Spyro the Dragon: Reignited Trilogy Heats Things Up With Our First E3 2018 Look

So as you saw a few weeks back, Spyro the Dragon is back and better than ever, with the developers [...]

Spyro the Dragon

So as you saw a few weeks back, Spyro the Dragon is back and better than ever, with the developers at Toys For Bob reimagining the franchise with beautiful new visuals and reimagined levels, all coming together for his Reignited Trilogy, set to launch this September.

We recently went hands-on with the game to see how well it held up over time. And the good news is that the game feels like he's doing anything but, ahem, draggin'.

First off, we were taken on a walkthrough through two of the levels introduced in earlier games in the series. The beginning one had us fending off against renegade wizards and dogs that were looking to strike back with quick strikes and ground pounds. Fortunately, Spyro was able to make quick work of them with some fire breath and a fast-moving head-butt, which he can execute by dashing. Working with these techniques, even the strongest of adversaries -- like a sheep masquerading as a scarecrow -- don't stand a chance.

But the second level was more fascinating, featuring Spyro flying around what looks to be an enclosed arena while using his flame breath to ignite certain objects in the area. Once lit, a tunnel opens up and he's able to fly into the newest part without missing a beat. The flight controls looked to handle wonderfully here, but the level was set up like a time trial. So you probably shouldn't dawdle when it comes to meeting your objective, as you've got stuff to destroy before time runs out.

We went a bit hands-on with the game and it's surprising how natural it feels. It's almost like Toys For Bob copied over the formula that worked so well for the original Insomniac games and followed it to the letter. He handles with great precision and his attacks are a lot of fun to execute, particularly when you're scorching sheep just for the hell of it. Because, you know, he can.

As for how the game looks...just wow. The graphics are wonderfully reignited (as the title reads, of course) with beautiful visuals and coloring that make him look better than ever in each of his adventures. Not only that, but the other characters are sharp as well as you free them within the world and get some advice on what to take on next. I also enjoyed the voice acting (Tom Kenny from Spyro 2 and Spyro 3 is handling the dialogue yet again) as well as the music.

Spyro the Dragon: Reignited Trilogy should have no trouble replicating the success that last year's Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy did. In fact, it might even breathe a little more fire under the seats of retro fans with its play style and wondrous visuals. We'll see how the final game shapes up when it arrives on September 21st for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

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