Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (Review)

So I'm still working my way through the three games, but I felt like I wanted to make a quick little review and talk about my love for a game that hasn't been seriously heard from in 18 years. So for a little trivia, Spyro first was released on September 9th, 1998 here in America on Sony's original PlayStation. Now I missed this, because even though we had a PlayStation, I was 8 years old, and didn't even know this game really existed until I played some with my friends a few years later. The fantastic Insomniac Games made the first 3, and let's face it, really the only 3, because the others just don't count. They made them in 3 years, each one getting better and better too, ending their streak in November 2000, never to pick it up again as they moved onto what later became Ratchet and Clank.

So over the last couple of years, we've actually gotten some really great remakes. I've actually talked to several people who have asked what the difference between a remake is vs what a remaster is. Remakes are taking a game, and rebuilding it usually from the ground up, games like Crash, Spyro, Shadow of Colossus, and the great Yakuza series first 2 games, leaving the story and sometimes the levels untouched. They are usually just focused on bringing up the graphics and audio to the current gens level. Remasters are more like your standard, we will bump up graphics to 1080p, and maybe 60fps. Prime recent example of this is actually Dark Souls. It could have used a bit of a remake, as the original didn't age...well, but it functions a lot better than the original 360 version. Remasters also tend to package any DLC they had to "sweeten the deal" since usually remasters tend to happen to games that aren't too old. So of course, now that we got that done, I have to say, I love Spyro so much. I know that isn't really anything more than an opinion, but I can't help it. It almost reminds me of my childhood, even though it wasn't really attached to my childhood. Something about knowing the time it came out, and seeing the difference in graphics, it just brings me to a simpler time, with todays tech.

It looks just so damn great, with it's colorful palettes, and interesting creature designs. VA's even came back to redo lines, and so it feels brand new, but sounds like you're back in '98. It's fun as Hell, what can I say? Level design was great than, it's still pretty damn solid even today, and it makes you think how crazy it is that the first game was made by less than 10 people. Even the second game had only 13 people on staff. Toys For Bob did a great job bringing back a classic series, that has been dragged through the mud of development Hellscapes as some games have been canned outright, and others, like Skylanders *Shudders* reimagined Spyro to look nothing like...Spyro? So to see this game, I got excited! I'm glad they pushed the game back for more polish, as I haven't had too many issues with the game getting through the first one 100%, and working my way through the second one as we speak. There was one really goofy bug that had a saving loop towards the end of the first game, not allowing me to actually save, but once I restarted it the next day, it moved on like it was suppose to just fine and I completed the game. Another odd thing is a major lack in settings. Don't get me wrong, I kind of understand why there doesn't need to be much, I couldn't even find subtitles, which is a bit odd.

Seeing as this was one of the first times truly playing through Spyro, I guess I can point out that I really loved how much they evolved each game, considering the small staff, and the fact that they cranked out each game a little over a year apart. The writing and cutscenes got so much better with each game. There isn't much to say with this one, I really wanted to make sure that I let everyone know who doesn't have this game yet, that it's great, and you should get it. Everything you loved, or even hated, is still all there in it's original glory, it just looks, feels, and sounds like it came out just last year. Levels and villains are all where you left them back in the late 90's. For it being my first real time playing through a Spyro game though, I love this game, and it's one of the few games I find myself wanting to 100% levels and the game as a whole. That's a high honor coming from me. Yakuza, Mass Effect, Spiderman, and Life Is Strange are it's bandmates. I think honestly that Spyro was even more well done than Crash, as Crash was fun, he felt a bit more weighty, and the enhanced graphics threw you off a bit, causing me to die FAR more than I ever wanted to. Spyro strikes just the right balance overall with it's puzzles, flying, and combat.

Honestly, I guess I'm just so impressed that Activision basically fucked off and let TFB do what they needed too. I wish Activision could understand that better. Sadly they won't until we buy like 20 million copies, so I guess you guys should get to buying. Honestly I'd give this game a 9/10. I think it also deserves my full seal of approval as this game belongs on your shelf! No matter what you have, PC, PS, or Xbox, if you loved Spyro than, I think you'll love Spyro even more now. But what are some of your favorite remakes? Also, what do you guys love more? Remasters? Or Remakes? Comment anywhere you can and let me know! This was a quick one guys, but I'm still churning away, I have even more to talk about with Daredevil Season 3, Fallout: 76, hopefully with a full video, Battlefield V, and of course Red Dead 2, which might be my most fleshed out review to date. I'll get most of that out before the end of the week, til than, I hope you guys have a great and safe Thanksgiving!