{"id":99593,"date":"2019-09-03T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch\/spyro_reignited_trilogy"},"modified":"2019-09-03T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-03T13:00:00","slug":"review-spyro-reignited-trilogy-a-blast-from-the-past-thats-still-got-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/09\/03\/review-spyro-reignited-trilogy-a-blast-from-the-past-thats-still-got-wings\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Spyro Reignited Trilogy &#8211; A Blast From The Past That&#8217;s Still Got Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cda36356771bd\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cda36356771bd\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 1 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98848\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98848\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 1 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Remakes and remasters are one of those things that feels ironically modern, and whilst they\u2019ve had a place in the industry longer than some people think, there\u2019s no doubt that companies are seeing dollar signs in their eyes when they look back at older successful franchises. Bleeding us nerds for all our nostalgia is a safe and reliable business practice, but hey, we get to play our favourite old games in a new way, so it\u2019s not like we don\u2019t get something out of the arrangement.<\/p>\n<p>One of the more recent entries into this hallowed remastered hall of gubbins is <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/spyro_reignited_trilogy\">Spyro Reignited Trilogy<\/a><\/strong>, a complete remake of the first three games that made Spyro what he was until <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/skylanders_spyros_adventure\">toys-to-life<\/a> became more profitable. It\u2019s been out on other systems for a good while now \u2013 and it was announced for Switch with very little fanfare \u2013 but now it\u2019s here, and we\u2019re going to delve into how it plays, runs, jumps, and flies, because that\u2019s what a review does.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 2 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98850\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98850\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 2 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>If you\u2019re unfamiliar with our purple dragon dude, Spyro is a dragon. He runs around fast and collects an awful lot of treasure which always seems to take the form of perfectly-cut gems. We\u2019re not sure what jewellers exist in the Dragon World, but they\u2019re nothing if their not diligent at their jobs but seem to have an issue holding onto their work on the walk home. Gems are <em>everywhere,<\/em> and you\u2019re going to need to grab them, as well as other collectables, in order to achieve victory.<\/p>\n<p>Spyro moves largely as you\u2019d expect; he\u2019d a quadruped, so he doesn\u2019t <em>quite<\/em> have the acrobatic skill of a certain red plumber who will remain nameless, and his move set is neither as varied as the Nintendo-branded, moustache-owning individual seen in the likes of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/n64\/super_mario_64\">Super Mario 64<\/a><\/strong>, nor as flowing. What he lacks in jumping however, he makes up for in combat and his piddly little wings. Spyro can charge, yes, but more impressively he can also breathe fire out of his gob and glide over longer distances than any Mario game (save <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/super_mario_odyssey\">Odyssey<\/a><\/strong>) would dare.<\/p>\n<p>Spyro controls in a somewhat stiff manner, meaning you may be wrestling with the controls at times for what feels like no good reason. The developers have been shamelessly diligent in their recreation of the classic games, right down to the dated controls, and whilst that may put some people off; it\u2019s a very bold decision and one that, in our eyes at least, just about pays off. If you\u2019re going to remake a game, you need to do so with respect towards the originals, right down to the foibles. That\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t delicious little quality of life improvements here and there, but they\u2019re definitely few and far between, and really only serve to show you the games <em>as you remember them \u2013<\/em> which, if we\u2019re brutally honest, is probably through rose-tinted lenses.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 3 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98849\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98849\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 3 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>The first game in the collection, simply called <strong>Spyro the Dragon<\/strong>, is understandably the simplest; Spyro has a basic move set that never really evolves, and all you\u2019re tasked with doing is grabbing gems, smashing into enemies, and touching the statued forms of your dragon brethren because Gnasty Gnorc has emotional problems. You\u2019ll explore a handful of hub worlds that each house portals to standalone levels that can be completed to 100%, or you can just touch the bare minimum of dragon statues to progress further \u2013 it\u2019s your choice.<\/p>\n<p>This entry has a very arcade-like feel to it; each level feels separate from one another, the collectables aren\u2019t varied, and it\u2019s almost entirely platform and combat-based. There are a few levels that task you with soaring around trying to fly through rings and burn objects, and these are a welcome change of pace. The game is undeniably great fun, but you can see the growing pains in full force here. What\u2019s more, the interactions with the dragons you free can feel a <em>tad<\/em> stilted and out-of-place; they give you solid advice for sure, but it\u2019s fairly clear that this is based on a game from 20 years ago. A very good game no doubt, and we had a blast playing through it, but the identity of the series hasn\u2019t been fully realised.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 4 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98851\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98851\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 4 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p><strong>Spyro 2: Ripto\u2019s Rage!