God of Roar- Spyro: Dawn of the Dragons Reviewed

During a recent discussion with several video game reviewers, an interesting question arose. “Name a 3D Playstation One game that had aged gracefully”, a fellow critic asked. I countered with the Spyro games; Insomniac’s three game series that had been a favorite of mine during the late 1990’s. I explained that the Spyro engine still stood as the graphical apex for the PS1, because of its versatility, solid framerate, and lack of pop-in. “Have you played the game, recently?” the critic asked, hoping to nullify my endorsement. I pulled my PSP from my hip pocket, and proudly closed the argument when I showed the original Spyro title on my memory card. We agreed that Spyro the Dragon was the exception to the rule.

As a fan of the franchise, I have felt compelling to play every Spyro game, even after the series stumbled after leaving Insomniac’s capable hands. Enter the Dragon and A Hero’s Tail, the fourth and fifth games of the series, attempted to recreate the enjoyment found in the original games, but were generally perceived to be lackluster efforts. In 2006, the series received a much-needed reboot, as the first of a proposed trilogy was released. The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning emphasized melee combat, but refrained from franchise mainstays such as jewel collecting and mini-games.  The next game in the series, Eternal Night, regulated the series to a linear, exceedingly action-oriented adventure. The game was also frustratingly difficult, a far cry from the tranquil pace of the early titles in the series.

                                                                     “Slow down, you just passed Kameo!”

The last game of the trilogy is the recently released Dawn of the Dragon, which is the first game to make the jump to now-gen systems as well as the Playstation 2 and Wii. As the game opens, Spyro, Cynder and sidekick Sparx are defrosted as a giant golem attacks. Players will immediately recognize the influence of God of War, as the gigantic beast flails its forearms to attack our reptilian protagonists. After the gamer successfully attacks the creature’s appendages, a quick time event is presented, requiring the player to quickly press one of the face buttons. Although, this might sound derivative, Spyro is aiming for a complexly different demographic that those served by God Of Wars mature-rated content.  It’s as if the developer’s goal was to make a family-friendly Kratos clone.

For the most part they succeeded- blending frantic combat with bits of platforming, and the requisite powering up of your attacks. The game’s single deviation from the formula is the ability to control two characters simultaneously. For the single player, control can be switched between the two dragons, and if another player is present, they can also direct a dragon. Thankfully, the two player mechanic is employed throughout the game, and not just an infrequent novelty.

                   Hey, that reminds me of a certain developer logo. Maybe I’ll ask my friend, Clank, which one. 

Control on both consoles is a bit of a mixed bag. Flying is initiated by a triple-press of the “A” button, which sends your dragon soaring. Once airborne, your altitude is at the game’s mercy. Those accustomed to Spyro’s mini-game flight mechanic will be disoriented here. Where pulling back on the stick usually increases elevation in flight sims, in Dawn of the Dragon, your character will make a quick turn toward the screen, frequently grounding the reptile. Additionally, developers Etranges Libellules shoehorned too many unintuitive movements into the Wii’s control system. Having to turn the Nunchuck sideways to block never became instinctual for us.

Unlike early games in the Spyro franchise, Dawn of the Dragon‘s engine is inconsistent. On the Xbox 360, the game typically blazes at 60 frames per second, although single environmental adornments will slow the framerate. On early levels, waterfalls will reduce the game to sub-thirty territory, spoiling any notion of fluidity. On the Nintendo Wii, the framerate is capped at 30 frames per second, however, large brawls and jewel collecting can lower the rate slightly. Overall, the Wii version has a slower, but more consistent framerate. Both versions employ a rich color palette, and display an inspired sense of art direction. Sonically, the game employs the talents of Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci, Gary Oldman and Wayne Brady; who all deliver a respectable voicing to the title’s characters. Sadly, the Wii version’s voice tracks sound overly tinny, and lacks fidelity.

                                           “Hey, is that Sauron?” “No, Elijah, you’re reading the wrong script.”