Spyro Reignited Trilogy: Satisfying remaster of a platform classic

The purple dragon is back with the original three games given a modern touch

Spyro Reignited Trilogy
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Publisher: Activision
Reviewed On: Playstation 4
Cert: 3
Available On: Playstation 4,Xbox One

With new Pokemon and Toy Story films on the way, it's clear that nostalgia sells for the millennial generation. And given the massive commercial success of the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy last year, the time felt right for a return of Playstation's other platform star from the late 1990s, Spyro the Dragon.

Spyro and Crash used to be so well linked that it was possible to enter a cheat code to play the demo of the other game in opening credits. And if you bought and enjoyed Crash's N-Sane Trilogy, you'll probably like Spyro Reignited Trilogy too, a remastered version of the first three games in the Spyro the Dragon franchise.

For the uninitiated Spyro is a purple dragon, who along with his trusty sidekick dragonfly Sparx, must save his dragon friends and others from a variety of enemies. In the first Spyro game, dragons have been frozen by the evil Gnasty Gnorc, and you must collect gems from his loot. In Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer, the focus is on collecting orbs and talismans by helping out the locals in each portal, so Spyro can defeat Ripto and his cronies. In Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon, Spyro must save dragon eggs that have been stolen from Rhynocs, and in this game it is possible to change character from Spyro for side quests.

Load up the Artisans home world in the first game and the game’s appeal is obvious, the player is met with a cacophony of colours, beautiful designs, fluid and simple gameplay and an easy-listening soundtrack.

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The target audience for the game can be split into two groups – young, first-time players and older players looking for a faithful modern recreation. For a new generation of Spyro players, they will explore more than 100 lush environments over the three games, where the magic of Spyro is truly recaptured. None of the three games are particularly difficult but there is something for everyone in that progress is fairly easy but 100 per cent completion is tricky, with many hidden challenges to every portal.

For returning players, Toys for Bob and Activision have maintained the spirit of the original games, with enough detail in the design for each level to still feel fresh. Where grass was once flat green ground, Spyro charges over shifting blades, where gems nestle in between. One of the biggest improvements to the original games is the addition of the right analogue stick to look around, the older games required pressing the awkward triangle button to get your bearings.

Dragons and characters have been given a fresher design, although some of the voice acting seems to lack the sharpness of the original. Other small criticisms of the remaster would be the camera feels a touch too far zoomed in, which does not help with some minor frame-rate issues, Spyro feels a little heavy to turn when charging, and the unnecessarily long loading time between deaths is a mild annoyance. As with all remasters, if you’ve played the original games any time recently, it is a familiar challenge that might not justify the €40 price tag.

But for most players, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is worth it to rekindle the childhood memories of one of its generation's most endearing games. With three full games to get through, Spyro is a blast and a satisfying recreation of a platforming classic.