complete other goals in the game. Each has a specific focus; Lance Mountain's section focuses on learning new moves while Bob Burnquist's is focused on competition skating. All of the goals play into a career meter that, each time it fills, will push you to another level in your career. You'll begin by making a name for yourself and eventually earn sponsors and create your own skate team.

When taking the game online, up to eight players can compete in modes that should now be familiar to series vets. You can compete in trick and combo challenge session or one really cool mode which is essentially a skateboard version of Tron's light cycles. If you want, you can even make bets with other players using in-game currency.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is not an easy game. At the same time, it isn't an extremely hard one either. Like the other games in the series, how much trouble you have is directly related to how much you put into it. The actual mechanics remain relatively unchanged from previous games, so vets should be able to jump right in and only have difficulty mastering some of the new moves. For a series vet, Proving Ground doesn't last long, probably about 8 - 10 hours depending on how much time it takes you to meet challenges.

For a newcomer, Proving Ground will take a little longer. The mechanics are easy enough to understand, though getting the timings down - especially when stringing combos together - takes a little longer. The skater-specific sessions are a big help though since they focus on specific areas that will help hone your skills for more complex goals.

Project 8's "Nail the Trick" feature makes a much improved return in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. The system lets you try slow-motion grabs and manuals while tweaking out moves. In addition to the feature working better, the camera system has been tweaked to give you a better idea of what you are doing. The only areas that still needs work are manuals, which still feel awkward. Interestingly enough, the camera (as well as the sensitivity of the controls) contributes to the problems with hitting manuals. Still the feature is much better and will probably push you more towards the Career path since the Hardcore path's Aggro feature, where you need to time button presses, doesn't work as well.

Not to pick on the Rigging mode, but the actual editor is really bad. A large chunk of the problems come from the goals that you need to meet in order to complete the mode. The goals aren't very interesting and have a mechanical feel to them. Much of the creativity - something that should be the core of a mode like this - is absent or buried in a frustrating interface. Things get worse when it comes to goals that require photos. Camera placement is more guesswork than anything else; sometimes it is too low, other times it is too high or simply out of place. Even taking a photo is tricky and hard work while also trying to pull off moves.

One new feature is the video editor, which gives the game another dose of user-generated content. Not only does it allow you to record and rewatch your skate sessions, but you can also edit it together with a number of overlays and even throw in a few lighting effects. Like most editing packages, it is something you'll have to put a little time into learning, though went you do it adds some replay value to the game (provided, of course, that you like what the gameplay has to offer).

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground tries to move in a few new directions while trying to stick to the same underlying structure. Though radical changes are typically a good way to sink a popular franchise, Proving Ground has a rough time with trying to meld the two - suggesting that a total rework might be just what the franchise needs.