r/Spyro

Spyro has been my favorite game series ever since the first game came out on the PS1. Recently I finally finished The Legend of Spyro trilogy, so here are my thoughts on the reboot from the perspective of a die-hard fan of the original trilogy. No rose-tinted nostalgia glasses here.

A New Beginning

The redesign is a bit jarring – baby Spyro just looks ugly. Not as bad as in Skylanders, but I still don’t like it. The story is interesting and it’s nice to see the series take a darker turn. Unfortunately, the gameplay has aged quite poorly. Switching from a platformer to a beat ‘em up was a refreshing change, but the execution feels clunky and the difficulty is very inconsistent. The upgrades don’t really give you a satisfying sense of progression – they’re just… there. Overall, it’s a decent start. Nothing amazing, but still a good game.

The Eternal Night

A step backwards and a lot of wasted potential. The story is boring and unengaging, the levels are dark and cramped, and the combat is frustrating and unsatisfying. Boss fights somewhat save the game – you can tell the developers had some cool ideas, but the execution is pretty weak. Easily the worst entry in the series. Luckily, it’s not very long.

Dawn of the Dragon

The reward for surviving the second game. Finally Spyro doesn’t look like Benjamin Button, we get more interactions with Cynder, and even Sparx is occasionally funny. The levels no longer scream claustrophobia. Free flight (with some limitations) is a fantastic addition that really spices up the gameplay. Combat finally feels less repetitive – there are more combos and interesting dragon breath abilities. The gameplay strongly reminds me of the first God of War games, but that was just the style of that era – lots of games tried to be like that. The armor system and upgrades are a very welcome addition that keeps the fights from getting boring. This is easily the best game in the reboot trilogy. The story is solid, though sometimes a bit too melodramatic.

Final thoughts:

The series has its highs and lows, but it can still deliver some really solid entertainment — as long as you’re willing to overlook the parts that have aged very badly.