Spyro and Cynder not only look different, but they also play differently. While Spyro features more elemental based attacks (fire, electricity, water, and ice), Cynder has a mish-mash of skills which don’t really seem to be as cohesive thematically, but are still a lot of fun. As expected, you can collect gems from various objects and enemies scattered throughout the world, powering up your dragons in various forms. There are gems which regain health, regain mana, and allow you to purchase upgrades for your abilities.

Another new addition is the dragon armor. By collecting pieces of armor—which include helmet, bracers, and tail—you can equip your dragon(s) with upgraded abilities, stats, and effects. You’re able to mix and match the three pieces of armor to get your desired effects, and it adds a nice element of strategy to an otherwise “child’s game.”

I say “child’s game” in quotes, because the combat is definitely more difficult than the previous Spyro games. While there are two buttons for light and heavy attacks, this time around there’s also melee combos to pull off. It isn’t necessary to pull off combos in the grand scheme of things, but stringing together more consecutive attacks on an enemy rewards you with more blue gems, and ultimately makes it easier to fight the Super Elites.

Bosses are easy and should never provide much of a challenge. The Super Elites, however, are ridiculous. Only one type of attack will hurt them, and there’s not really any indication as to what attack you should use. They’re optional fights, but in the game I found nothing which says that they’re optional, and I’m sure children playing the game wouldn’t, either. They’re challenging to the point of being overpowered, and as many people know just making something overpowered to increase the difficulty is a poor way to design a fight.

As with all the Spyro games, the world is rich, vibrant, and full of color. Given that it’s also being released on the PS2 (did you know it wasn’t dead yet?) the graphics themselves can’t quite compare to 360-only releases, but it is substantially better looking on the higher powered system. The only real complaint I have with the graphics is that when you’re flying, there tends to be a lot of slowdown and vanishing graphics. Take to the sky, spin around fast, and try to spot which environmental elements have vanished. You could even be like my friend and create a drinking game based around how often the bushy tops of trees disappear.

If there’s one area where this game surpasses even the PlayStation classics, it’s the audio. It’s obvious a lot of time and effort went into the voice work and music in this game, and the efforts show. The music is great, orchestral fare, and the voice work is some of the better in any recent game on the market. Elijah Wood, Wayne Brady, Gary Oldman, Christina Ricci, and Mark Hamill? How could you not want to hear that cast in action?

Questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you . Compared to the last two Legend of Spyro releases, Dawn of the Dragon is a much better game. Co-op makes it more enjoyable, the armor adds an element of customization, and the usage of flight makes the platforming easier overall. Still, compared to the classic Spyro games it just falls short, whether it’s the lack of real challenges (outside of Super Elite fights), or the stupidity of the AI, the game just feels dated. It would be a shame if this really is Spyro’s swan song, because despite the issues the series finally appears to be getting back on track. Only time will tell whether or not our plucky purple friend gets one more shot at a comeback.

Questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you .