Game Review: Spyro Reignited Trilogy (Xbox One)

Nostalgia is a funny thing, in particular when it comes to video games. We all talk fondly of the classics we played when we were younger. Be it games from the 8-bit/16-bit era, the N64, Dreamcast or PlayStation. Often nostalgia equates to rose-tinted glasses though as the games we herald so much haven’t aged well at all or just weren’t as good as we remember.

There are some exceptions to that rule though. Not many but some and Spyro the Dragon is one of them.

Not just the first game either but both the second and third games in the series. The classic trilogy that appeared on the original PlayStation still hold up by today’s standards (gameplay wise) and few would have complained if Spyro: Reignited Trilogy had just been a re-release with a HD update. You can read our review of the original PS1 game here and the sequel, Spyro 2 here.

It’s not though, instead the entire trilogy has been rebuilt giving the games a new lease on life and allowing generations that never played them to see just what all the fuss was about.

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is made up of the first three games in the series. Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.

The story hasn’t been changed at all with the first game seeing Spyro face off against Gnasty Gnorc and rescuing dragons who have been encased in crystal. The second game sees the titular dragon go for a holiday but end up in the land of Avalar where the evil Ripto is causing chaos. While the third game has Spyro travelling to a far away world to rescue the dragon eggs. All very simple and something all ages can enjoy.

There’s been a lot of love put into making these the best remasters they could possibly be and it has paid off. These three games look stunning, gorgeously colourful with little touches that will thrill both old and new players alike. It’s as near a perfect remaster as you could hope it to be. With just the odd little issue here and there.

Rebuilt from the ground up, Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is a visual treat. Especially for those who are really familiar with how it looked back on the PS1. Character models are easily the standout improvement but the little details such as grass, flags moving in the breeze and fire really impress.

Every world or level is met with glee as you wait to see just how it looks now and it rarely disappoints.

The controls are more responsive and free control over the camera using the right stick is possibly the biggest improvement of the lot. This trilogy is easier to pick up and play then original was which deserves much credit.

The team behind this remastering have worked hard at sticking closely to what made Spyro such a popular game series on the PS1. It looks and feels like you’re playing the original game but vastly improved in almost all areas.

The areas where it is lacking are minor disappointments but disappointments none the less. The most obvious one being the load times. They can be excruciatingly long and really disrupt the flow of gameplay. Then there are these moments where the frame rate just doesn’t quite hit the mark. Resulting in the tiniest bit of tearing here and there.

It’s great that the only really complaints are such minor stuff. This really is an impressive remastering of a game trilogy that is much loved by fans around the world.

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