The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon – PS3 – Preview

Poor little
Spyro … the lovable purple dragon has certainly had his ups and downs as a
video-game icon. Spyro made his debut on the PlayStation back in 1998, suffered
through some less-than-stellar titles and some that were well received. His
latest adventure, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, is actually the third
part of a trilogy. 

Sierra showed
off the game during a spring media event in San Francisco in mid-April and the
dragon has never looked so good or played so well. In Dawn of the Dragon, Spyro
has teamed up with Cynder (who was redeemed in the second title in the series,
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night) and the duo are out to stop the Dark
Master’s evil from enveloping the world.


The Legend of Spyro™: Dawn of the Dragon Wii screenshots

It may sound
like an ambitious adventure, but with new gameplay mechanics, Spyro should be
able to pull it off. Spyro and Cynder are always together, each with different
abilities and players will be able to switch between the dragons. There is a
prominent new mechanic that should please players in that both Spyro and Cynder
can fly – as in all the time, not just in spurts. The game also features unique
drops, like pieces of armor that are scattered throughout environments and
compiling the entire set will give players a buff bonus, just like in a
role-playing game. The puzzles are set up in such a way as to involve both Spyro
and Cynder in their solution.

The world is
bigger and more varied with 10 different environments and the game – while it
does have moments akin to God of War where you have to trigger certain hot
buttons – aims to take a more strategic approach to the gameplay.

“It’s our 10th
anniversary,” said representatives for the title during the event, “and we’re
trying to come out in a big way.”

That means a
storyline with more layers to it (a la a Pixar film) and a more varied
experience.


The Legend of Spyro™: Dawn of the Dragon Wii screenshots

The game looks
gorgeous and features top voice talent. Spyro is voiced by Elijah Wood, while
Gary Oldman does the voice of Ignitus (Spyro’s mentor). Mark Hamill is the voice
of the Dark Master while Wayne Brady voices Sparx. Other actors joining the cast
include Christina Ricci and Blair Underwood.

The game will
also feature drop-in/drop-out co-op play, another dynamic new to a Spyro title.

The developer
behind the title on next-gen consoles is Etranges Libellules (360, PS3, PS2 and
Wii), while Tantalus is behind the DS version.

The game demo
revealed a world that was an amazing visual treat. The lighting and texturing
were vibrant and brought the world to glorious life, and the new gameplay dynamics
really gave the series a fresh feel.

The game is
slated to release in the fall.