Spyro Reignited is one of the most anticipated remakes heading towards the current consoles – both Xbox One and Playstation 4 – and is making Playstation 1 fans tap their toes in angst and anticipation.

Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon were picked up by developer Toys for Bob and has been remastered from scratch in high definition, like we’ve never seen before, all in one single package.

Lucky for us, rAge 2018 had a demo preview. I managed to play through half an area before I was kicked off the comfy beanbags to let a kiddo have a go. All’s fair in love and gaming, but I did get the opportunity to gain some impressions.



The fact that Toys for Bob have no intention of making any content additions or changes – no new levels or mechanics are being added – means that this game is purely aiming to be a nostalgic masterpiece. No new mechanics means that they can focus only on a few things, but it all boils down to making it look and feel like it belongs in 2018.

Let’s start with the way the game looks. While each of the original series had their own charm, and were probably decent in graphics for the time (Spyro the Dragon was released 20 years ago), the reimagined main title dragon, the scenery, interactable items as well as the NPCs in the game look incredible. The colours are vivid and pop right off the screen, the flowers flow in the wind, the buildings have proper textures and even have windows and doors. The monsters look way more interesting and perhaps a bit more intimidating. Spyro running through the grass leaves a trail of trodden greenery behind, and breathing fire scorches the ground in front of your little dragon. I somehow found the scorchery highly impressive.

The fact that Toys for Bob have no intention of making any content additions or changes – no new levels or mechanics are being added – means that this game is purely aiming to be a nostalgic masterpiece.

The original soundtrack has been remastered alongside the from-the-ground-up-fresh graphics. According to Toys for Bob, the original composer of Spyro the Dragon, Stewart Copeland, returns to make the background music sound crisper, more precise and more enjoyable with more modern sound technology. With a few Xbox Ones next to each other, multiple Spyro players in different levels, and the Fortnite competition right next to the demo area, it wasn’t as easy to hear it well over the noise, but I’m quite excited to enjoy the progressive rock from Copeland in my own living room.

While this game has a generation of gamers from the late 90s excited, knowing that Spyro sounds like he belongs here and now, ready to tell his story, means that the kids of the older generation can listen and be excited too.

Something that does change from the PlayStation 1 version is the controls. Previously, movement of Spyro used the traditional arrow pad, whereas I could control and move my little dragon around using the analog sticks. This may be the one major change that allows the game to feel like it’s adapted into the age.



Lastly, and the most important for a platformer like Spyro Reignited, the voices have been re-recorded using some of the original voice actors from the original game, including Tom Kenny. The voices tell the story, and the story drives the game. While this game has a generation of gamers from the late 90s excited, knowing that Spyro sounds like he belongs here and now, ready to tell his story, means that the kids of the older generation can listen and be excited to be a part of the adventures of this little dragon.

Some stories need to be retold over and over again, and Spyro the Dragon is high on this list.

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is scheduled for release on the 13 November 2018 for PlayStation 4 and XBox One.