There are few remakes as meticulously crafted as the Reignited Trilogy, which improves upon its original titles in almost every way. Some cumbersome gameplay issues still remain from the original games, and some character redesigns are a bit odd, but the improved controls, visuals, and breadth of content make the Reignited Trilogy a shining example of what remake collections can be.
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy
Developer: Toys for Bob
Price: $39.99
Platforms: PS4 and Xbox One
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review
Full disclosure: I was a Crash Bandicoot kid. I played Spyro and Ripto’s Rage a fair bit at my friend’s house, but I’ve always been a Crash kid. This means that I didn’t have quite as much nostalgia for the Reignited Trilogy as I did for the N. Sane Trilogy, but it also means that I wasn’t blinded by nostalgia while reviewing the Reignited Trilogy. This means that when I say the Reignited Trilogy is an incredibly fun and well-made remake collection, I say it from a fairly nostalgia-free point of view. In other words, the Reignited Trilogy is an absolute gem.
The Reignited Trilogy is made up of remakes of Spyro the Dragon, Ripto’s Rage, and Year of the Dragon. For those who may not have had a PS1, the original Spyro trilogy is iconic to many a Playstation gamer. Similar to other collect-a-thons of that age (Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, etc.), Spyro the Dragon has players collect ludicrous amounts of gems and crystalized Dragons as they fight to save the world from the vile Gnasty Gnorc. It’s a simple story, but the way it’s presented as a TV documentary has always felt unique to me. As a side-note, it seems Gnorc only attacks the Dragons after they badmouth him on TV unprovoked, which I always thought was kind of weird.
The stories of Ripto’s Rage and Year of the Dragon are a bit meatier, but in a way that works perfectly with the fairly simple series. Ripto’s Rage has Spyro thrust into the world of Avalar, which is currently under the rule of a pint-sized menace called Ripto. Alongside Elora the Faun, Hunter the Cheetah, the bumbling Professor, and the horrible piece of garbage Moneybags, Spyro sets out to save Avalar. In contrast, Year of the Dragon is a bit of a return to form to the first Spyro title. A mysterious Queen steals all the Dragon eggs from Spyro and his ilk, prompting Spyro and Hunter to travel to the other side of the World of Dragons to save the infantile wyrms. It’s a nice middle-ground between Spyro and Ripto’s Rage’s stories, as it’s simple but still enjoyable.
“The controls feel far better than in the original games as well, as I always felt they were a bit sluggish.“
Stories aside, the real differences between the three games come from their gameplay, which evolves a healthy amount with each installment. The first game is your fairly basic 3D platformer with some unique twists. Being a four-legged dragon means Spyro moves quite differently from other platforming mascots like Crash and Banjo. You can charge at high speeds, glide through the air, and shoot a small burst of fire at any time. This makes the Spyro trilogy faster and more combat-heavy, especially in the latter two games where Spyro receives a number of mobility upgrades. As time goes on, Spyro is able to climb ladders, dive and swim much like Ecco the Dolphin, and even free-fly at certain points. This makes each Spyro game feel different, which goes a long way in keeping you from burning out after completing a single entry. The controls feel far better than in the original games as well, as I always felt they were a bit sluggish. Everything is crisp and responsive in the Reignited Trilogy, which is a huge improvement in my eyes.
Another feature that keeps things from becoming stale is the ability to play as other characters in Year of the Dragon. Sheila the Kangaroo’s stages are quite a lot of fun simply because of how different they are from Spyro’s stages, while Sheila herself has a refreshingly different moveset. The more vertical stages perfectly compliment Sheila’s jump-based playstyle, and these levels aren’t used too frequently to the point that they would become stale.
“The visuals of the Reignited Trilogy are its greatest strength, though they also contain some of the game’s greatest weaknesses.“
It’s fun and somewhat addictive to explore each new hub world and stage, searching every nook and cranny for gems and other collectibles. That is, until you have one gem left and it’s seemingly nowhere to be found. 90% of each level is a blast to play, but as in the original games, finding the last tiny collectible on the enormous map can be incredibly tiresome. Don’t get me wrong, I know you don’t have to find everything, and I enjoy the challenge for the most part, but checking literally every corner of a stage over and over to find a small gem that is obscured by grass isn’t particularly fun after twenty minutes. Maybe that speaks more to my competence than the game itself, but having gems stand out/shine more vividly would certainly go a long way in fixing this issue.
The visuals of the Reignited Trilogy are its greatest strength, though they also contain some of the game’s greatest weaknesses. The stages themselves, as well as the enemies that inhabit them, all look fantastic. They aren’t needlessly different from the original stages, and they all keep the atmosphere and essence of their source material. Spyro himself looks perfect as well, as do many of the redesigned dragons. Though I can see why some would be upset at how different the dragons look, I like quite a few of the redesigns, as they give each dragon a bit of character that wasn’t there in the original games. Still, there are certainly some redesigns that rub me the wrong way. The waxed-mustache tattooed dragon just looks forced and goofy compared to literally everything else in the world of Spyro, while some of the side-characters like Sheila the Kangaroo seem a bit too different for reasons I can’t quite understand.
I’ve always found Spyro music to be excellent at creating a whimsical and mystical atmosphere, but largely unmemorable. This is still the case in the Reignited Trilogy, which lets you switch between the remade music and the original PS1 music. The new music is also “dynamic”, meaning the beat and other sections of the song will change slightly depending on if you’re charging or just standing around. It’s a very competent way to present both versions of the soundtrack, and yes, the Amanda Show song is still in the game.
The voicework is great, with Tom Kenny once again proving that he’s one of the most memorable voices in the industry for good reason. The newly-designed dragons’ voices give them much more character as well, as they each feel like their own dragon instead of reskinned clones of the first few dragons. The much-discussed lack of subtitles is an unfortunate downside though, especially with the addition of pre-rendered cutscenes. It seems like such a random thing to exclude from any game with voiced dialogue, so it’s an odd oversight to say the least.
The Final Word
For both nostalgic fans and series newbies alike, the Spyro: Reignited Collection is a fantastic way to play through three classic PS1 platformer/collect-a-thons. There are some minor visual issues and some dated mechanics, but those blemishes don’t stop the Reignited Trilogy from being a grand example of what remake collections can be.
MonsterVine Review Score: 4 out of 5 – Good
