Publisher: Activision Blizzard Developer: Etranges Libellules Release Date: Oct. 21st, 2008
Hey Spyro! Lookin’ good! Why are you limping?!
You have to wonder how many people have forgotten about the Spyro series. Since its inception on the Playstation 1 back in 1998, the series has been steadily losing steam and fanbase. And although this entry has great graphics, a great voice line-up (Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci, Wayne Brady, Gary Oldman, Blair Underwood and Mark Hamill), a Lord of the Rings-esque story/setting and an interesting elemental power setup, there is still a heap of basic things done wrong that keep this game in the bargain bin at your local gas station.
Let’s see what the damage is, yeah?
First, let’s highlight the game’s strong points. Visually, this game is stunning from caverns to fields. Character design is just as good (though some of the secondary characters got the shorter end of the stick), making this the best looking Spyro game to date. It’s almost perplexing that the graphics are as good as they are in contrast to the rest of the game’s polish. Overall the graphics do their job and bring you into the game’s LOTR borrowed storyline (it’s amazing, look at the screenshot below, all it needs is Gandolph for Christ’s sake). So, well done there.
It’s a similar story for the sound. Easily the best of the series and it draws you right into the action. Outstanding orchestral scores and top voice acting (with the exception of Sparx’ completely unfunny and annoying dialogue – shoot me) are pulled off to near-perfection in a game that frankly doesn’t warrant the effort.
And now to the ugly part: gameplay. I’ll save all the long drawn-out detail and just cut right to it.
Camera: not enough control. You find yourself constantly wrestling to find that perfect angle – and the game constantly disagrees with you as it resets itself. Level designs: unfocused. Far too much time is spent figuring out where you have to go to progress. And when you get there, one slip up from you or your computer controlled (and magically linked) companion lands you either to A) the beginning of the level or B) some random spot you didn’t know existed in the first place.
Hey guys, interesting and cluttered are NOT the same thing alright?
Then there’s the combat…* Sigh*.
I have never been so bored fighting anything in my entire life. I’d rather go through a lame “fly through the rings” sequence than go through one more battle in this game. How do you do that? In a world where fighting things has been absolutely done to death, how do you screw combat up? It’s like watching two scrawny librarians claw at each other minus the entertainment.
Overall, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon is a game that had the final touched added in before the core ideas were polished enough for release. I really think that if this game had been delayed for several months that it could have had the chance to bring the series back into the spotlight that it had lost so many years ago. But instead, the developers were content with simply polishing up another Spyro sequel for the masses and see how it panned out. Not unlike the last two entries unfortunately.
So if you’re an uber-loyal fan of the series, have at it (do those people exist?). It’s more likely that this will be purchased by the twelve and under crowd who will scream about how great it is – and good for them, I guess. Someone has to enjoy this game.
For the rest of us this release is just another head-shaking disappointment not just because it further ruins a venerable franchise, but because it displays a complete lack of any real product pride in a time where such things shouldn’t be tolerated.
Overall: 4.5 out of 10
