The more grand-scale pranks you pull off, the more swag you collect for the Ranch that then becomes skateable terrain. You manage to gank a needle off of what is supposed to be the Capitol Records building, pieces off rooftops, fire escapes, and all sorts of weird knickknacks. It's not a bad idea to go back every once in a while to test out your new souvenirs, lest the Skate Ranch become an exceptionally foreign place full of weird objects, not to mention an impossible level to navigate.
What's nice about the story mode is that Neversoft seems to have really gotten into their groove with implementing a plotline. After two story-driven games that attempted, but didn't quite capture the balance between a plot and the nature of the Pro Skater series, they've got it down. Yes, there are wacky hijinks. Yes, there's wacky dialogue and pop-culture references (the movies Falling Down and Fight Club are among the targets), but there's another really important thing that's more emphasized than in the other games: SKATING. It's the first Hawk game in a while that's felt like it's got more to do with hitting the boards than pelting bystanders with tomatoes.
The only real negatives are twofold: there's no diversity in the players you create in story mode, and it's a little short and easy compared to prior games. When the game starts, there are only five players to pick that stand in front of a bus. You can customize everything about them except their faces and body types. Maybe it's like Hollywood in that regard; these characters are who'd play you in a movie, perhaps? Nah, that's a cop-out. It would've been nice to retain the ability to use a created skater in the story mode.
Also, vets will mow through the story rather quickly. Its challenges seem to come from the occasionally unclear mission parameter more so than genuine challenge at many points. For example, there are times when the computer will ask you to do something, like switch to Caveman and perform a simple task, like Acid Drop onto a specific point. You'll pull it off, but there will be no reaction. It can get a little frustrating, not because it's challenging, but because you're doing it right with no notification. Other than that, it's not a particularly challenging title, so be forewarned that you could potentially split through the story mode in a solid weekend.
