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In a nutshell: Spyro the Dragon returns in a reboot to the ... Read more

In a nutshell: Spyro the Dragon returns in a reboot to the series that finally explains his origins and aims to return him to the top flight of platforming gaming mascots. The lowdown: Alongside Crash Bandicoot the original Spyro the Dragon games were the PSone’s best two exclusive platformers, but just like Crash they’ve long lost their way. This might be called A New Beginning but it’s disarmingly similar to the last game and features precious little in the way of new ideas. Although he does sport a requisite pair of leathery wings, Spyro can’t actually fly, just glide for short periods, which allows the game to include lots of platforming sections. The real emphasis is on combat though, which is a bit of a shame as it quickly gets repetitive with few moves and little variety in enemies. It’s a competent enough game but it’s really got nothing new to add to either the Spyro series or action adventure games in general. Most exciting moment: The best part of the game is the way Spyro’s powers can slowly be upgraded, particularly his four flavoured dragon’s breath which switches between the elemental powers of fire, ice, wind and earth. Not only do many of the puzzles revolve around their use but some enemies are vulnerable to specific types. Since you ask: Oddly the game has quite the celebrity line-up in its voice cast, including Elijah Woods (The Lord of the Rings) and Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), but their talents are largely wasted on a bland script and trite dialogue. The bottom line: Not the revamp the series needed to regain its previous glories.-HARRISON DENT Minimize