Spyro Reignited Trilogy - Review

When the Spyro trilogy was (finally) announced there was nostalgia flying everywhere from people excited to play the series again, except for me that was. I never played the original games (to my wife dismay), I never had a PS1 when growing up, I started with a Commodore 64 before going onto my Mega Drive, Master System and then N64 which I had for years and years.

So just like Crash Bandicoot last year and probably Medieval next year, this is the first time I am getting around to playing Spyro.

The first thing I am going to comment on is how good the game looks. I’ve seen the comparison shots from the original game to the reignited one and Toys for Bob have done this game justice. The colours and lighting that have been used in the game, how fresh and clean-cut the game looks it is an absolute joy to see and doing my playthrough of it, I couldn’t get enough of taking some screenshots of it.

I think one thing that would have bothered a lot of people regarding the game, before it was released was whether or not it was going to have that feeling of the original about, now, personally, I couldn’t possibly comment on that not having played the first game, but from first-hand comments (from my wife) the game still has that same charm about it that made the original so endearing, and I think that is one of the most important things when it comes to these remakes, keeping that same feeling that the first game brought, don’t try and do something new (thanks Goldeneye remake), but make sure that nostalgia factor is there, that people who played the game all those years ago feel like their 10-year-old self again.

The level design as well has been immaculately kept intact as well (this I have researched), gamers who played the original Spyro and can remember the levels will know exactly what’s up ahead in a level but be able to marvel at how good everything is as well.

Each of the levels has plenty for you to do within them, collecting a certain amount of gems, saving dragons and getting eggs… those… damn…. Eggs! Each is perfectly displayed in the menu as well to keep you up to date on what’s left to get. This does display on a main HUD in the game but does disappear allowing you to enjoy more eye candy of the world that you’re playing in.

One thing I did like about the game is how the game makes you think, sometimes as well it has you thinking about something that when you do it, you’re kicking yourself as the answer was so easy. One example of this was in the Wizard Peak level and the Wizard sat on the ledge towards the start of the level, he was the last item in the level I needed to get to for the gems, you couldn’t just jump up, charge and jump, nothing seemed to work, then I noticed the speed ramps around the corner and knew it was something to do with that… After about 20 minutes of jumping and smash into the wall, I managed to find the correct path around the pool in the middle and jump up to him…. Such joy when this was completed as this had really bugged me! It’s that sense of accomplishment that this game does well, especially when you know you’ve only got 2 gems to find somewhere… but where? When you find them it’s usually followed by a sigh of relief that the level is finished and you can head onto another one.

Let’s not talk about the flight levels… really… let’s not.

Spyro as well has played very smoothly while I’ve been going through each of the worlds, I don’t remember there being a frame rate drop or anything like it happening during my playthrough, which is very refreshing and also testament again to the excellent work that Toys for Bob have put into the game, you can tell that there has been much love go into the development of this one.

The music within the game is simply divine, and I love hearing it as I go around the different worlds, which speaking of the in-game music, you can change it in the settings to have the original soundtrack playing instead. Nostalgia street calling!

One thing I didn’t notice until the situation blew up and was in the mainstream media (even making it on BBC) was the omission of subtitles. Now, personally, I didn’t notice because I didn’t need them, but I understand that they’re people out there who do and its omission is a weird one and however Activision try to spin it, it’s a mess up on their side of things, especially for a game in 2018. Fingers crossed they’re patched in soon for those who need/want them in there.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience and one that I (finally) managed to play, even if it was many years after the original. A fantastic job by Toys for Bob in what is a beautiful visual masterpiece.