<\/strong>, on the other hand, holds absolutely nothing back. The interactions between the characters, the world, and the writing feel completely modern through and through. This time around, Spyro gets thrown into the world of Avalar, inhabited by creatures that aren\u2019t dragons (gasp!), and must help the locals defeat the evil Ripto, a misguided magician with a Napoleon complex and a less-than savoury view of dragons.<\/p>\n<p>To do this you\u2019ve got to collect a whole mess of orbs, which is handy because the inhabitants hand them out like sweets at every turn. You\u2019ll also need gems more than ever, as you\u2019ll need to exchange them with the questionably-motivated Moneybags in order to gain new moves and access certain areas. The convenience continues, as gems are colossally more common this time around, with you often left unable to move without slurping them up by the dozen. It\u2019s almost as if the entire world was tailored to Spyro\u2019s exact requirements, if you can imagine such a thing.<\/p>\n<p>Spyro\u2019s move set has advanced and evolved to the point that he has finally stopped being soluble and is now able to touch water without having an aneurysm. This time around we still have hub worlds and individual levels to explore, but they\u2019re much, <em>much<\/em> bigger. This combined with unique races of people in each land makes the whole world feel much more alive, rather than a series of courses designed only to test your video game skills. So much about this game doesn\u2019t actually feel like a remake of an older game; yes, there are random minigames to complete for orbs such as ice hockey and realising you can just ram into those turtles to save them from the soup pot rather than chasing them around with fire for fifteen minutes, but so much else in this game hasn\u2019t aged a day. It\u2019s a true testament to the design and skills of Insomniac Games, and was easily the highlight of our time with this trilogy.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 5 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98855\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98855\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 5 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Our final stop is <strong>Spyro: Year of the Dragon<\/strong>, the &#8216;difficult third album&#8217; of the Spyro series. We follow a very similar formula this time as we did before, with hub worlds and standalone levels being the core gameplay loop, but instead of orbs this time we\u2019re on the hunt for orb-like casings that contain dragons, which for some reason are referred to as dragon eggs. As expected, Spyro\u2019s move set evolves yet again, with him finally being able to force himself to the soil &#8216;ground pound&#8217;-style, but the biggest change here is that Sypro isn\u2019t the only star of the show.<\/p>\n<p>The past two games had a supporting cast, naturally, but you were limited to just one playable character, which is not the case in this third outing. As you enter certain levels this time, Spyro will immediately yield control to another character, and you\u2019re thrust into an entirely new way to play for that environment. Whilst this would be a nice change of pace in small doses, it happens really quite often, and although each secondary character isn\u2019t necessarily hard to control or understand, it upsets the flow a bit more than we\u2019d like. With the first two games, the flying levels were a fun aside; almost a reward thanks to the high-octane speed and freedom of movement, but all the other characters in this third game (and subsequently the levels in which you play as them) feel a bit stilted and not as much fun.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 6 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98854\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/98854\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review - Screenshot 6 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>We didn\u2019t enjoy playing as these characters as much as we\u2019d hoped, and all the while we were just honestly wishing we were playing as Spyro; he alone was good enough for the first two games, after all. That\u2019s not to say the rest of the game isn\u2019t <em>fun<\/em>, no sir! Every time we were playing as our favourite purple dragon the world felt more alive than ever; each level is expertly designed and simply a riot to play through, and whilst we\u2019re sure the prospect of playing as multiple characters will have been seen as technically impressive and desirable back in the space year 2000, it\u2019s the one thing that we feel has aged the least gracefully.<\/p>\n<p>But what about the overall experience? Well, you\u2019re getting three fairly meaty games in one here, and what\u2019s more, they\u2019re three pretty <em>fantastic<\/em> games that are beautifully presented. Spyro Reignited Trilogy is just out-and-out <em>gorgeous<\/em>, which makes us feel even more confused as to why there wasn\u2019t more of a fuss kicked up about this particular version. Shadows are crisp, the animation is insultingly smooth and emotive, and the art style will remain fresh for longer than the consoles it\u2019s been made for. Performance on Switch is pretty great as well considering, even with the busloads of anti-aliasing thrown in, sticking at 30fps or thereabouts for a vast majority of our playthrough. We did encounter a few dips here and there, but it was nothing that spoiled our ability to play the game, or indeed enjoy it. There is an option to enable motion blur when playing in TV mode, but we felt more comfortable with it off.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remakes and remasters are one of those things that feels ironically modern, and whilst they\u2019ve had a place in the industry longer than some people think, there\u2019s no doubt that companies are seeing dollar signs in their eyes when they look back at older successful franchises. Bleeding us nerds for all our nostalgia is a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99593\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}