"Spyro" made his first splash on the Sony Playstation almost two decades ago and captured the imagination delight of so many gamers. While the "Spyro Reignited Trilogy" may not be a new set of games, the series remaster by "Skylander's" studio, Toys for Bob may not have come at a better time.
The "Spyro Reignited Trilogy" just made its debut last Nov. 13 is now making as much noise as it was during the original games' release. The game contains the first three "Spyro" games developed by Insomniac Games for the Playstation. Toys for Bob's remaster features updated graphics using the Unreal Engine 4, a faithful reproduction of the original "Spyro" trilogy, and a nostalgic surprise for those who grew up with the franchise in the late 90's.
The remaster contains re-recorded voice lines from Tom Kenny - "Spyro's" voice actor for "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage" and "Spyro: Year of the Dragon" - for the additional nostalgia callback. In addition to the voice lines, Stewart Copeland - the acclaimed drummer for "The Police" and musical composer for the first four "Spyro" games - created a new main theme for the "Spyro Reignited Trilogy." Copeland's original score was also remixed for reuse in the remastered game.
Considering the involvement of some of "Spyro's" original voice artists and musical directors, fans and fans-to-be of the series may be wondering how the game holds up to a modern audience. John Linneman of Eurogamer reviews the new "Spyro Reignited Trilogy" with the conclusion that the remaster is not just a graphical and fluff update to the series.
According to Linneman, while the "Spyro Reignited Trilogy" can definitely be applauded for its graphical update, the Toys for Bob's remaster also provides gameplay imrpovements over the original games. Some examples of the gameplay polish that Linneman mentions include how the current console generation's control sensitivity and access to modern control schemes provides a better fit to the "Spyro's" over all gameplay experience.
Still, the "Spyro Reignited Trilogy" is not without its faults. According to Linneman, fans picking up the "Spyro" title should be ready for load times that could affect the "seamless experience" of the original games, resolution limitations, and some issues with the game's framerate despite its 30 frames per second standard. In addition, players have yet to have a 60 frames per secon experience for the newest "Spyro" installment.
Still, fans of the "Spyro" franchise can do no wrong picking up the "Spyro Reignited Trilogy" for their console collections. With Toys for Bob's successful remastering of the original games, fans now be more optimistic about this nearly forgotten franchise's future.
